Knuckle Too tight?

Finishing the knuckles on my D27, followed the FSM supplemented with Vernco's write-up. I checked the knuckles with a fish scale before putting the seals and everything together and got approx. 15 lbs. Took it apart installed the knuckle seals and buttoned it all up. Now I can barely turn the assemply. It takes a pretty great deal of force to turn them by hand.

Is this normal? I made sure not to turn too far so the seal didn't get caught up, so I don't think its that. Will it get better once the knuckle is filled with puddin'? It does ease up a little when I back off the bolts holding the felt/seal retainer. How tight should those be?

Suggestions welcome...

 

You should be able to adjust the preload with shims. Its trial and error but that is how the manual tells it for the D25 on my CJ2A.

 

i'll be interested to see the answers. 15 lbs did tighten my knuckle up quite a bit, esp. after feeling it pivot so effortlessly with no load.

on mine right now with the seals and everything torqued it seems like it increased only a little from the 15lbs. but i haven't been able to touch it for a few days, so maybe i better check.

make sure your tie rod is still unattached when you compare before and after thr preload is adjusted.

 

X2.

Yes they should feel almost impossible to turn. No need to back out on the felt bolts. Torque 'em down & faggeddaboutit!

 

Although the wheel may turn it fine, the Manual specification setting it by the scale and using shims to achieve the 15lbs. That means there is too much load on the bearing (kingpin) caps and depending upon your use, tire size, and lubrication of the upper kingpin bearings they will prematurely wear. These are very small bearing and the factors I mentioned will wear them prematurely, especially the top bearing that won't receive and lubrication from the knuckle pudding we use today.

(steering and brakes are probably the two most important factors on the front end especially)

I did my 2A by the book and it takes very little effort to move move the knuckles by hand.

My 2 cents for what it's worth.

 

I read Karl's (a.k.a. Dr. Verns) write up, and he's pretty particular about stuff. I don't have a manual here at work, but I think I did mine with the seals installed. Could be the difference...my bad

 

i followed both the manual and vern's. using a fish scale to 15lbs. i re-checked when i got home tonite. it is difficult to move but not much problem with steering wheel even with the engine off and the wheels off the ground.

i suspect that the felt will loosen up a little as the ball gets coated better. also will have to remember re-torque the felt bolts as the felt compresses in the next few weeks.

glad to hear that this is the norm.

the preload isn't going to be increased by this anyway since it is only squeezing horizontally against the ball and not the king bearings which are controlled by the caps and shims vertically.

 

Cool, I'll torque away and hopefully be finished with this part of the project. I'll try and get some pics up this weekend of my 5A restoration to date.

 

Hi, I've done that job a few times to my 69. My book calls for 12 to 15 lbs. so if I were you I'd add 10 maybe 15.000 shim and take a little pre load off the bearings and still be within specs. If you get any wheel shimmy a steering stabalizer probably will take care of it. D

 

tucson eh? that's where i picked up my 69 last october! love that city. liked it ever since i first went there in the 60's. i try to get there about every spring.

but i digress from the thread. sorry.