Step 5: Replace Knuckle Seal | Return to Steps
I am going to replace both seals while in here, staring with the knuckle seal. This seal is there to keep junk and debris from getting into the wheel bearing from the CV side. This seal comes pre-greased from Toyota, so be careful not to smear it all off.


Removal
The easiest way to remove the knuckle seal is to be a bit destructive. I came in from the top with a screwdriver to cave it in.


As the seal caves in, you should be able to get the screwdriver behind it. Slowly prying around the edges will allow it to release from the knuckle.


I did a light scrap of the loose rusty chunks and vaccumed all the junk out to prevent it from getting in the bearing.


Installation
Now the seal can be pressed in. I used the 4" drain pipe as a seal driver and it worked very well. The axle nut cover is a great fit also, but I didn't want to ding mine up with hammer blows.


For the passenger side, I found it helpful to turn the wheel full left. From there, the seal and our driver can be held in place and given a few light taps with the hammer to get set. I found the top wasn't wanting to seat with direct hits, but slowly tapping around from a fully seated edge to the unseated edge allowed everything to mate together