Just noted the steering knuckles on my 88 are shot. Can't find new ones anywhere, but I noticed the 90-95 steering knuckles are all over. The main difference is the 87-89 knuckle has a separate brake caliper bracket mounted using two bolts to the knuckle where the 90-95 has the caliper bracket as part of the knuckle. Does the 97-89 steering knuckle have any mayor differences besides the brake caliper bracket? Will it work on the 88? Can I use the 87-89 calipers on the 90-95 knuckle? Any help is greatly appreciated.
88 YJ steering knuckle vs 91 YJ Steering knuckle
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I think there are two issues. My 87 has a different caliper hat height off the unit bearing (2.5” VS 2.125”??) and the wheel face portion was much thicker than the later ones. Which is related to the second thing: the caliper is different as well. And takes a slightly different shaped brake line.
I may be wrong on the fourth point which is the early ones had a banjo line of one size/thread but 89? is the same as 90-95? I can’t remember- I just know going from an ‘89 D30 to the 91 front axle I bought new soft lines and had to borrow the used ones off the old axle and bend a little cuz something wasn’t right on the new ones. Metric VS standard? Can’t remember.
Just did front pads/rotors on my ‘87 and it took three trips and two stores to get rotors and pads that were the same as what I took off. Granted the first trip was for ‘94 parts cuz I have a 1994 motor/trans, but either they screwed up or there’s a third size. Gut says the screwed up but I don’t know... 89 parts fit. Amazon sorta has only early and late parts.
I may be wrong on the fourth point which is the early ones had a banjo line of one size/thread but 89? is the same as 90-95? I can’t remember- I just know going from an ‘89 D30 to the 91 front axle I bought new soft lines and had to borrow the used ones off the old axle and bend a little cuz something wasn’t right on the new ones. Metric VS standard? Can’t remember.
Just did front pads/rotors on my ‘87 and it took three trips and two stores to get rotors and pads that were the same as what I took off. Granted the first trip was for ‘94 parts cuz I have a 1994 motor/trans, but either they screwed up or there’s a third size. Gut says the screwed up but I don’t know... 89 parts fit. Amazon sorta has only early and late parts.
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If you want to use the later knuckles, then you will need to use the wheel bearing/hub assemblies, brake rotors, calipers, and pads from the later models as well.
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Thanks^^^
I couldn’t remember if it was the bearing, too.
I couldn’t remember if it was the bearing, too.
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Does anyone have a source for these replacement knuckles other than Ebayy? The only way to do the Wilwood brake upgrade kit I already have is on those knuckles. I got the brake kit years ago for a car I no longer have, before the stream of answers of “Why don’t you just…..” come in.
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Any parts store, junkyard, or online store. fleaBay is not the only resource on the internet.
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Advance gave me like $340 each as a quote when my caliper bolt holes were stripped. I fixed them of course because that is stupid money.
So yes: a $100 or $200 used axle is a good idea.
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