Steering knuckle for 73 J4800...or an axle swap?

[tuckman]

I have a completely stock 1973 J4800 (front drum brakes) and I broke my passenger side steering knuckle off at the tie rod end, plowing deep snow.
What vehicle(s)/year(s) have the same knuckles and/or where to find one?
Or
What vehicles could I pull a full axle (D44) from that has front disc brakes and do a quick swap.

[tgreese]

AFAIK all the Jeeps with closed knuckle axles and Saginaw steering use the same knuckles, and you can use any of them. Jeeps that use the Ross steering and have a bellcrank (like early CJs) will have a RH knuckle with a single tie rod hole - can't use those, at least on the RH side. (Jeepster Commandos may be the exception).

Post in the WTB forum here and someone should have one for you. These early axles are typically a throw-away item in a buildup, so used parts should be easily available.

Can't help you on the replacement axle, but the topic has been covered many times here. Search old posts.

[Josh D]

If you decide to go the whole axle swap route, an '80-'91 Dodge D44 (D150 or Ramcharger) is the correct width, bolt pattern, and diff orientation. It has open knuckles and disc brakes. It's not bolt in, but relatively strait forward as axle swaps go. You can even re-use the gears in your existing D44.

[tuckman]

thank you all for the posts and pm's.

What should I type in the search to help me get info pertinent to my potential axle swap.

[jeepmeister]

I have a front D44 disc brake front end from a 1974 J20 with 4.10-1 gears. To use in your 1973 you would have to move the front spring mounts.

[tuckman]

Ok I might have an axle for a swap this summer.
But what about the rest of this winter and my snow plow. What trucks should I be looking for in the junk yards to get a knuckle out of, I have the 12" drums and 8 bolt lugs?

[orangebike]

i am pulling my j4000 axles and selling or parting them...think i can get rid of them better parting then anything if you are interested in just getting parts to fix it for now

[tuckman]

I will get some pics of this truck up tomorrow night.
Its so stock I still have bias ply tires with split rims on it.

[tuckman]

[tgreese]

... What trucks should I be looking for in the junk yards to get a knuckle out of, I have the 12" drums and 8 bolt lugs?

I answered this question in my post above. Any Jeep with a closed knuckle front axle and Saginaw steering / two hole knuckle will be a suitable donor. This means post-'65/pre-'74 Wagoneers and J-trucks, Jeepster Commandos, Utility trucks and Wagons, likely some others like M-715s. No CJs, MBs, M38s, M38A1s. Please follow-up if this is not clear.

Realize that 12" drums are almost unobtainable today ... this is a good reason for installing a different axle in the front or upgrading the fronts to disks. Both routes are possible. Search for "Dodge axle swap" and "disk brake conversion" in the archives.

[tuckman]

Sorry I didn't get it the first time...thank you for the information.