I want to replace the ball wipers and inner axle seals, and while I'm at it, replace the whole knuckle on one side, since one brake caliper mounting hole is partially stripped. The procedure for preloading the bearings is straightforward, but the procedure for centering the axle within the housing seems much more complicated, requiring a $230 special tool. Doing it seems unnecessary if using the same axle housing/knuckle combination, but what if I'm using a knuckle off a different axle? I have a whole parts truck, and I could just as well swap the whole axle assembly instead of just the knuckle. Even though that's more work, is it a better idea than risking misalignment of the axle due to mix-n-match parts?

As a side note, I'm undecided between Longfield and Trail Gear wiper seals. $.02's?

 

I think if you will search a bit you will find the general rule of thumb for shimming the knuckles.

:wabbit2:

 

I read a bunch of writeups and did find the general rule, but that's for when the knuckle and axle housing are reused and only the bearings are changed. The writeups talk about preload, but not centering.

 

4crawler has a real good write up on the knuckles.

If you use the same shims that you took off the truck, you should be okay. But you are hoping whoever shimmed it before you knew what they were doing.

 

Off which truck, the one that donated the axle, or the knuckle?

I read that writeup, and a few others, and they're all assuming that I'm reusing the same knuckle and axle. That assumption isn't true in my case.

I think I'll play it safe and swap over the whole axle.

 

I typically shim a thick and thin and don't worry about it or use what was on there. I seriously doubt you will see but a countless few bother to ever use that SST.

Don't fret it too much.

:wabbit2:

 

Yeah... I learned to wrench on BMW's. Those definitely call for a lot of fretting of stuff like this.

I'll swap the whole axle and replace the front springs while I'm at it.