Rooster2 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I have a 99 Leggie OBW that needs a replacement steering knuckle and hub. I am thinking I can buy this as a unit from a wrecking yard. What would be helpful is to know what roughly the individual parts cost from a yard would be. I am sure that my favorite yard would have parts available. I am thinking any Leggie from 96-99 would fit. Would this be true? Also, is this something that can be bought with some confidence from a yard, that the part(s) would be good? Yes, I realize that the hub can be bought from a parts store, and the steering knuckle is available dealer only. I would prefer not to have to wait days for the dealer to get the part in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 What's wrong with the ones on the car? GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Once you decide after answering GD's question, this is who I use to get parts or for at least a price guide. http://www.subaruworld.com/ Also well liked is http://www.car-part.com/ The first one actually have a-part-that-shall-rename-nameless for the Justy that I could not find anywhere, new used or otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 i replace with used hubs all the time. make sure they have ABS if you need it. if there's any rust then the sensor could be stuck in there, a bolt sheared off, sensor still in it with wiring clipped - i've seen it all. just make sure you're cool with whatever situation you see! check for play obviously. i've paid like $30 - $75 for EJ hubs. $50 is a generally reasonable price. ABS equipped impreza, legacy, forester knuckle assembly will work. get a new ball joint and have a pickle fork handy so the ball joint removal portion takes 3 minutes rather than 2 hours. before owning a pickle fork i've had a heck of a time removing some ball joints and getting them out without tearing the boot is a very small success rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 What's wrong with the ones on the car? GD A little history.........last summer, I had to replace the half shaft, as the end had broken off about 2-3" from the end at the road wheel end. A shop replacing the half shaft thought the wheel bearing was still good. 2 Months later, the bearing went bad. I, and a buddy replaced the wheel bearing using the Harbor Freight hub tamer, but a few months later it started making just a little squeaky, creaky noise. Now, the noise is much louder, and the road wheel would move up and down, while being jacked up. That is a strong indicator that the wheel bearing is bad A friend pulled the hub out today, and says the steering knuckle is bad, along with the bearing, so that is why I posted the question about replacing the knuckle. I don't have much knowledge about these parts and what is needed, but my buddy does, so I am trusting his judgment. Any advise still sought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I replace the nuckle. I don't have my own press and often things seem to screw up the hub(which screws up the bearing) down the road. Rears I usually pay like 100 for, I recently sold fronts for 50 and they had to remove and put theirs back onto my parts car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Thanks guys, I appreciate all the help. I know what a hub is, but I still don't know what a steering knuckle is, or what it looks like. Is the knuckle the same as what is called a spindle? Is there an exploded diagram available, that I can see what a knuckle, maybe called a Spindle looks like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Think of what attaches to all the other suspension - the tie rods, ball joints, axle. The hub is included in the nuckle. Someone should have a pic. Or perhaps look for pics of a brake job and you'll likely be able to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 A friend pulled the hub out today, and says the steering knuckle is bad, along with the bearing, so that is why I posted the question about replacing the knuckle. I don't have much knowledge about these parts and what is needed, but my buddy does, so I am trusting his judgment. Any advise still sought. The knuckle is just a bearing pocket. What has gone bad on the knuckle that you can't install a new bearing? Hub's can be damaged if the bearing cone's race spins on the hub but you can just replace the hub with a used one. Personally I opt for bearing replacements since it's a $40 fix either way - bearing and seals or a used knuckle. But with the bearing option I get new bearings instead of unknown used ones. Sounds like something wasn't done right with the installation of the last bearing. The Harbor Frieght set works well but doesn't come with any real instructions - I printed out the Subaru instructions for the Hub Tamer or Hub Shark or whatever I found online in PDF format. Worked well enough as a general outline. I've done dozens of them and I've never had a repeat failure. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I remember something to the tune of "don't lower the car unless the axle nut is tightened correctly, or damage to the (new) bearing will occur". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal_look_zero Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 i replace with used hubs all the time. make sure they have ABS if you need it. if there's any rust then the sensor could be stuck in there, a bolt sheared off, sensor still in it with wiring clipped - i've seen it all. just make sure you're cool with whatever situation you see! check for play obviously. i've paid like $30 - $75 for EJ hubs. $50 is a generally reasonable price. ABS equipped impreza, legacy, forester knuckle assembly will work. get a new ball joint and have a pickle fork handy so the ball joint removal portion takes 3 minutes rather than 2 hours. before owning a pickle fork i've had a heck of a time removing some ball joints and getting them out without tearing the boot is a very small success rate. I replace the nuckle. I don't have my own press and often things seem to screw up the hub(which screws up the bearing) down the road. Rears I usually pay like 100 for, I recently sold fronts for 50 and they had to remove and put theirs back onto my parts car. Jeez, do those PnPs have the decency to buy you dinner after the rape? I get transmissions and engines in the $100 realm. Usually $10-$15 for an individual suspension part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I get transmissions and engines in the $100 realm. Usually $10-$15 for an individual suspension part. Yeah but look where you live.... here in the larger cities the prices are a lot higher. Cost of living and running a business is higher. I would use a lot more used knuckles if they were $15. As it is the prices in the yards around here are so high that I can replace a bearing for the same price or less and not deal with the yards at all. Engines run about $400 to $600, Transmissions are around $200 to $400. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Yeah but look where you live.... here in the larger cities the prices are a lot higher. Cost of living and running a business is higher. I would use a lot more used knuckles if they were $15. As it is the prices in the yards around here are so high that I can replace a bearing for the same price or less and not deal with the yards at all. Engines run about $400 to $600, Transmissions are around $200 to $400. GD What he said. Also here since SUbarus never die unless they are totaled, they are not in yards. Yards here know the HG tirck and sometimes fix them themselves for a nice profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Think of what attaches to all the other suspension - the tie rods, ball joints, axle. The hub is included in the nuckle. Someone should have a pic. Or perhaps look for pics of a brake job and you'll likely be able to see it. Dave, what you say makes sense. I surmised the hub and knuckle joined together, but now I know. Sounds like if I find a good knuckle, I am in good shape. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 go to http://www.car-parts.com and you will see that $50 is fairly common price, even in your area. while $10-$15 might be possible - there isn't one listed for twice that price in the entire state. so what you're describing is not a reality for most people. we're not all price shoppers and penny pinchers, i am in some ways and then completely not in others. I get transmissions and engines in the $100 realm. Usually $10-$15 for an individual suspension part.with some effort that's an option here too - but only at pull it yourself yards which are a waste of my time. not everyone lives convenient to one. driving to a yard alone is a waste of my time, not even counting the pulling it yourself cost. i almost never visit junk yards, even though i buy a fair amount from them. if my time is worth $100 an hour then i could waste $100 - $200 trying to go to a yard or pull one myself to save $50, which doesn't make any sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I guess I should also state that I get mine delivered with a 6 months warranty for my price. As I age (and am now a bit limited) large suspension part removal at a JY isn't as much fun as it used to be. I tend to enjoy air tools for this. Like on the rear stub section I'm happy to have it delivered to my door for 100 bucks. Then I dont' have to mess with that long lateral link bolt at all. My local PnP's prices are now so bad I can get parts delivered to me for about the same price with a warranty, often cheaper. I even know the owner of my closest one (25 minutes away) and don't buy anything there anymore. However that is where I usually take my scrap cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 go to http://www.car-parts.com and you will see that $50 is fairly common price, even in your area. while $10-$15 might be possible - there isn't one listed for twice that price in the entire state. so what you're describing is not a reality for most people. we're not all price shoppers and penny pinchers, i am in some ways and then completely not in others. with some effort that's an option here too - but only at pull it yourself yards which are a waste of my time. not everyone lives convenient to one. driving to a yard alone is a waste of my time, not even counting the pulling it yourself cost. i almost never visit junk yards, even though i buy a fair amount from them. if my time is worth $100 an hour then i could waste $100 - $200 trying to go to a yard or pull one myself to save $50, which doesn't make any sense. Good thoughts, life is always a factor of "time vs money" issue on any project. I know a yard well enough to call, get a price, and then have them pull the part, with a complete understanding that I will absolutely be there to complete the purchase. I will be doing that tomorrow morning to snare a knuckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) Thanks guys, I appreciate all the help. I know what a hub is, but I still don't know what a steering knuckle is, or what it looks like. Is the knuckle the same as what is called a spindle? Is there an exploded diagram available, that I can see what a knuckle, maybe called a Spindle looks like? Here is a diagram from opposed forces: Item 4 (the part that the bearing is pressed into) is commonly called a "Knuckle" its nomenclature on opposed forces is Housing, Front Axle. A spindle was a common name for the part at the front axle on older rear wheel drive cars that had greaseable bearings and the wheel bearings rolled on like this photo: Edited February 6, 2012 by Mike104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Thanks for the visuals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 Thanks for the visuals Yes, thanks for the visuals.......gives me a better idea of what the entire knuckle unit will look like, when I pick one up at a yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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