Need new steering knuckles

SO I need to replace my steering knuckles. Jeep is stock everything. Are the crown ones any good. Any recommendations on other options, and where to buy. I am not seeing much on the interweb except the crown. I guess I'll replace the ball joints as well while I'm at it. Any info greatly appreciated- thx

Year, 2WD/4WD, etc. specifics help a bit.

Johnnie Walker said:

Year, 2WD/4WD, etc. specifics help a bit.

Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat, mine need to be done as well. '00 4wd

I've been able to find Dorman, Crown, and Mopar as far as replacements go. I thought about trying the Mevotech Terrain Tough ball joints while I'm in there; greaseable and have a very nice sealed boot on them as well.

Sorry..1991 XJ sport 4x4, 5-speed manual, 4.0HO. 15" rims, stock for the most part.

Where do you see those knuckles/ball joints for sale? Price/quality differences?

thx everyone-

Are yours bent or otherwise messed up? Really the only time we have ever replaced one on the desert racer is when we physically broke one. Otherwise there really isn't anything that wears out on them. I'd just look for a set in a wrecking yard.

Should not be hard to find a set from someone who has upgraded to WJ knuckles. Local would be best. Odds are the cost of shipping would be more than most folks would be asking for something that is only serving as an ugly paperweight.

DieselSJ said:

Are yours bent or otherwise messed up? Really the only time we have ever replaced one on the desert racer is when we physically broke one. Otherwise there really isn't anything that wears out on them. I'd just look for a set in a wrecking yard.

Click to expand...

probably the pad guides are all ate up. Some people don't have the ability to weld them up. I do, and I'm still considering new ones just to not deal with it.

that's the case on nearly all of the D30's anymore.

rockauto has them for $150 a pop IIRC.

$118.
DORMAN 697922
DORMAN 697923

Around here you can buy entire axles for less than one aftermarket knuckle (new). I also seem them here on sometimes in the various Chapter forums or on Craigslist. If the pad guides have a deep groove, the repair is to put weld on and then grind it smooth. If you don't have a welder, you might find a decent brake or alignment place to do it for you.

What fix if the tie rod hole has "wallowed" out as my local shop told me?

drill and insert from teraflex or Goferit

Thx - well here's the story. I had insanely deep grooves on the ears from the brake pads. I have done a little bit of welding but don't have a welder. Since it wasn't super basic (steel to cast) for me at least, I found a shop that would do it for a hundred bucks, and said fine. I explained in excruciating detail what I needed done, and the guy told me he had done it on jeeps before himself, and I gave him a printout of the entire photo writeup on the topic found here on . It's even a 4x4 specialist shop, lifted jeeps in the yard. He puts it back together, says everything went perfect, and I'm on my way.

2 weeks later my caliper locks up AGAIN. I limp it home, pull the wheels and it really looks like he ground off like 1/8" of the bevel on the slide. He denies it but I can see that it's ground down. It's not really fixable at this point. Obviously I'm pissed.

In any case, repair doesn't seem to be an option. I'm looking, but most junkyards around here (CA) are rare and overpriced (like everything else) and finding a jeep without any similar damage will likely be more work that just getting new knuckles. Anyone know offhand what years of XJ's will work my 1991? Or any other Jeep models swap out ok?

So that is where I am at. So how do the crown ones compare to the MOPAR. The price difference is substantial (120ea. vs 220 ea.) If I'm paying 220 is there a better aftermarket solution. Ball joints too?

Why do I ever let anyone unknown touch my jeep. Lesson learned. If I knew I was going to go through this I would have just bought a damn welder and done it myself. But I may as well do it right at this point with ball joints and get it all cleared up now.

So any info, keep it coming. My Heep is sidelined and it sucks.



thx-

An expensive solution that will provide vastly improved braking is to buy a set of new knuckles from Black Magic Brake, that include the oversize rotors and calipers. This kit is better known as a Vanco kit. One of the best things I have done to the XJ.

http://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/VANCO-15-Big-Brake-Kit-with-BMB-Pads-for-15-Rims-BBK-NDM15.htm

it's cast metal.

as long as they're ok dimensionally the crown ones are probably just the same as the mopar ones.

Truckee to Grass Valley is a bit of a haul, but I know a yard you could pull a *bunch* of D30 stuff from for cheap.

Not that much of a haul to grass valley. Where is this yard?

Also, what years would be compatible… ? I doubt an ABS would work? My buddy is parting out an XJ limited, maybe I could get something from there.

the knuckles are the same for all years IIRC.
at least 91-01 for sure. The renix years used different caliper bolts, but I think the knuckles are the same.

Kilroy's in GV is the place you want They are just off La Barr Meadows, take the McKnight exit off 49. Any Grand Cherokee 93-98, XJ 91-01 will work. Some TJ wranglers, too, but you don't see Wranglers in the junkyard too often.

OK perfect awesome, thx, great info. Even grand cherokees? Didn't know that.

truckeejeeper said:

OK perfect awesome, thx, great info. Even grand cherokees? Didn't know that.

Click to expand...

Yes. but ONLY the ZJ up to 1998. The 99-later WJ is a whole other animal.