Bending a cast iron steering knuckle

SilentShado

303 HP+315 ft lbs = 1 GXP with 2 bald bridgestones
Apr 3, 2009
431
0
Mchenry, IL
Is it possible to bend a cast iron steering knuckle?? I was working on the brakes for my 1999 hyundai elantra and the rotors were frozen on. I PB blasted them and beat on them for about 4 hours to no avail. I heard that you can run a nut and bolt thru the holes on the knuckle that the caliper bracket mounts to and push off there to pop the rotors. Well after pressing on it and beating the rotors with a sledge it finally poped. Now when I try to put the caliper bracket back on it seems tweeked and wedges itself again the rotor when I tighten the bolts. If it did get tweeked can I heat it up and bend it back or will it just snap? Thanks in advance for the help.
 

SilentShado

303 HP+315 ft lbs = 1 GXP with 2 bald bridgestones
Apr 3, 2009
431
0
Mchenry, IL
Hey Dasfinc it wasn't the bracket itself it was the actual knucle that the bracket bolts too. I used the bolt holes on the knuckle to push again the rotor, now when I try to put the caliper bracket on it sits funny. Happen to know if napa sells the knuckle with the hub and bearing as a unit?
 

Dasfinc

Ready for the EVlution
Sep 28, 2007
20,919
1,321
Wheaton, IL
Hey Dasfinc it wasn't the bracket itself it was the actual knucle that the bracket bolts too. I used the bolt holes on the knuckle to push again the rotor, now when I try to put the caliper bracket on it sits funny. Happen to know if napa sells the knuckle with the hub and bearing as a unit?

I apologize, I re-read it and see what you are saying now.

Are you sure you didn't bend the bracket? take a straight edge to the knuckle and see if its tweaked.
 

Tuner World

The tech kid!!
Mar 8, 2009
863
0
Hoffman Estates
I don't think you bent it. Supra had the bad crash and that's the only time it got bent and it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Those things are beasts.

I would try assembling everything and see how it fits, it might just look funny because the wheel and lugs aren't pushing the rotor to the hub all the way.

If you did bend it with a hammer, you must be a strong man with a big hammer
 

Turbocharged400sbc

3800 & 4T80E > ALL
TCG Premium
Jun 16, 2007
32,538
15,846
hangover park IL
he mentioned a sledge and tightening bolts through the bolt ears against the backside of the rusted on rotor

if he hit the side of the rotor the bolts were touching he would have surely bent them.


edit if he didnt bend the ears at the least he deformed/pulled the threads

have you installed just the bolts and seen if they were still square to the ear face? if it's swuare to the ear face but not square to the hub you bent the ear
 

SilentShado

303 HP+315 ft lbs = 1 GXP with 2 bald bridgestones
Apr 3, 2009
431
0
Mchenry, IL
Well I beat that bitch into submission. The ears that hold the caliper bracket were definately bent back towards the motor almost 1/2". It's funny as I thought a cast iron knuckle would have been much stronger than that. I figured the knuckle was gone anyway so I started to beat on the ears with a 5 lb baby sledge and I got them back to where they needed to be plus a bit of grinding to get the ears flat again. I want to thank everyone for there help on this.
 
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