Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Chevy Traverse front end. In this guide we will cover the
essential repairs for the front end of this vehicle. Included within these repairs
is the inner and outer tie rod removal and change, the front wheel hubs installation, ball joint removal and
installation, the upper and lower control arms, and the front shock installation. Along
with the repair procedures we also include the corresponding bolt torque specs for each fastener involved. These
guides are intended to assist in each procedure to help diyers with the job.
Chevy Traverse Tie Rod Change/Removal
To install a new tie rod on a Chevy Traverse you must first remove the old one from the vehicle. This can be
done by raising the vehicle up by either the use of a floor jack or a vehicle hoist.
Once the vehicle is in the air you can remove the corresponding tire for the side that you want to change the
tie rod on. Once the tire is off you can now access the old tie rod and remove it for replacement. On this vehicle the tie
rod attachs to an inner tie rod that screws directly into the steering rack. If replacing the entire tie rod assembly you can tighten the inner
tie rod up toi 74 ft-lbs using a special holding tool. The outer tie rod endlink can be torqued down to the steering knuckle using 35 ft-lbs of force.
Be sure to install a cotter pin if necessary as this will prevent the nut from loosening up under extreme circumstances.
Chevy Traverse Outer Tie Rod End Torque Spec : 35 ft-lbs
Chevy Traverse Inner Tie Rod Torque Spec : 74 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub Installation
The front wheel hub on the Chevy Traverse tightens down to the steering knuckle through the use of 3 bolts. In order to remove the
old part from the vehicle you will need to jack your car up and remove the wheel on the side you are working on. From here we can then begin to
remove the braking system by taking off the caliper and brake rotor and removing the center axle nut which holds the cv axle to the steering
knuckle. With those removed we can now gain access to the wheel hub bolts which will be
on the back side of the steering knuckle and can be accessed by turning the steering wheel one way and then the other. As you move the wheel take the bolts
out as the access becomes easier. Once the 3 bolts have been removed you can remove the old part using a hammer and pry
bar and then clean the surface and put the new part onto the vehicle. With the new wheel hub installed we can begin to hand tighten down the 3 bolts
and then torque them to specs. The 3 bolts which hold it onto the steering knuckle should be torqued down to 89 ft-lbs.
Once all are tight you can then put the center axle nut onto the cv axle and torque it down to 173 ft-lbs. Once both have been torqued you can proceed to
reinstall the braking system and then the wheel.
Chevy Traverse Front Axle Nut Torque Spec : 173 ft-lbs
The Chevy Traverse has only one set of front control arms being the lower control arms. The upper portion of the suspension is maintained
by the strut assembly. The lower ball joint on this vehicle is a commonly replaced part as takes most of the road wear when traveling over bumps
and surfaces. For this reason its always a good idea to check its condition whenever working on your vehicle. In order to replace the lower ball joint
you must first remove the wheel from the appropriate vehicle side. With the wheel removed you can then begin to loosen the nut which holds
the ball joint to the steering knuckle. Since the cv axle is typically in the way here you will want to use a wrench to do so. Once removed you can then
remove the 2 fasteners which hold the lower control arm onto the vehicle and then remove the arm from the car. With the old part out you can then take
the new control arm and raise it up into the place of the old one. From here hand tighten both frame fasteners and install the ball joint into the steering
knuckle. The 2 frame fasteners can be torqued down to 105 ft-lbs be sure to tighten them while the vehicle is at ride height. The front lower ball joint
nut can be torqued down to 81 ft-lbs. Make sure to install a cotter pin once tight. From here we can grease up the new ball joint
if necessary and tehn reinstall the wheel.
Chevy Traverse Front Lower Arm to Frame Torque Spec : 105 ft-lbs
Front Control Arm Installation
Lower Control Arm
On the Chevy Traverse there is only one set of front control arms being the lower control arm. This control arm also contains the
lower ball joint which is covered in its own section on this webpage. To install a new lower control arm you will first need to remove the old
part from the vehicle. In order to do this you will want to jack up your vehicle and remove the tire from the side you are working on. From here we can
then remove the 2 bolts which hold the arm to the vehicle frame. With those removed we can remove the single nut which holds the ball
joint to the steering knuckle. This should allow us to lower the control arm and remove it away from the vehicle. The new part can be
placed back up into the original location as the last one and the frame bolts can be torqued down to 105 ft-lbs.
The single ball joint nut can be torqued to somewhere around
81 ft-lbs. You may need to use a wrench for this part as it may be difficult to access otherwise. Once tightened make sure that you install cotter
pins wherever there is a castle nut used and then you can reinstall the wheel and go to get your vehicle aligned.
To replace the front struts on the Chevy Traverse you will have to first remove the tire on the side of the vehicle in which you intend to replace.
Once the tire is off you can then remove the 2 lower strut bolts which hold the strut assembly to the steering knuckle. Once these bolts have been removed
you can remove the stabilizer bar nut and then move to the upper portion of the strut. From under the hood of the vehicle you can access
the 3 bolts/nuts that hold the strut up to the vehicles frame. Once these are removed the entire strut assembly can be removed from the vehicle.
To install a new strut simply place the new part up into the location as the old one and begin to hand tighten the upper fasteners.
Once tightened you can then hand tighten the lower strut bolts. You may need to tap the bolts into place but be careful not to damage the
bolts threads. Once all fasteners have been hand tightened you can begin to torque down the bolts. The upper and nuts need to
be torqued down to 33 ft-lbs. The 2 lower strut bolts can be torqued down to 144 ft-lbs.
The front swaybar on the Chevy Traverse consists of a series of brackets that hold it to the frame of the
vehicle and a couple of endlink nuts that fasten it the the outer side of the car. To remove
the swaybar you will need to jack up the front of the vehicle and remove both the endlink nuts as well as the
brackets. To install the new swaybar you will need to move it back into the place as the old one
and torque the endlink nuts to 20 ft-lbs and then torque the bracket bolts to 37 ft-lbs as well.
Chevy Traverse Front Swaybar Bracket Torque Spec : 37 ft-lbs
Chevy Traverse Front Swaybar Endlinks Torque Spec : 20 ft-lbs
