Steering knuckles impossible to get?

[jontg428]

I believe Rich Inman, TurtleRich I believe on the BB found a replacement that was through summit racing. It was modified to fit but he really likes it, as he too could not find a replacement.

[Peter A]

I'd be interested in spares as well, as I have recently gone through the horn failure business on my 86 gtv6, will poll my mechanic as well to see their interest

[PietereQ]

It's really amazing HOW educating this board is! My horn just stopped working few days ago... But how about a more drastic approach and drill the lower steering column and steering pin and connect it solid with two bolts? Anyone tried?

[MarcoGtv6]

Mine has a large washer welded to the top so that even if the rubber coupling fails (as it does on cold mornings) the rotation is limited and the mechnical coupling guaranteed. In "complete failure" mode the joint opens up enough for you to lose steering!

Some on this board have welded this joint without any increased vibrations at the steering wheel.

Do a search this topic has been covered several times on this board.

[turtlerich]

When mine failed I used a vibration resistor u-joint from Flaming River. Had to grind out a few of the splines on the bottom side to get it to mate with the steering rack, but I don't have any more steering issues. I figured this is one of those "get it updated and make it safe" parts that didn't need to stay original. The down side (which i haven't bothered to fix yet) is that the horn doesn't work anymore. The u-joint is about 1/4 inch longer than the original unit, which causes the steering wheel to sit up off the horn electrical contacts. Haven't figured out an elegant solution yet...

[dannyp]

This really concerns me as I'm getting ready to restore my gtv-6. My gtv-6 horn no longer works and my mechanic said I needed a new steering rack. I thought about putting a milano rack and ps pump in my gtv6 since the 3.0 liter is originally a Milano's. Have you all thought about just plain using a Milano rack?

[Greg Gordon]

I tackeled this issue a few years ago. Simply weld it together, problem solved. This eliminates the horn grounding issue, and makes the steering more precise. It also makes the car a lot safer. If you ever had one of these slip while driving you know what I mean. They tend to slip in really cold weather. I didn't notice any negative issues after welding it. My grey GTV6 I sold to a board member has this done, I haven't heard any complaints about it.

Greg Gordon

[sh0rtlife]

greg what exactly do you weld up?....i dont like what im hearing here about the steering slipping!!!!

mines working fine and ive not noticed any issues...the horn doesnt work tho and i could care less... i have ZERO objection with welding something up if its an improvement and safer

[velocedoc]

Someone has been sitting on a pile of used Alfetta parts that used to be throw-aways now has a reason to start holding on to this stuff. The rubber in the Alfetta was always a poor grade IMO. The rubber in the front suspension for the locating rod at the body was a soft spongy rubber, unlike the joint that the 105 cars use.
From appearances, the rubber looks to be pressed into position for this steering knuckle. A poly solution would be the ticket, but if some are drilling and installing a locking pin to keep the two from rotating, that might be the best route until parts are made available again.
I would not want to hear of one of our BB members having a crash because he couldn't steer his/hers Alfetta. Alfa might look at this problem before a lawyer knocks on the front door.

[MarcoGtv6]

In the photo's above just weld below the upper ground screw attachment so to make it one piece with the lower "sleeve".

Greg please confirm that I have this right......

also can this welding be done with the piece directly on the car or must it be removed?

[sh0rtlife]

after eyeballing my gtv6 i dont see how you could weld it on the car unless the engine is out .....or atleast i could have sworn that big section was at the rack end

[ossodiseppia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarcoGtv6 In the photo's above just weld below the upper ground screw attachment so to make it one piece with the lower "sleeve". Greg please confirm that I have this right...... also can this welding be done with the piece directly on the car or must it be removed?

[Greg Gordon]

Marco,

That's correct. It's really pretty obvious what needs to be welded when you look at it on the car. I have never welded this with it in the car, or if I did, the engine was out.

Greg