The UAZ Patriot SUV in the design of the front suspension is equipped with a steering knuckle. This element is present on all vehicles, since without it it is impossible to turn the front wheels. The main purpose of the steering knuckle is the possibility of its deviation at a certain angle from the longitudinal axis. Due to this possibility, the front wheels are rotated at a certain angle. But besides this, the steering knuckle is also designed to be able to install a wheel hub with bearings, a brake caliper, a brake shield and a number of different sensors. Also, this device is a connecting element of three systems:
- front suspension;
- steering;
- braking system.
You can learn more about this element on a UAZ Patriot car at. Today we will pay attention to the lubrication of the steering knuckle of the UAZ Patriot SUV and what you need to know about it.
UAZ Patriot is a creation of the Russian automobile industry, the heart of which is located in the city of Ulyanovsk. Of course, in some ways the domestic SUV UAZ Patriot is inferior to foreign ones, but in some ways it is not.
One of the problems is that from the factory, such a mechanism as a steering knuckle does not receive enough attention. In its design, not only little, but practically no lubrication at all, which leads to adverse consequences. Already on the first day after purchasing a new SUV, motorists may notice an unpleasant sound of metal rubbing against metal. But, of course, such a phenomenon should be eliminated not because of an unpleasant sound, but in order to avoid an early failure of the fist.
The UAZ Patriot car has two steering knuckles that need service from the first day after purchasing an SUV from the passenger compartment. If the product is not properly lubricated, then over time its working parts will wear out, corrode and immediately fail. In order to protect yourself from unnecessary waste in the near future and your SUV from the need to replace new parts, it is necessary to lubricate the steering knuckle in time, which will be enough for at least 60-80 thousand kilometers.
What is used for lubrication
The actual life of the part depends not only on the presence of lubricant in the product, but also on the quality of these lubricants. The steering knuckle and CV joint are under heavy loads, which means they heat up. Therefore, it should be taken into account that the material must not only have good anti-wear properties, but also withstand high temperatures.
The lubricant must also perform a protective function, protecting important structural elements from water, dust and sand. These negative factors, when hit in the steering knuckle, lead to its failure. The presence of a lubricant prevents these factors from entering the design of the device even if the protective anthers fail.
Thus, in order to lubricate the steering knuckles on the UAZ Patriot SUV, it is necessary to use the well-known Litol-24 grease. One device will require about 400 grams of Litol-24. In the process of lubricating the steering knuckle, it is necessary to apply grease to the CV joint. For SHRUS, it is necessary to use SHRUS-4M grease, which needs about 100 grams for one side.
Lubrication process
To thoroughly lubricate the steering knuckle and CV joint, these parts must be removed, the internal filling cleaned if necessary, and new material applied. To carry out work, you must perform the following steps:
The rotary knuckle is designed to change the direction of the car by increasing pressure on the steering levers, which ensures a change in the angle of the wheels.
This part of the vehicle is one of the most significant. The steering knuckle (UAZ, Volkswagen, BMW - it doesn't matter) is the base for the hub and is attached to other parts by means of. Usually, two types of parts are distinguished: with a hub and with a spindle.
Estimated market value
It can also be a left or right steering knuckle. Outwardly, they are almost identical, but since these details are directly related to it, it would be best to play it safe. On one of them there is a bipod, on the other there is no exit to the longitudinal thrust. It is for these reasons that their prices differ.
Auto parts can be purchased at auto shops, car markets, ordered on various sites. The right knuckle costs about 8400 rubles, the price for the left one starts at 6530 rubles. These are approximate prices for kulaks for UAZ-31519.
It is not worth saving, even if the cost of domestic spare parts is higher than Chinese ones. It is more than likely that an expensive part will last much longer.
How to make the right choice?
When buying on the market, you should pay attention to the seat where the steering knuckle bearing is installed (the inner race should fit snugly without the help of a hammer), as well as to the appearance of the part: is there any corrosion, are there any cracks or bends. Any crack can subsequently turn into a very difficult problem to solve.
Part design
The parts of the steering knuckle include the hub and the brake disc. In addition to the most important part, they are included in the main set of spare parts for steering.
But the most important on this list is still the knuckle. UAZ will serve as a car, on the example of which a scheme for removing a fist will be built.
Replacement and repair
Despite the apparent complexity, replacing such a part as a rotary knuckle is not particularly difficult. The first step is to put the vehicle on the handbrake, then substitute wheel chocks under the rear wheels and raise the front of the car with a jack.
- Remove brake disc.
- Unscrew the pin fastener.
- Remove it as an assembly with the wheel off clutch, brake disc shield and hub.
- Remove half shaft.
- Separate the rods from the steering knuckle itself.
- Remove bolts securing ball joint to axle housing flange.
- Remove the wheel stop.
- Prying with a mounting tool, press the ball joint shank out of the axle housing. To do this, use a puller for ball joints.
- Carefully remove the part you are looking for, in our case the rotary knuckle.
After replacing the knuckle, the steps should be performed in the reverse order, not forgetting to put the turn limiter in place. For repair, the steering knuckle should be clamped in a vice and disassembled by unscrewing the cuff fastening bolts, the limiter bolt with a lock nut. Next, the cuff clip and felt seal are removed. At the end, the ball joint seal is removed.
The hardest part is over, what remains is what needs attention. The ball joint is carefully removed. Something like this happens repair and replacement of the steering knuckle.
Replacing the pivots
There are other parts that need to be replaced from time to time - these are the pivots. To replace them, you will have to remove the steering knuckle and clamp it in a vise. After that, using a mandrel, you should knock out the kingpin bushings and thoroughly clean the passages for lubrication and for the replacement spare part in the fist.
After the mandrel, new bushings are installed so that the holes in them coincide with the holes on the fist, and the open ends look towards the beam mounted on the front axle.
At the same time, both bushings are expanded to the required diameter. After that, the bushings are cleaned and a thin layer of lubricant is applied. Then, having lubricated the o-rings and ducts in the knuckle bosses, the rings themselves are installed.
Possible damage
Despite the fact that the steering knuckle is one of the most "long-playing" parts of the car, its damage is only a matter of time. Sometimes the protective cover can crack, giving access to dust and sand, so it is worth periodically monitoring its integrity.
If it fails, the best solution is to replace it. Often you can see oil streaks on the steering knuckle, indicating that the oil seal / axle shaft joint is loose. Here you should just change the oil seal to a better one. Such problems are often found in cars that have been in an accident.
How to protect against wear
Those car owners who have recently bought a UAZ often hear unpleasant sounds when turning the steering wheel, as if metal is rubbing against metal without any lubrication. Often this is the case. How can you protect your fists on a domestic car? Here the ubiquitous lithol comes to the rescue.
If there is no experience in car repair, then you can coat the left knuckle, like the right one, only on the outside. For people who are more knowledgeable in auto mechanics, this method is suitable: unscrewing the circular seal, move it to the center of the car and add more lithol to the resulting gap.
These operations are performed after cleaning the car from shipping paint or polyethylene. You should also check for the presence of a seal.
Steering knuckle design
The most widely used knuckle design is the so-called "straight cross". Although most of them look almost the same, there are differences in size. One may be a little more, the other a little less.
The swivel fist is usually made of steel. Thanks to this material, such an important part is able to withstand enormous loads. But with all this, the lighter the fist part, the better the cushioning and handling will be. Therefore, designers are trying to get the optimal weight-to-strength ratio.
Seats on auto parts are specifically designed to attach mudguards, which do not allow all kinds of debris to penetrate into the hub bearing. The body is designed in such a way that it is convenient to screw suspension elements onto it.
You may wonder why most of the article is devoted specifically to the UAZ car? The answer is this: because it is a domestic car that has managed to prove itself well - easy to maintain, reliable on the road.
Many underestimate this car, believing that foreign cars are better, but this is far from the case. In many respects, UAZ, even produced back in the Soviet Union, surpasses many modern SUVs, but, unfortunately, it remains unrecognized.
Although made of steel, the steering knuckle is one of the weak points of any car, often due to bad roads. It is worth watching him, because at the crucial moment it is this part of the steering that can help avoid an accident.
Here is the machine node
The node that enters the UAZ steering knuckle of the front axle is the ball kingpin. It takes on the entire load that falls on the front axle while driving. These loads are especially great when driving off-road and rough terrain.
During the operation of the car, this pivot assembly wears out quickly, which leads to the appearance of gaps and play in the front suspension.
Steering knuckle repair is necessary in the following cases.
- Replacement of liners or stuffing box assembly.
- Wear of the ball pin.
- The steering knuckle is deformed and requires replacement of the ball joint.
Often, breakdowns of the steering knuckle are caused by poor-quality selection of components installed during its assembly, namely, a mismatch:
- diameter of the support and the inserted hemisphere;
- thickness and seat of the stuffing box;
- insert thicknesses.
Features of prevention and repair
Repair of the UAZ steering knuckle can be carried out both independently and by contacting a car repair shop. The cost of repairs will depend primarily on the price of the parts to be replaced.
The fist dries up
If you have some experience and the necessary set of tools, having studied the instructions on how to disassemble and repair the steering knuckle, it is enough to buy the required spare parts and carry out all the repair activities yourself. This will not only save money, but also gain new knowledge about the design of the car.
We must not forget about regular preventive measures, consisting in inspecting and assessing the condition of the clamping bushings of the steering knuckle, as well as identifying the presence of play in the front suspension.
Before you start repairing the steering knuckle, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of its implementation.
- If Nyloc type nuts are installed, they will definitely need to be replaced, as they have a special coating that prevents them from unscrewing and loosening the clamp. After screwing the nuts, this coating is destroyed.
- Do not put the car on wheels if at least one drive shaft is disconnected from the hub, as this can lead to deformation or destruction of the hub bearing. If it is necessary to move the machine a short distance, the shaft must be returned to the hub and fixed with a nut.
- Depending on the model of the car and the year of its release, the UAZ fist has two modifications, in one of which the hubs are solid, and in the other they are hollow, which is determined by the presence of a hole.
Before proceeding with the repair, the following manipulations are carried out.
- The car is put on the handbrake.
- Stops are placed under the rear wheels to prevent the car from moving.
- The front of the car is lifted with a jack or winch and fixed on the stops.
Only after making sure that the front of the machine is securely attached and that it cannot move or break off the stops, you can proceed to remove the wheel.
The process of dismantling the wheel and brakes
To remove the wheel, you must perform the operations in this sequence.
- The cap is removed from the wheel hub, the R-shaped bracket is removed, the lock head is dismantled. On the drive shaft loosen the nut that connects it to the hub. Then I remove the front wheel.
- If the vehicle model is equipped with ABS, there is a sensor on the wheel that must be removed.
- The nut securing the drive shaft to the front suspension hub is twisted.
- The brake caliper is attached to the steering knuckle with two bolts, which must be unscrewed and disconnected from the brake disc, after which it is tied to the spring on the front suspension.
- Before proceeding with the removal of the brake disc, it is necessary to note its location relative to the suspension hub. The line can be applied with chalk, but it is better to use white paint so that the line is not erased during the repair work. Only then unscrew the fastening screw and remove the brake disc.
Knuckle Lubrication
To facilitate the process of dismantling from the steering knuckle strut, it is necessary to use a special tool with which the suspension springs are compressed and fixed. For this, cables are used, for example, as on fixture 0903 AF. The procedure for compressing and fixing the springs is as follows:
- at the top of the rack there are two holes, one of which is inserted into the cable;
- then the steering column is rotated and a second cable is inserted into the second hole;
- the free ends of the cables cling to the lower edge of the cup;
- the upper ends inserted into the rack are fixed by screwing 6 mm diameter bolts into the holes.
Required tool:
Cuff 32x50-10 with spring assembly, 2 pcs.; Inserts (plastic or bronze), 4 pcs.; Ball bearing gasket (Cat. No. 31-0121238), 2 pcs.; SHRUS-4M; Cold welding;
We install a new cuff of the axle shaft in the ball joint. The orientation of the cuff is carried out along the sealing spring - it must be on the side of the final drive gearbox (i.e., when installing, the spring should "look" at you). Install the gasket on the end of the ball joint. 
In cases where there is slight wear or deformation of the kingpin support along the inner hemisphere, it is allowed to use composite materials to fill the damaged areas. In this case, it is necessary to install the pivots and bushings without waiting for the polymerization of the composition. 
We install new liners (plastic or bronze) in the pivot bearings on the ball joint and apply SHRUS-4M grease to the inner surface of the liners. 
Step 14 Assemble the steering knuckle
Required tool:
Litol-24, 0.5 kg per side; SHRUS-4M, 50-75 grams;
We install new thrust washers of the steering knuckle joint in the ball joint and the steering knuckle housing. 
Before assembly, apply Litol-24 grease, about 0.5 kg, to the inner surfaces of the steering knuckle housing and ball joint 
and insert the axle shaft with a constant velocity joint, on which SHRUS-4M is applied up to 100 grams. 
Step 15 Installing the ball joint
We put a ball joint on the axle shaft, while monitoring the correct orientation of it.
The bottom of the ball joint is determined very simply: on the bottom side of the flange there are three holes, on the top side there are two. We recommend that you notice the orientation of the steering knuckle housings during disassembly, for example, by punching or paint.
We pay attention to this, since the knot is assembled in any combination and you can easily make a mistake. 
Step 16 Lubricate the pivots
Required tool:
Kingpins; SHRUS-4M up to 30 grams";
Lubricate the conical surface and thread of the clamping sleeve, the rubbing surfaces of the king pin with SHRUS-4M grease 
Step 17: Tightening the clamping sleeves
Required tool:
Pivot key; Head for 27; Torque wrench up to 30 kgf*m; Soft (copper or aluminum) mandrel; Hammer; Calipers;
We insert the pins into the threaded holes of the steering knuckle housing and wrap the clamping sleeves until the pins stop in the supports. If you have installed kingpins with a channel for lubrication, then for further work it is necessary to unscrew the grease fittings from them with an "8" wrench 
We center the body of the steering knuckle relative to the ball joint with an accuracy of 0.2 mm from the ends of the influx of the body of the steering knuckle, using a kingpin wrench with a "27" head 
1 - Pin;
2 - Body of the rotary knuckle;
3 - Expanding sleeve;
4 - Kingpin;
5 - Insert;
6 - Hinge of equal angular velocities;
7 - Ball bearing;
A and B - Controlled dimensions, A=B
Alternately increasing the torque by 2-3 kgf * m, using torque wrench (periodically monitoring the symmetry with respect to the ends, the deviation should not exceed 0.2 mm), tighten the clamping sleeves with a final torque of 20-25 kgf * m.
With a successive increase in the torque of the clamping sleeve, each time through soft mandrel strike with a hammer (video clip) along the axis of the pivots on both sides.
It is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the symmetry of the installation of the ball joint of 0.2 mm, relative to the ends of the influxes of the steering knuckle housing.
Measurements are made using caliper.
This centering is necessary for the correct operation of the axle shaft seals and to reduce the load on the constant velocity joints.
Please note that after tightening the clamping bushings with a force of 25 kgf * m, the ball joint rotates very tightly relative to the steering knuckle housing, as it should be. The turning force is adjusted separately - by tightening the pivot nuts ().
Step 18. Installing the cage and cuff of the steering knuckle
Required tool:
Litol-24, 100 grams; Head for 10
We stuff Litol-24 into the cavity between the ball joint and the steering knuckle housing. 
Then install the cuff of the steering knuckle .. 
We install a felt ring (ring SP134-12-5), which must first be soaked in machine oil. 
Installing the steering knuckle collar 
Using the "10" head, we screw it on eight M6x12 bolts
Step 19: Adjusting the Stop Bolt
Required tool:
Key for 12, 14, 17; Caliper with depth gauge (Columbic);
We screw in the locking bolt-stop with a lock nut, set the previously measured height on the caliper and fix it with a "17" key and a "12" key.
We fasten the bolt M10x1x16 with a "14" key. 
Step 20: Installing the Gasket and Knuckle Arm
Required tool:
Head for 19; Gasket for the kingpin pad (Cat. No. 3160-2304028), 3 pcs.; Swing arm gasket (p/n 3160-2304029), 1 pc.
We install the gasket, lining and screw the M16x1.5 nut with the flange onto the kingpin. 
We install the gasket and the steering knuckle lever, expander bushings and fasten them onto four Ml2x1.25 nuts using the “19” head and screw the M16x1.5 nut with a flange onto the kingpin. This photo shows a variant of the steering knuckle lever for UAZ-374195 cars and its modifications 
Step 21. Installing the steering knuckle with the axle shaft
Required tool:
Key for 14
We fasten the steering knuckle with the axle shaft to the flange of the axle shaft casing with five special bolts Ml0x1x30, two of them having previously put on the rotation limit, with the "14" key until it stops.
Attention, after a run of 200-500 kilometers, repeat the tightening of the indicated five special bolts Ml0x1x30 
Step 22: Ball joint adjustment
Required tool:
Head for 24
On September 20, 2018, the production of an updated SUV UAZ Patriot began at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant. Anyone could watch the assembly of the first car of the 2019 model year live.
During the planned modernization, the UAZ Patriot SUV has become more powerful, comfortable and convenient in everyday use, without losing off-road qualities.
The main news is that instead of the previous engine, a ZMZ PRO engine is installed on the Patriot. The working volume remained at the same level (2693 cm³), however, the compression ratio of the unit increased and the valve timing changed. We also note the appearance of a reinforced cylinder head, a two-row chain and new pistons, valves and camshafts.
As a result of improvements, power and torque have increased to 150 hp. and 235 N.m (it was 135 and 217, respectively). Moreover, the peak of maximum traction has shifted to the medium speed zone - at around 2650 rpm instead of 3900 rpm. The ZMZ PRO motor meets Euro-5 toxicity standards.
The five-speed manual transmission has also been upgraded. The engineers of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant improved the selectivity of the drive and reduced the gear lever strokes and the effort on it. The lever itself is now composite and is equipped with an idle damper, which improves vibroacoustic comfort. The reduction of noise and vibration background is also due to the installation of a new LUK clutch with a driven disk, supplemented by an idle damper. The force on the clutch pedal has been reduced by 20% thanks to the new release spring.
After updating the UAZ Patriot should become even nobler on the go. The cars of the 2019 model year have improved steering with a stiffer trapezoid and a damper from the UAZ Profi model. Pros - increased control accuracy and reduced backlash when turning the steering wheel. From the Profi, the UAZ Patriot SUV got a front axle with a changed angle of inclination of the pivots and open steering knuckles, thanks to which the turning radius was reduced by 0.8 m.
Improved ride quality is provided by new shock absorbers front and rear, as well as two-leaf rear springs that are 6% softer than the previous three-leaf springs. In addition, for the sake of greater comfort for second-row passengers, the thickness of the rear anti-roll bar has been reduced from 21 mm to 18.
The Patriot has improved cabin soundproofing due to a larger area of soundproofing materials on the engine shield. It has also become quieter thanks to the upgraded seals in the side door openings, with which the doors also close quieter. Plus, exhaust ventilation from the inside of the ceiling in the luggage compartment has moved to the rear bumper area.
Patriot has become more convenient for passengers. Handrails on the front and middle pillars of the body are addressed to them, significantly facilitating the landing process. The fact that UAZ listens to the wishes of customers is also evidenced by the fact that a double seal appeared in the opening of the fifth door. With it, when the tailgate is opened, water will not get into it.
Note that before and during the broadcast, anyone could ask a question. UAZ specialists answered the most popular ones. So, the audience was actively interested in when an automatic transmission would appear on the Patriot. And got an answer.
"Automatic" on the Patriot will be, we are now actively preparing. Next year, I assure you, automatic transmission will appear, ”UAZ COO Ruslan Gorevoy assured.
