How To Install Mustang Half Shafts S550

Removal Procedure

1. Support the rear of the car with jack stands or the entire vehicle with a lift.



2. Remove both rear wheels.




3. Lubricate the knuckle retaining nut, then loosen and remove the nut with a 1 & ¼ socket.




4. Remove the rubber grommet from the bracket.



5. Loosen and remove the 10mm bolts that retain the parking brake cable to the knuckle, body of the car, and the brake hose to sway bar end-link bracket.





6. Reinstall a lug nut with some sort of spacer to keep the rotor in place.



7. Loosen and remove the 18mm caliper to knuckle retaining bolts and remove the caliper (zip-tie it out of the way).






8. Remove the lug nut spacer and then remove the rotor.




9. Loosen and remove the three 8mm bolts securing the dust shield to the knuckle and remove the dust shield.




10. Loosen and remove the 8mm bolt securing the wheel speed sensor to the knuckle and then remove the sensor out of the way.




11. Loosen but do not remove the 18mm vertical link to control arm bolts.



12. Loosen the 15mm vertical link to knuckle bolt BUT ONLY remove the nut with the locking tab, LEAVE THE BOLT IN (bolt is removed in step 15).




13. Loosen the 18mm toe link to knuckle bolt.



14. Loosen and Remove the 21mm knuckle to lower control arm bolt.



15. Remove the vertical link to knuckle bolt & swing the vertical link down and out of the way.




16. Loosen the upper control arm to knuckle hardware(nut is 18mm & bolt head is 15mm) LEAVE THIS BOLT IN PLACE.



17. Remove the toe link to knuckle bolt.



18. Lubricate the splines on the half shaft.



19. Reinstall the knuckle retaining nut (only thread this in a few turns).



20. Use the socket & strike the socket with a dead blow hammer to press the half shaft out of the knuckle.



21. Remove the last bolt and knuckle.




22. Use a sway bar to dislodge the c-clip inside of the differential.




23. Remove the half shaft from the differential.


REPEAT ALL STEPS FOR THE OTHER SIDE



Installation Procedure



24. On a workbench, apply gear oil to the end of the shaft that you are installing.



25. Clean the seal and lubricate it with fresh gear oil.




26. Install the axle shaft into the rear end housing (ensure that it is fully seated).



27. Clean the splines on the hub assembly with brake-clean and a wire brush.



28. Apply anti-seize to the splines on the hub assembly.



29. Reinstall the knuckle and the hub assembly onto the new axle shaft.



30. Align the upper control arm with the knuckle and reinstall the bolt to hold it in place, along with the nut.



31. Align the vertical link with the knuckle and reinstall the bolt.




32. Reinstall the knuckle to lower control arm bolt.



33. Reinstall the knuckle to toe link bolt.



34. Snug down all of the hardware.



35. Torque the lower control arm to knuckle bolt to 203 lb-ft.



36. Torque the toe link to knuckle bolt to 129 lb-ft.



37. Torque the vertical link to lower control arm bolt to 129 lb-ft.



38. Torque the vertical link to knuckle bolt to 76 lb-ft.



39. Torque the upper control arm to knuckle bolt to 76 lb-ft.



40. Reinstall the wheel speed sensor and torque it to 80 in-lb.



41. Apply blue loctite to the knuckle to axle shaft retaining nut.



42. Position a pry bar between the studs and torque the knuckle to axle shaft retaining nut to 98 lb-ft & then rotate it an additional 45 degrees.



43. Reinstall the backing plate and its associated hardware.



44. Apply anti seize to the face of the hub.



45. Reinstall the brake rotor and hold it in place with a spacer and lug nut.




46. Cut the zip tie holding the brake caliper out of the way.



47. Position the caliper over the rotor.



48. Reinstall the two retaining bolts and torque these two to 85 lb-ft.




49. Position the parking brake cable onto the knuckle.



50. Reinstall this bolt and torque it to 177 in-lb.



51. Reinstall the rubber grommet.



52. Reinstall the brake hose bracket to the sway bar end link.



53. Torque this bolt to 177 in-lb.



54. Remove the lug nut and spacer.



55. Apply anti seize to the face of the rotor.



56. Reinstall the wheels and the lugnuts.




57. With the car on the ground, torque the lugnuts to 150 lb-ft in a star pattern.


REPEAT ALL STEPS FOR THE OTHER SIDE