Re: he's baaaaack..... and i've got questions

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> lastly, two of the six bolts in the left side knuckle holding on the
spindle
> and brake backing plate have stripped out in their holes, and one bolt on
> the right side has done the same.  what's the best way to handle this?
i've
> screwed in all the remaining bolts with red Locktite, and they all seemed
> fairly solid to begin with.  but those three stripped bolts...  do i take
> the knuckles to bits and have the holes drilled and tapped at a machinist?
>


Mac,

My original Scout was a '67 800 and I stripped them all out on the passenger
side while chasing horses.  Here is how I fixed it:  I tore everything
apart, down to the knuckle and pulled the kingpins out.  I did not pull the
knuckle off, though I probably should have to get all the filings out.  I
reamed out the stripped holes  with a drill and put wheel studs in from the
backside.  I can't give you a size or anything and to be honest, it doesn't
turn as tight anymore.  The "heads" of the studs hit inside.
I only did this to be able to get it moving again and it was to be a short
term fix until I could do it right.  Shortly thereafter ( '91-'92?)one of
the magazines did an article on exactly what I has done.  They were doing it
on a 27 or 30 on an older Jeep and calling it a low buck modification to
make these axles stronger.  I was immediately impressed with myself.   They
ground the heads on the studs that would hit so they wouldn't lose any
turning ability. I've never revisited my repair/bulletproof mod since. That
Scout hasn't moved in a few years and really probably had only a few
thousand miles on the repair, so I can't really speak to it's reliability.
I know it sure seems stronger to look at, though in making the holes bigger,
I lost some meat in the knuckles.

YMMV,

Ed