Team Willys
www.rocksolidfab.com
- Location
- Chattanooga, TN
Re: WJ Knuckle Swap... The CORRECT way!
Chris... the real issue with washers is that the wheel doesn't tighten right at the studs. It tightens around the edge just outside the bolt circle. The issue is that while the wheel can easily tighten against the rotor, there is nothing behind the rotor (a gap) where the wheel hits it.
Im not going to argue. I did the measurements and I assure you I am correct, however, when I do the swap on the U-joint axle in a couple of weeks I will take more detailed photos to prove my point. A simple way to prove it is to take before and after measurements... go from the inner c surface (right next to where the axle tube is pressed in) and measure the distance between that and the center of the u-joint. If it is the same before and after, then its fine, nothing moved. If it were a 1/4" in further (which would never work due to the shaft hitting the cross pin, again proving I am correct) then you would know the spacer is needed. The center of the u-joint needs to line up with the axis of the ball joints, we all are assuming they do line up from the factory. So... if you have to pull the shaft out of the carrier by 1/4" then it would no longer line up with that axis. In theory, if the spacer was really needed, you would have to run it, because otherwise the end of the shaft would hit the cross pin which wouldn't allow the unit bearing to be bolted in all of the way.
So I say whatever. You guys don't know me from adam, all you know is that I pay to advertise on here and have a blue name (my other screen name). Most of you have not seen my work, and those who have trust me and my judgement.
I will take pictures of the measurements and post them up when I do the other one.
As for the RCV having in and out movement, nope. They only turn, no lateral movement whatsoever, so if they aren't centered on the ball joint axis, they would bind the same as a u-joint. They didn't bind at all in this application. I could easily rotate the knuckle around and still turn the shaft by hand which clearly would not be possible if it were an issue.
Chris... the real issue with washers is that the wheel doesn't tighten right at the studs. It tightens around the edge just outside the bolt circle. The issue is that while the wheel can easily tighten against the rotor, there is nothing behind the rotor (a gap) where the wheel hits it.
Im not going to argue. I did the measurements and I assure you I am correct, however, when I do the swap on the U-joint axle in a couple of weeks I will take more detailed photos to prove my point. A simple way to prove it is to take before and after measurements... go from the inner c surface (right next to where the axle tube is pressed in) and measure the distance between that and the center of the u-joint. If it is the same before and after, then its fine, nothing moved. If it were a 1/4" in further (which would never work due to the shaft hitting the cross pin, again proving I am correct) then you would know the spacer is needed. The center of the u-joint needs to line up with the axis of the ball joints, we all are assuming they do line up from the factory. So... if you have to pull the shaft out of the carrier by 1/4" then it would no longer line up with that axis. In theory, if the spacer was really needed, you would have to run it, because otherwise the end of the shaft would hit the cross pin which wouldn't allow the unit bearing to be bolted in all of the way.
So I say whatever. You guys don't know me from adam, all you know is that I pay to advertise on here and have a blue name (my other screen name). Most of you have not seen my work, and those who have trust me and my judgement.
I will take pictures of the measurements and post them up when I do the other one.
As for the RCV having in and out movement, nope. They only turn, no lateral movement whatsoever, so if they aren't centered on the ball joint axis, they would bind the same as a u-joint. They didn't bind at all in this application. I could easily rotate the knuckle around and still turn the shaft by hand which clearly would not be possible if it were an issue.
