Fixing a Dana 30 knuckle

[Rinkrat456]

I screwed up and can't find the answer I'm looking for in search.

I was reaming out the steering knuckles on the Dana 30 in my XJ for 1 ton tie rods and the reamer caught a piece of metal weird and yanked the drill from my hand, wallowing out the hole pretty bad. The tie rod bottoms out because the hole is too big now, so I was wondering if I could fill in the hole completely and re-drill/ream out again. I have a Miller 211 wire feed with shielding gas and that's it for what I have to weld with.

If worse comes to worse, I can always replace the knuckles but this XJ is my daily so I'm trying to get it back on the road ASAP.

Any suggestions? I've seen the Ballistic fab tapered insert, but I don't want to drill a 1" hole in an already small tie rod arm.

[jpony645]

I'd definitely replace that knuckle. That's really you're only choice. I don't think there is any safe way to fill the hole and redrill it.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by Rinkrat456

I screwed up and can't find the answer I'm looking for in search.

I was reaming out the steering knuckles on the Dana 30 in my XJ for 1 ton tie rods and the reamer caught a piece of metal weird and yanked the drill from my hand, wallowing out the hole pretty bad. The tie rod bottoms out because the hole is too big now, so I was wondering if I could fill in the hole completely and re-drill/ream out again. I have a Miller 211 wire feed with shielding gas and that's it for what I have to weld with.

If worse comes to worse, I can always replace the knuckles but this XJ is my daily so I'm trying to get it back on the road ASAP.

Any suggestions? I've seen the Ballistic fab tapered insert, but I don't want to drill a 1" hole in an already small tie rod arm.

Drill the hole out to slightly under 7/8". Take a piece of 7/8" x 1/2" hole DOM tubing and cut it to the same thickness as the steering arm. Taper it to fit the TRE only deep enough to get the cotter pin through the castellations. Press it into the hole in the knuckle and do a Tig Fusion weld around the top and bottom. Keep a high press fit so you don't load the weld very much.

Clean it up a bit and install the tie rod. I've fixed at least 50 this way and never had a single failure or loosening.

If you weld it with your Mig, you will ruin the knuckle and your tapered reamer.

[Rinkrat456]

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Drill the hole out to slightly under 7/8". Take a piece of 7/8" x 1/2" hole DOM tubing and cut it to the same thickness as the steering arm. Taper it to fit the TRE only deep enough to get the cotter pin through the castellations. Press it into the hole in the knuckle and do a Tig Fusion weld around the top and bottom. Keep a high press fit so you don't load the weld very much.

Clean it up a bit and install the tie rod. I've fixed at least 50 this way and never had a single failure or loosening.

If you weld it with your Mig, you will ruin the knuckle and your tapered reamer.

I like this. Thanks for the advice.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by Rinkrat456

I like this. Thanks for the advice.

Do NOT weld it in and then try to taper it. You will ruin your tapered reamer. Ream it first to fit and then weld it in. Plus that stops you, being the drill wizard that you are, from fucking it up again.

[DutchVDub]

just drill it straight through and go to heims

[sandaddik2]

Originally Posted by DutchVDub

just drill it straight through and go to heims

this


or is it so hard to get a new jy knuckle and start over?

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by DutchVDub

just drill it straight through and go to heims

Oh Yeah, because a straight hole in soft iron always works well to keep your bolts tight.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by sandaddik2

this


or is it so hard to get a new jy knuckle and start over?

Do you personally run bolts and rod ends in TJ/XJ knuckles?

[oldjeep]

Easiest and fastest solution is to just replace the knuckle. Drill it before you install it. Around here it would be pretty easy to come up with a free D30 knuckle.