How to remove a rusted hub from knuckle

I've seem some impressive videos where you set up tools in a way that the lowering of the car on a jack applies the force needed to pop the knuckle off. Don't have links to it handy right now, but if you think it through I bet you'll figure it out.

 

Front or rear?

 

That looks scarey!!!
But you don't need any special tools.
Spray with rust penatrant, and tap with a hammer and punch a little clockwise and counter clockwise.
It will eventually brake free, and use more rust penatrant. It's not too slow, and doesn't cost anything more.

I've done several this way for years..... always works.

 

Could be a knucklebuster. Yours!

 

I don't think the rear has knuckles.

 

Rust penetrate, chisel and a 3lb Hammer works for me when I need to replace one...

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Just a fancy wheel / gear / pulley puller.

I think that is what an independent shop did on one of our vehicles suffering significant road salt corrosion. Let the penetrant soak in overnight.

 

Are you able to get an air hammer?

 

This guy removes the parts and takes the knuckle and hub to a press. It might mean taking the part to a shop. See time 9:50

 

I guess if you are going to use a press to remove the hub, that's what you gotta do.
But you do NOT have to do that. At least 99.9% of the time. Your car though.

He could have smacked the axel with the nut on it to release it. It wouldn't hurt the bearing at all.
But he sure pounded on the tie rod though!

Sad that he cleaned up the bearing matting surface of the steering knuckle, but not the bolts for the hub.
And he also didn't clean up the tie rod end and threads for everything.
He talked about cleaning this stuff "for the next guy" but neglects the little things, for the next guy, who may be him.

Perhaps he doesn't know the make breaker bars to tighten and losen nuts and bolts?


And it's too bad he had a soundtrack of people destroying musical intruments!
And the floating logo..

But that is one way of doing it....

 

Remove the knuckle.
Remove the bolts that fasten the hub to the knuckle. As an example, the Gen 2 has 4 bolts that insert from the back of the knuckle and thread into the hub.
Purchase the same thread bolt, but a few inches longer and insert them the same way as the original bolts. Since the new bolts will be a inch or two or three longer, the heads will not seat, and will not fasten the knuckle and hub together.
Take a hammer and thump the heads of the new bolts, alternating sides/corners and watch how easy the hub pops out.
Once hub is released, unthread the 4 new bolts and save them for next time.

Depending on how skilled you are with swinging a hammer, you may be able to do this without removing the knuckle.

I don't care how much corrosion/bonding there is between the hub and knuckle, these bolts and a BFH will get them apart every time.

 

Now we just have to get this into an action packed You-Tube video!