Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2012 17:27:53 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: What Determines Steering Knuckle Replacement?
In-Reply-To: <CAB2Rwfg7rNJ9e_tZ12fOcO48xPv=Fo+C7GLW+krcX+1aHcgPmw@mail.gmail.com>
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My hunch is you're probably be ok with new bearings and races on that
steering knuckle and in that hub.
Besides..
look at your choices ...
buy a brand new one if you could...prohibitiavely expensive I suspect.
Get a good used one ..this is your best bet of course.
Try some clever 'miracle' trick on your spindle ..
or put it together carefully with quality parts and grease, and perfect
workmanship..
and keep an eye on it.
that seems most practical to me. I don't think it's likely you'll break
down somewhere or anything,, or have some catastrophic failure.
fwiw ..the way I set up front wheel bearing play is ..with everything
well seated and in good condition,
and while turning the hub / dish ......I tighten down to 'pretty tight' ..
then I back off to 'no pressure for sure' ....I might do that a few
times, always turning the hub too ..
then I go for 'zero play' plus a teeny tiny itsy bitsy more.
Like zero play and .001 % tighter from there. 'Barely any load on the
bearings ..but a teeny bit still.'
I've done that about a million times in nearly 50 years of mostly full
time car work. Never an issue or problem.
you just made me think of some 'non-peranent bedding compound' on the
spindle under the bearing.
Soemthing sticky that has some body to it , but won't harden,
and will contribute to the inner side of the bearing race not rotating
on the spindle.
Right now my mind is on Permatex Aviation gasket sealer..
I use many compounds for various tricks ..sometimes. teflon paste from
the hardware store,
sometimes. Gaska-Cinch gasket sealer ..
and about 15 other similar products .
My default 'sticky gasket sealing material' is Permatex High Tack.
gasket sealer. I have put about 60 gallons of that stuff on a thousand
water pump screw threads over the years...
I use that stuff a lot. And high quality black silicones like The
Right Stuff .
heck..I just thought of a few wraps of teflon tape in the low spot of
the spindle..but that could get out of place..get all stringy ...scratch
that, plus you can't control if very well going together.
I do like something under there to stop spinning for sure ....right
now I like a hardening gasket sealer like Permatex Aviation Form-a-gasket.
" It's not in the parts, it's in the < extra careful > workmanship. "
Scott
www.turbovans.com
On 9/9/2012 4:43 PM, neil n wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> Still working on my '88. PO set driver side front bearings too tight;
> couldn't move washer even if levering blade at rotor collar.
>
> Here's what I see (can take picture):
>
> - mild heat marks on inner and outer bearing rollers and what are
> likely "spin" marks on bearing inner race.
>
> - spindle outer seat: minor scoring. I can *just* feel some ridges
> with my thumb nail. They appear/feel very minor.
>
> - spindle inner seat: has marks but I can't feel anything.
>
> P. 40.12 "check for scoring or ridges...... - replace seal ring or
> steering knuckle if necessary" This seems vague as I don't have
> enough experience with these parts.
>
> Does "if necessary" mean excessive ridges, play between bearing race
> and spindle?
>
> My spare '85 knuckle seats look better (shinier, more uniform
> appearance). This is my only point of reference.
>
> New outer bearing fits and I don't feel any play. Measuring both, I
> see 19.98 mm (which doesn't make sense as technically, the bearing
> wouldn't fit. I blame my calipers. < grin > ) Old bearings and
> seats are the same measurement as well.
>
> If I keep these knuckles, and install all parts correctly, is there a
> pretty good chance the inner race of each bearing will stay put and
> not spin? Is there anything else the slight spindle damage could
> cause?
>
>
> Much thanks,
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> 65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
>
> '88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
>
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>
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