Knuckle reassembly questions

[Gunslinger]

Pascal,
Forgive,the dumb question, but were there shims on the bottom of your axle when you took it apart?  If so, how many we're there?  It's not a 100 percent accurate, but I don't think a lot of people knew that you can pull a shim in order to increase the pre load, this was Sometimes done to delay a kingpin rebuild.   So if you have a stack already there, it might be the correct amount.

There is also a way to check the pre load, once the kingpins are installed and the knuckle rebuilt, before you put axle in you can measure the amount of tension with a large hook scale, it should be about 16 pounds if I remember, it's detailed in the universal repair manual.  You adjust it by adding or removing shims.  Make sure the steering is disconnected when you measure it.
Todd

[Bob W]

Since we don't yet have an exact cutoff point for the knuckle change, and it's quite possible someone else has already been into the bearings, you just have to make an educated guess on early/late design. There is one other visual difference in the knuckles that may coincide with the machining change. Later knuckles also have a small triangular gusset on the top of the steering arm where it meets the main housing.

[Quebec Jeep]

 

I did the newbies mistake. I did'nt take pictures or notes before disassembly it last year. My fault.

I'll check tonight but I think I saw this triangle gusset.



Tim, Did you put blue mist between the knuckle and the baking plate? Why?

[athawk11]

Pascal,
That is RTV sealant. �I saw this surface as a potential leak point...

[1955CJ-5]

Any progress on the knuckle reassembly?

I'm going to pull mine apart and replace the bearings/cones My axle has a date stamp, 12-14-50..Unlike Tim's it uses bolts on the kingpin caps instead of the stud/nut arrangement...

This one is supposed to have Bendix joints....

[Quebec Jeep]

No progress. The site kept me busy. I'm also replacing the wiring harness and put time on it.

I'm looking for the grease that GG talk about to fill the knuckle.

And I find out that I don't need shim on the bottom since it's thicker then the upper one. I will post pictures of it later.

[1955CJ-5]

My axle knuckle measures .585  on the bottom, it actually varies depending on where you measure, .546 to .585, measured adjacent to the front king pin bolt hole and the rear, respectively...12-14-50 date stamped on the tube, and two little cast-in gussets on the steering arm on the side of the arm that faces the brake back plate..

One shim on top, none on the bottom king pin cap...