Aftermarket Steering Knuckle Experience

[Beto Cruiser]

Had a loose FL wheel bearing. Chewed up the splines on my CV and scored the steering knuckle spindle. I tried finding information on steering knuckles on here but there wasn't much. It isn't a part people have to change very often, and when they did they all went OEM (~$550-600 shipped from partsouq). Wasn't an option for me at this time. So I looked for an aftermarket one. Hard to find. Limited demand I guess. Found one option on eBay and another on Amazon. Both unbranded, probably same manufacturer, and both ~$160 shipped. I have Prime so I figured I could return for free, worth a shot.

Don't bother. Go OEM or reuse. I ended up just reusing my scored spindle. If I have to check my wheel bearings more often as a result, so be it. I'll buy a new OEM knuckle sometime down the road.

Fit was close to OEM but not exact. Tons of manufacturing defects. Who knows the quality of the metal/casting itself. All around a terrible part. I returned it.

FWIW, I also tried junkyard OEM replacement. No-go. The only one I found was also scored and it came from a yard that pulled the part themselves. I watched them remove it. Wow. Never buying from a junkyard. They are brutal in their removal of parts. Totally destroyed the front sus components trying to pull the knuckle.


TL;DR
Reuse existing or go OEM for steering knuckles.

 

[Albertoejl]

Had a loose FL wheel bearing. Chewed up the splines on my CV and scored the steering knuckle spindle. I tried finding information on steering knuckles on here but there wasn't much. It isn't a part people have to change very often, and when they did they all went OEM (~$550-600 shipped from partsouq). Wasn't an option for me at this time. So I looked for an aftermarket one. Hard to find. Limited demand I guess. Found one option on eBay and another on Amazon. Both unbranded, probably same manufacturer, and both ~$160 shipped. I have Prime so I figured I could return for free, worth a shot.

Don't bother. Go OEM or reuse. I ended up just reusing my scored spindle. If I have to check my wheel bearings more often as a result, so be it. I'll buy a new OEM knuckle sometime down the road.

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Fit was close to OEM but not exact. Tons of manufacturing defects. Who knows the quality of the metal/casting itself. All around a terrible part. I returned it.

FWIW, I also tried junkyard OEM replacement. No-go. The only one I found was also scored and it came from a yard that pulled the part themselves. I watched them remove it. Wow. Never buying from a junkyard. They are brutal in their removal of parts. Totally destroyed the front sus components trying to pull the knuckle.


TL;DR
Reuse existing or go OEM for steering knuckles.

i was just about to by amazon aftermarket knuckle for price, after your commnet, ill go for OME, thanks for the info

 

[Beto Cruiser]

i was just about to by amazon aftermarket knuckle for price, after your commnet, ill go for OME, thanks for the info

I bought a new one from Impex a few months ago. Much, much better quality.

 

[3_puppies]

did you try a wanted post here in the classifieds?

Classifieds - Parts

Got more stuff in the garage than you know what to do with? One man's junk is another's treasure!

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[2001LC]

Scoring on spindle shafts, where bearing rides. In most cases, is mild. Mild scoring, can be polished off with a fine emery cloth. Working 360 degrees on each pass, to avoid creating any flat spot. Then test fit with new bearing(s) inner race.

The spindle is not a bearing surface. It's a guide, to align the inner race of bearings. Scoring where large bearing butts to, that metal removed or pound inward. Is compensated for by using thicker snap ring.

This spindle will clean up nicely, and bearings will ride sung & true.

The most important thing with knuckle. Is that it not be bent. Which happens in accidents. They can be bent in different ways. Here's one example.

Good

Bent

 

[2001LC]

Another area of knuckle, that may need some restoring. Is where boot(s) of ball joint(s) rides. We want a flat surface for boot to seal on. This is why pounding off ball joints/TREs with BFH, is a bad idea.

Boot seals, on circular line. Seal of ball joint/TRE boot, may now be compromised.