# 2001 Chevrolet Malibu - trouble with knuckle bearing bolts

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, malibu\
**Created:** [April 11, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719 "2020-04-11T01:41:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JoelHarding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoelHarding](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoelHarding)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719/1 "2020-04-11T01:41:49Z")

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I am Replacing the Steering knuckle and Wheel bearing on a 01 Malibu. Having a hard time getting the big bolts that attach the knuckle bearing and strut together. They are rectangular in shape and no wrench in mm or sae

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719/2 "2020-04-11T18:40:51Z")

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Are you sure those bolts don’t have a hex on thenother side? Are you trying to get a wrench on the capitve nuts the bolts thread into?

How about posting a picture? I know what they should look like…

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**Author:** ![Bugmenot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Bugmenot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bugmenot)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719/3 "2020-04-11T19:59:55Z")

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Do you mean the bolts labeled #6 in the pic below? ~~They should be hex head bolts.~~ Correction–they are not hex head, though they appeared to be in the diagram. The head only has two flats (see other pic). The nuts, however, are hex.

 ![2001 Malibu Knuckle & Strut](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/3/5/359dd96965f0447ce8274714c45e427181cb4d11.png) ![2001 Malibu Strut Bolt](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/1/41d3a333dd80ce6226f688b8f1c277670dd48014.png)  
Do you need to replace both the knuckle and the wheel hub/bearing?

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719/4 "2020-04-12T00:11:36Z")

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> [@Bugmenot](#):
>
> They should be hex head bolts.

I’ve encountered a few vehicles where those bolts you mentioned are NOT hex head bolts

On the ones I’m thinking of, you can hold them with an open end wrench . . . but you definitely can’t get a socket on them . . . while you loosen/tighten the nuts

Those bolts are sometimes used to adjust camber, as far as I know

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**Author:** ![Bugmenot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Bugmenot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bugmenot)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2001-chevrolet-malibu-trouble-with-knuckle-bearing-bolts/162719/5 "2020-04-12T00:31:33Z")

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@db4690  
Post above corrected.