RE: Steering Knuckles RE: [ihc] Slight lift to older Travelall

["Mac @ TRIAD" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> Mac, so you're saying the exact same part # that is the lower
## >> king pin cone
## >> bearing can be used in place of the upper king pin bushing?
## >> And that gives
## >> better steering action. That's really interesting to me, and
## >> makes me wonder
## >> who thought of doing that first. I certainly never would have
## >> thought of
## >> it... Kind of like who thought to eat the first artichoke?
## >> I'm glad there
## >> are individuals out there more inventive, intrepid,
## >> intelligent... than
## >> e.  -John A.

somebody else on the Digest put me onto this fix.  the upper bushing on my
front axle wore all the way through and it really started leaning the whole
wheel assembly at the top of the knuckle.  when i dismantled it, i was
unable to find a replacement bushing.  plus, all the splines on the top
kingpin were all messed up and it would have had to be machined for a new
bushing anyway.

somebody suggested going with a cone bearing, and so i took the bottom
bearing and put it on top, and it fit perfectly in the conical hole the
original bushing was in.  perfect fit.  it would not slide down over the
kingpin right away, so i had to take a rasp (i used a bastard) and filed off
the splines till it fit very snugly (okay, it was VERY tight and i had to
really push it on there), then reassembled the axle, bought three new
bearings (one for the botton and one for the other side top) and pounded a
new bearing down on the upper kingpin on this side.  greased it all up, and
it's working great today.

incidentally, when i cracked open the other side, i was astounded to find
that a previous owner had already replaced that side with new bearings top
and bottom, and they were in great shape.  somebody was way ahead of me on
this idea.  so i just cleaned and re-greased everything, put it all back
together, and it's good to go.  and i even have a spare bearing left over
just in case.

now this whole procedure may not work with other axles.  in my case, it's a
thick-tubed HD44 that *should* have the large knuckles to go with the
oversize brakes and 8-lug wheels, but at best guess, it looks like somebody
hacked off the original knuckles and installed the smaller knuckles.  why i
do not know.  anyway, you'll have to ask others with far more front axle
knowledge than me whether this will work with other axles and knuckles.  i
don't see why it wouldn't work fine, but i don't have any other front D44
axles so i really don't know for sure.

i cannot guarantee that you will get better steering action.  that's how it
seems to me.  mine *feels* better to *me*.  i may be imagining this.  it may
be far less than i think it is.  what i can tell you is that it's WAY better
than that worn out old bushing and the splines of the upper kingpin rubbing
against the knuckle housing.  i suspect mine was already worn out when it
came to me, so maybe it's just feeling the way it *should* feel now.  i
certainly feel better about the axle all around, that's for sure.

now if i can just get those darned backing plate/spindle bolts to stop
working their way out.  i put red permatex threadlock on there this last
time i had to tighten them again, but i don't know if that's going to hold
forever.  i still need to replace one of them on the right and two on the
left where they stripped out of the bolt holes...  but i'll get to that this
summer.

good luck, and as always, remember the grain of salt when dealing with my
words.

--Mac

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Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/