Dug into my front suspension today. Now I have a steering knuckle question.

[DeCaff2007]

I'm replacing the upper control arms, lower ball joints, lower control arm bushings, sway bar link bushings, and now I have to replace the wheel hubs.

First, there's this little issue, but I can fix this.

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What a mess, although, I had been planning to do this for a long time now. Just have to manage to get the LCA off somehow.

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Now, for my question. Here's the steering knuckle and wheel bearing from the driver side. Notice there's a gasket in the steering knuckle? Why exactly would that be there?

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Now, rewinding here just a bit, I had to use a torch to get the 3 wheel hub to steering knuckle bolts out. You all can see burn marks here.

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Oddly enough, the wheel hub itself lifted right out by hand once the bolts were out. They are NOT OEM. Someone had replaced them with Timken brand at one point. They are now, however, junk.

So, what's the deal with that gasket inside the knuckle?

 

[packer0440]

That is a dust seal to ensure nothing gets in the bearing and causes wear. But it doesn’t seal oil or anything from coming out

 

[Schurkey]

Now, for my question. Here's the steering knuckle and wheel bearing from the driver side. Notice there's a gasket in the steering knuckle? Why exactly would that be there?

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So, what's the deal with that gasket inside the knuckle?

I do not see a gasket. I see a lip-seal.

The lip seal exists to reduce the amount of water and dust getting to the backside of the hub bearing. Newer vehicles don't use 'em, these do.

I reused 'em on my '88 6-lug, and on my '97 8-lug--after cleaning the grit out of 'em, and lightly greasing the lips. They seemed to be in fine condition. Polish the sealing-surface of the CV joint that the seal rides on, too.

Photo from the '97 K2500 8-lug knuckle:

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[DeCaff2007]

Ok. So long story short, I should look for a replacement seal and install it.

 

[Schurkey]

I should look for a replacement seal and install it.

Is it damaged?

 

[termite]

Ok. So long story short, I should look for a replacement seal and install it.

If it similar in cost to the ones i put in my burb (8 lug), under $10 each. Came with a 1/4 of free dust on the boxes as well.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Is it damaged?

Uhmm.... we'll find out tomorrow when I start cleaning/sandblasting parts lol.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Well, I got really nothing much of anything done today. It's been raining on and off all day, which, makes sandblasting next to impossible.

Both dust seals aren't too terribly bad, but I found new ones and they are easy to replace, so they shall be.

Here's something interesting. I you all will recall, the driver side wheel hub (after torching the bolts), came out quite easily.

The passenger side, OTOH, did not. I had to sledge hammer and air chisel the biotch out. That hub is supposed to be one assembly. It came out in three pieces.

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Then, I noticed one of the dust cover bolts was snapped off clean. I managed to get an easy out in there... I did NOT think that that was going to break loose, but tickling it with the blue wrench worked very nicely.

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Not sure what I want to do about this. I could weld it and make it look nice. I could just cut the damaged parts out and paint over it. Either way, I'm not leaving it like it is.

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That's about all I got done today. Ever just feel like taking a damn day off?

 

[Schurkey]

That looks like someone hit it with a cutting torch.

Treasure Yard--replacement knuckle.

 

[someotherguy]

That looks like someone hit it with a cutting torch.

Treasure Yard--replacement knuckle.

Yeah.. like maybe a hamfisted effort at cutting off a ball joint nut that wouldn't loosen.

Richard