ALFAGTV6.COM

Hey guys,

After just having found fout my 5th steering knuckle has gone south, having looked virtually everywhere for one in as-new state and coming up with nothing, I was thinking that the technical life span of these things might be at an end for all of us.

Seeing that the rubber part expands over time while it accumulates moisture and becomes unstuck and pushes out the steering pin, I was thinking that there actually might not be any knuckles produced after 1988 or so. Seeing that the lifespan would be about 15 years, give or take a few depending on climate, we might all be stuck very soon with this problem.

I was thinking about contacting one of the polyurethane bushing makers to talk to them about a possible production of a series of these guys. The metal parts are usually not the problemn and you can get the housing anywher,e it's just the rubber part that's the issue.

So, would anyone be interested in getting one or a few of these? You really don't want to be searching for one....

I used a vise to push the rubber back in. Then I welded the insert with the outer bushing. Works like a charm and never had another problem. Oh, by the way, no vibration.

hey,

did anything ever come of your effort to have a replacement fabricated? if so, I am definitely in the market.

Also, if not:

I swear that, some months ago when I was researching this problem, I came across a posting somewhere about the welding fix that had several close-up photos, with arrow indicators, etc. of just how this person had done it successfully. Now, for the life of me, I cannot find that post anywhere. I've seden what's on alfabb.com and that's not it.

Is this ringing a bell at all? Any help would be appreciated!

Shaun in D.C.

Are you looking for pics of the inner connection for the upper control arm?

If so check Kevin's thread in the race car section. There is a poly replacement for that bush, but you need to make a big washer to hold it in the control arm.

So far as I know there is no replacement (other than stock) for the inner joint on the lower control arm. However there is a mod for that one. See Barry's posts in suspension or race car sections...he swapped out the rubber bushes for ball bearings.

For the strut rod there are three was to go, stock, poly bush, solid castor rod end from older spiders/GTV's.

hth,

zig