Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Apologies to my knuckles
| Apologies to my knuckles [message #362161] |
Mon, 01 February 2021 23:45  |
dsmithy
Messages: 210
Registered: July 2012
Location: Lincoln Nebraska
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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With apologies to all those who will say, dammit, just read the manual, I have to admit I have 40 to 50K miles on my front knuckles without looking to them. So, apologies to those of you with better maintenance habits. My bad. I have had no problems of any kind, and when I stop for gas I always put a hand on the front hubs checking for high temps. No extra heat, no bad episodes but I know I'm running on borrowed time. Unfortunately I've just spent more than my yearly budget for alloy wheels and new tires so I must wait a year before I go all in with Mr Lenzi. Please beat me up with good advice on what I should do to encourage a trouble free summer.
Doug "how could you" Smith
Douglas & Virginia Smith,
dsmithy18 at gmail,
Lincoln Nebraska,
’73 “Sequoia” since ‘95: "Wanabizo";
Quadrabag/6 wheel disks/3:70 final/Paterson QuadraJet/Thorley’s/Alloy wheels/Sundry other
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| Re: [GMCnet] Apologies to my knuckles [message #362163 is a reply to message #362161] |
Tue, 02 February 2021 05:45  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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Doug,
Jack up each front wheel and check for bearing looseness by gripping the
top and bottom of the tire and trying to rock it. If there's none, just
keep on keepin' on. If it rocks back & forth noticeably, you'd better find
a way to service them before a long trip.
JWID,
Ken H.
On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 12:45 AM Douglas Smith via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> With apologies to all those who will say, dammit, just read the manual, I
> have to admit I have 40 to 50K miles on my front knuckles without looking to
> them. So, apologies to those of you with better maintenance habits. My
> bad. I have had no problems of any kind, and when I stop for gas I always
> put a
> hand on the front hubs checking for high temps. No extra heat, no bad
> episodes but I know I'm running on borrowed time. Unfortunately I've just
> spent
> more than my yearly budget for alloy wheels and new tires so I must wait a
> year before I go all in with Mr Lenzi. Please beat me up with good advice
> on what I should do to encourage a trouble free summer.
>
> Doug "how could you" Smith
> --
> Douglas & Virginia Smith
> dsmithy18 at gmail
> Lincoln Nebraska
> ’73 “Canyonlands” since ‘95: "Wanabizo";
> Quadrabag/6 wheel disks/3:70 final/Paterson QuadraJet/Thorley’s/Alloy
> wheels(finally!)/Sundry other
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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| Re: [GMCnet] Apologies to my knuckles [message #362205 is a reply to message #362163] |
Thu, 04 February 2021 16:02 |
dsmithy
Messages: 210
Registered: July 2012
Location: Lincoln Nebraska
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Thanks for the response Ken.
Since my coach is still on blocks from its fall fuel line work I went right out to the storage yard and performed your test. No movement at all which makes me happy. I just thought that the front knuckles, especially on a '73 were one of the few exceptions to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." adage.
Douglas & Virginia Smith,
dsmithy18 at gmail,
Lincoln Nebraska,
’73 “Sequoia” since ‘95: "Wanabizo";
Quadrabag/6 wheel disks/3:70 final/Paterson QuadraJet/Thorley’s/Alloy wheels/Sundry other
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| Re: [GMCnet] Apologies to my knuckles [message #362207 is a reply to message #362205] |
Thu, 04 February 2021 17:04 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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dsmithy wrote on Thu, 04 February 2021 17:02Thanks for the response Ken.
Since my coach is still on blocks from its fall fuel line work I went right out to the storage yard and performed your test. No movement at all which makes me happy. I just thought that the front knuckles, especially on a '73 were one of the few exceptions to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." adage.
Douglas,
It isn't the knuckles, as far as I know there was never a change to those by GM. Dave Lenzi's update is just to make the bearing fit be like the published (for decades) best practices and then include a means to re-lubricate the bearings without tearing the knuckle apart.
The lower control arms are a very different story. The was a recommended reinforcement of the original lower arms. If you cannot tell at least that much was done, get some pictures to send to people that will know. Then, there were more updates to those parts later. You really want to pay attention to this.
I have no idea where your coach is in the life cycle, but it someone can't assure you that your lower control arms as up to date as practical, order a set that have been. Doing the R&R because the torsion bars have to be unloaded and reloaded. It is worth doing. Mine failed at about 170k and at highway speed. It was fortunate that the damage was not as bad it might have been.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: [GMCnet] Apologies to my knuckles [message #362208 is a reply to message #362207] |
Thu, 04 February 2021 17:19 |
dsmithy
Messages: 210
Registered: July 2012
Location: Lincoln Nebraska
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Yikes!
I do seem to recall you had an incident that hit the forum.
As for pictures, what angle or view? Straight up from the ground, from the top with the wheel off, front or back. No time like the present.
Doug
Douglas & Virginia Smith,
dsmithy18 at gmail,
Lincoln Nebraska,
’73 “Sequoia” since ‘95: "Wanabizo";
Quadrabag/6 wheel disks/3:70 final/Paterson QuadraJet/Thorley’s/Alloy wheels/Sundry other
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| Re: Apologies to my knuckles [message #362212 is a reply to message #362161] |
Thu, 04 February 2021 18:49 |
Larry
Messages: 2875
Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Doug,
If I were you, as much as I would hate doing this, I’d borrow the money and put the Lenzi knuckles in. You could take them apart, regrease and put them back together, but that very action, does damage to the bore of the knuckle. You may find when you put them back together (as I did) that the races no longer have a friction fit which is necessary to keep the races from spinning in the knuckle. Then unless you have the proper tools to disassemble/reassemble, purchasing or borrowing them will be necessary. The Lenzi knuckles, once in place will never have to come apart again, or at least not in your lifetime. They are not maintenance free, as every 25K miles or so, you will have to pull the wheels, back the axle nut off most of the way, slide the axle in, and apply grease to the zirk until you see fresh grease ooze out of the seal area. Then tighten axle nut and put wheel back on. Having not looked at them in 40-50K miles, you “might” be ok for another year, but if not, the damage done, and time on the side of the road or at a repair facility where you have limited control over the repairs will cost you a lot more than the interest money of the loan. IMO bite the bullet and do it. If nothing else, get your new knuckles, and come up here to my place and we can do it together in my driveway. Schedule a date when there is a good show coming on at the Mabel. ( In warmer weather of coarse). Anyway, IMHO you’ve pushed your luck far enough.
Larry 
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
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| Re: Apologies to my knuckles [message #362225 is a reply to message #362214] |
Fri, 05 February 2021 11:54 |
dsmithy
Messages: 210
Registered: July 2012
Location: Lincoln Nebraska
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Lots to think about Larry and Matt.
$1K for refurbished lower control arms.
$1.5K for refurbished knuckles.
or
$2300 for one ton front end.
And this on an original engine with 160K on it.
The economics of my coach are starting to be a problem.
Douglas & Virginia Smith,
dsmithy18 at gmail,
Lincoln Nebraska,
’73 “Sequoia” since ‘95: "Wanabizo";
Quadrabag/6 wheel disks/3:70 final/Paterson QuadraJet/Thorley’s/Alloy wheels/Sundry other
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| Re: Apologies to my knuckles [message #362239 is a reply to message #362232] |
Fri, 05 February 2021 17:50 |
dsmithy
Messages: 210
Registered: July 2012
Location: Lincoln Nebraska
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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You've done quite enough for me Larry. I've already applied for several stars on your sainthood application.
The deal is this.
I'm completely comfortable going down the road in a nearly 50 year old vehicle, so long as I am somewhat assured that safety has not been compromised. Therefore nearly every dollar spent on our coach over the last 25 years has been safety related. Brakes, rear suspension, shocks, fuel lines, brake lines, timing chain, etc. The ion's are just about the first cosmetic change I've made and they are arguably safety related as well. So when Matt reminds me of his control arm trouble, it's clear that the factory notice on reinforcing the '73 control arms was the result of real world problems, not simply a good idea. And yet, the whole "annual budget" for the coach has its limits for all the normal reasons. But I'm looking forward to a badly needed 2K mile summer of fun in the coach, and I just acquired a safety related conundrum. Heavy Sigh.
Douglas & Virginia Smith,
dsmithy18 at gmail,
Lincoln Nebraska,
’73 “Sequoia” since ‘95: "Wanabizo";
Quadrabag/6 wheel disks/3:70 final/Paterson QuadraJet/Thorley’s/Alloy wheels/Sundry other
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