Would this be scary or is it just me?

JeepFreak21 · Apr 22, 2008

I got my D44 knuckle machined, drilled, and tapped from the same guy I got my high steer arms from... well, this hole isn't exactly lining up. If (read:big assumption on my part) he suggests we open up the hole on the high steer arm a little... would that be as scary as I'm thinking it would be? Just scary enough not to do it? Or not scary at all?

Pic for reference:

No, the stud will not thread in there.

Thanks,
Billy

xjbubba · Apr 22, 2008

In my opinion, you can't "open up the whole in the arm". Remember, a cone washer goes into that hole and needs to be perfectly aligned with the stud.
Possible solution, one I'm not comfortable with, would be to weld up the hole in the knuckle and redrill.

Begster · Apr 22, 2008

Have the guy get you another knuckle, and drill it right this time. He cleared messed up your part on a job you were paying him for. I don't see a safe way of fixing that, as the whole point of the conical washer is that when its tightened it spreads force evenly to it surroundings, and can't do this if its in an oval shaped hole.

JeepFreak21 · Apr 22, 2008

Begster said:
Have the guy get you another knuckle, and drill it right this time. He cleared messed up your part on a job you were paying him for. I don't see a safe way of fixing that, as the whole point of the conical washer is that when its tightened it spreads force evenly to it surroundings, and can't do this if its in an oval shaped hole.

I thought you were supposed to keep knuckles paired as they came originally... some kind of Ackerman BS?

He makes these high steer arms himself... I'm hoping he can make one that fits the holes he drilled in the knuckle.

Thanks,
Billy

Begster · Apr 22, 2008

Well if he makes the high steer arms, then ya that would be easier, have him make a new arm.

As for the knuckles needing to be paired, I haven't heard that before. It very well may be, I just haven't heard it or paid attention for it. I don't know why that would be though, since I'm sure they just mass produced knuckles, they didn't specifically design each knuckle to work with another knuckle.

xjbubba · Apr 22, 2008

Obviously, knuckles come right and left side. As long as you get the correct side, and from the same year and make, it shouldn't matter.
As far as making an arm to fit the holes he drilled in the knuckle, I wouldn't go that way. If you ever have to change out the knuckle you'd be screwed.
Possibly he screwed up the arm, and not the knuckle.

JeepFreak21 · Apr 22, 2008

xjbubba said:
Obviously, knuckles come right and left side. As long as you get the correct side, and from the same year and make, it shouldn't matter.
As far as making an arm to fit the holes he drilled in the knuckle, I wouldn't go that way. If you ever have to change out the knuckle you'd be screwed.
Possibly he screwed up the arm, and not the knuckle.

Even matching the same year/make would be difficult. I don't even know the exact year I got them off of (loose axle at Pick-n-Pull). Plus, verifying the origin of the new knuckle he gives me wouldn't be very easy.

I know what you mean about replacing the knuckle... I was just hoping I wouldn't ever have to. I'm really hoping that it's the arm that's messed up, but I believe this guy makes a whole lot more arms than the number of knuckles he machines (which isn't a small number either).

Thanks,
Billy

Begster · Apr 22, 2008

Then you could just get a new pair of knuckles if you are worried about this. Most of them are interchangable, and will fit on other D44s.

Or, you could go Dedenbears...

JeepFreak21 · Apr 23, 2008

Well, I went by the shop... he wants to replace the knuckle... so does anybody else have an opinion on mixing and matching knuckles?
Thanks,
Billy

TomMcD · Apr 23, 2008

Good for him wanting to replace the part.

The couple times this came up when I worked in a shop the service writer encouraged customers to get both sides done. Just like TRE's and Ball Joints, if one side is shot then the other side will have increased wear and may be suspect too. But as far as I ever saw they weren't matched sets.

In this case I'd let him replace the one if it's the only bad one and call it good.

--Tom

Root Moose · Apr 23, 2008

Knuckles do not need to be paired.

You only need to find one that is the same as the one to be replaced (correct vintage, format. etc). Check Mr Ns page if you haven't already for some pictures. Not sure if they are large enough to pinpoint what you have. Worst case, go shopping at the yard with your fubar knuckle in hand.

Dirk Pitt · Apr 24, 2008

Anybody that has ever used the Tera passenger knuckle on the D30 no longer has matched knuckles.

Also, being experienced in high production machining, I know that the hole location for the tie rod end isn't located according to the position of the arm itself, it's in relation to the other critical features (bj bores, bearing bore/face). So even if the castings were different, after machining, they are all "identical". Essentially, every left and right pair will be matched.

Would this be scary or is it just me?

JeepFreak21

NAXJA Forum User

xjbubba

NAXJA Member # 1524

Begster

NAXJA Forum User

JeepFreak21

NAXJA Forum User

Begster

NAXJA Forum User

xjbubba

NAXJA Member # 1524

JeepFreak21

NAXJA Forum User

Begster

NAXJA Forum User

JeepFreak21

NAXJA Forum User

TomMcD

NAXJA Forum User

Root Moose

NAXJA Forum User

Dirk Pitt

Adam Dowling

Similar threads