Passenger side knuckle assembly --- Help

[OddballJ]

I was driving home from school in my m1009 a week or two ago and had a bit of a problem. the truck made some fun noises, pulled pretty violently to the right and I eventually my brakes went soft. I pulled off to the side of the highway (I was doing about 60 when this occurred) and there was smoke pouring out of my wheel well. I let it cool down, but had to move from where I was to a safer place. I puttered along the side of the highway until I could pull a good ways off the road without ending up in pond.

Long story short, I had it towed and the truck is now at a shop in Winston Salem NC (2 hours from either home or school). The mechanic there is telling me that the entire passenger side "knuckle assembly" is fubar, and based on the noises that poor truck was making, I believe him. Additionally, they can't find the part anywhere.

I did a little searching and found this
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/1670-urgent-need-passenger-side-spindle-m1008.html
poor blighter never got much help either.
If anyone has any advice, or can point me in the direction of a place that would have what we need, I would greatly appreciate it.
I'm not in any huge rush, but it's been about 2 weeks now with no luck. Advice, commiseration, sympathy, a new knuckle assembly, or a new truck would all be appreciated on this one.
Thanks for your time
-a sad little boy with no truck

 

[Cucvnut]

Its a stock 10. Bolt you can get one from any stock k5 in the junk yard

 

[camoyj7]

Its a stock 10. Bolt you can get one from any stock k5 in the junk yard

Or a half ton Suburban and pick up too.

 

[Barrman]

M1008 and M1009 and two completely different front axles. There is a place in Georgia selling brand new front axle assemblies with everything new for probably about the same price as that shop is wanting to charge in just labor to fix your problem. I forget the name of the place but know the front axles with new everything show up on EBay all the time.

 

[Autocar]

Try Reid Racing-www.reidracing.biz

 

[DokWatson]

I would ask for a very specific description of what the problem is. A complete 'knuckle assembly' doesn't make sense. What exactly on the knuckle broke? A broken knuckle would have left you in a really bad way doing 60 down the highway, like losing control of the vehicle kind of way.

I think he meant hub assembly...because it sounds like your brakes may have seized after a bearing blew up since you said it was smoking. Hub assemblies are a dime a dozen for 10 bolts.

 

[rnd-motorsports]

This is the part number for your hub QU40313GM Fits all Blazer, Jimmy, Suburban from 1977½-1991 and all 1/2 and 3/4 Ton light duty check out this site for parts QUAD 4 x4 may help!

 

[wikallen]

I would ask for a very specific description of what the problem is. A complete 'knuckle assembly' doesn't make sense. What exactly on the knuckle broke? A broken knuckle would have left you in a really bad way doing 60 down the highway, like losing control of the vehicle kind of way.

I think he meant hub assembly...because it sounds like your brakes may have seized after a bearing blew up since you said it was smoking. Hub assemblies are a dime a dozen for 10 bolts.

 

[Cucvnut]

If they can't find the part maybe time for a new shop

 

[OddballJ]

First off, Thank you all for your responses. I've done a small amount of research in the limited time that I have (organic chemistry and physics tests are coming up fast...) and found a few things based on what you all said that seem like they would work.
It is my impression that a bearing went bad, seized up, and ruined just about everything around it. I wish I had a little more experience with these things. All I have to go by is pictures and articles online. I'll call the shop tomorrow hopefully and find out exactly what needs to be replaced. I really wish I could drag the thing back home and work on it myself, but that would mean driving to Raleigh to borrow a friends truck, renting a trailer that can fit the truck, driving back to Raleigh, and then back to school in a weekend. driving time would be close to 16 hours and the gas alone would probably cost me about what the labor would.
as far as finding a new shop goes, it is where it is because I don't have the time to deal with it and they were the first people with a tow truck to pick up the phone when I called. Right now I just want to get it drivable and back to Raleigh without dieing.
what exactly would happen if the knuckle had broken? Whatever happened caused the truck to veer rather sharply to the right, and honestly, I consider myself lucky that I didn't lose control, but perhaps a broken knuckle at 60 would have left us upside down...
Thank you all again for the help, I'll keep you updated with the progress as best as I can.

 

[bsalbrig]

10 bolts are common and cheap enough.....just replace the whole thing.

 

[OddballJ]

10 bolts are common and cheap enough.....just replace the whole thing.

do you think that would be the easiest/cheapest solution? What's to say that this won't happen again if I swap in a used axle?

 

[DokWatson]

First off, Thank you all for your responses. I've done a small amount of research in the limited time that I have (organic chemistry and physics tests are coming up fast...) and found a few things based on what you all said that seem like they would work.
It is my impression that a bearing went bad, seized up, and ruined just about everything around it. I wish I had a little more experience with these things. All I have to go by is pictures and articles online. I'll call the shop tomorrow hopefully and find out exactly what needs to be replaced. I really wish I could drag the thing back home and work on it myself, but that would mean driving to Raleigh to borrow a friends truck, renting a trailer that can fit the truck, driving back to Raleigh, and then back to school in a weekend. driving time would be close to 16 hours and the gas alone would probably cost me about what the labor would.
as far as finding a new shop goes, it is where it is because I don't have the time to deal with it and they were the first people with a tow truck to pick up the phone when I called. Right now I just want to get it drivable and back to Raleigh without dieing.
what exactly would happen if the knuckle had broken? Whatever happened caused the truck to veer rather sharply to the right, and honestly, I consider myself lucky that I didn't lose control, but perhaps a broken knuckle at 60 would have left us upside down...
Thank you all again for the help, I'll keep you updated with the progress as best as I can.

More specifically its a steering knuckle. From the driver side knuckle up you have a steering arm, a drag link, and pitman arm which is attached to the steering box, all that is what actually steers the truck. The front of both passenger and driver side knuckle is where the tie rod is bolted, it 'ties' the two wheels together so what one does, the other moves with it to steer the truck. If any one of those things had broken, the steering wheel would do nothing to control the vehicle and you would be going for a ride. If the knuckle itself had a catastrophic failure, you would have 3 wheels left on a bad looking truck and you possibly in the hospital. Chances of that kind of failure on the street are slim to none. Usually when steering components go bad, they'll vibrate/wander/ or wear tires so bad you have no choice but to fix it before they fail like that. Hence, replacing a knuckle assembly doesn't make sense. Its got to be the hub, it veered because that sides brakes seized.

You could even find a dana 44 dirt cheap for a complete bolt on replacement axle. What you are looking for is a complete GM 10 bolt hub and rotor assembly. Pre 1987 dana 44's have the same parts.

 

[OddballJ]

More specifically its a steering knuckle. From the driver side knuckle up you have a steering arm, a drag link, and pitman arm which is attached to the steering box, all that is what actually steers the truck. The front of both passenger and driver side knuckle is where the tie rod is bolted, it 'ties' the two wheels together so what one does, the other moves with it to steer the truck. If any one of those things had broken, the steering wheel would do nothing to control the vehicle and you would be going for a ride. If the knuckle itself had a catastrophic failure, you would have 3 wheels left on a bad looking truck and you possibly in the hospital. Chances of that kind of failure on the street are slim to none. Usually when steering components go bad, they'll vibrate/wander/ or wear tires so bad you have no choice but to fix it before they fail like that. Hence, replacing a knuckle assembly doesn't make sense. Its got to be the hub, it veered because that sides brakes seized.

Forgive my ignorance (and thank you for educating). Definitely did not have a steering knuckle break while driving. The hub does sound like a more logical explanation. Is there anyway that a hub going bad could cause damage to the steering knuckle to the point that it would need to be replaced? There's a very good chance that I either miss-understood what he was saying, or else he was using the term "knuckle" to describe something other than, well, the knuckle. I believe what he actually said was 'that whole side is shot. Do you know what I'm talking about here? It's the spindle, the ball joints, everything in that, well, knuckle there needs to be replaced'
granted, he's got a strong southern accent and I've got about a metric ton of, completely unrelated mess floating around in my head right now, but that's what I remember hearing. I should probably drive down there and talk to them in person...

 

[DokWatson]

Hard to say without seeing it, but I doubt its that bad. I would honestly tow it to a different shop if thats how he explained it though. Just say you are towing it back to a friends house

 

[Iceman3005]

Just find a company that sells the bearing and races you need, shouldn't be more than a hundred bucks to replace them! I completely rebuilt my axle for $600 that was everything except for new brakes, pig, spindles, and axle tubes!!!!! When I say everything I mean axle shafts, carrier, spider gears, ring and pinion, all bearings and races and seals!!!

 

[zout]

If its a reputable shop - they will have a digital camera - have them take a picture off the axle components - specifically the knuckle and have them e mail you. Then post the pics on here so a better idea of components are revelant.

Shot to me means ya need a whole new truck which is not the case - but that is an easy term to come spuing out of a mechanics lips - now lets get the pics so we can get back to reality.

 

[OddballJ]

I'll see what I can do about getting those pictures then. Hopefully the shop will comply

 

[Iceman3005]

Sounds like this shop is giving you the run around, trying too make you buy parts you don't need and charging you labor for things that don't need too be fixed. I bet you anything your knuckle is fine, a new spindle is about $40 and bearing and race kit should be about $40-50, new rotor about $20 and brakes should be about $20-40 depending on what type of material you want. do both sides(brakes) and have good rotor on other side turned.

 

[DokWatson]

Sounds like this shop is giving you the run around, trying too make you buy parts you don't need and charging you labor for things that don't need too be fixed. I bet you anything your knuckle is fine, a new spindle is about $40 and bearing and race kit should be about $40-50, new rotor about $20 and brakes should be about $20-40 depending on what type of material you want. do both sides(brakes) and have good rotor on other side turned.

Thats what I was thinking too. When I got my truck it had bearings seized to the spindles on both sides. Got them hot with a torch then hammered them off. New bearings, races, and seals and I haven't had any problems. Proper bearing pre-load and grease packing is key, or they will burn up and fail.