Black Magic Knuckle Savers

[StG58]

Has anyone used the Black Magic Knuckle Savers? The threaded inserts that @mrblaine has on his web site?

I was dinking around with my front axle the other day and think I may have boogered up one of the threaded holes for my front brakes. If the threads are messed up, should I just go ahead and do all four?

 

[Mike_H]

I haven't, but don't see why it wouldn't work. You're missing a golden opportunity though...you need new knuckles, and since you need new knuckles, you may as well install a big Brake Kit!

 

[Mike_H]

Looking at the price of that, you might be able to do it cheaper just ordering the inserts...

https://www.mcmaster.com/#threaded-inserts/=1b75hiv

They have a bunch there, I just picked one. They make ALL kinds of eays to fix threads. If you already have the proper tap, drill bit, bolts, etc, then just buy the inserts.

 

[StG58]

I haven't, but don't see why it wouldn't work. You're missing a golden opportunity though...you need new knuckles, and since you need new knuckles, you may as well install a big Brake Kit!

The stock brakes are working just fine on my light SE with 31" tires. I can lock them up on dry pavement on demand. Since I just rebuilt the entire system with new high end Centric parts from the hard lines out, replacing all of that seems a little counter productive and expensive. I just have one threaded caliper mounting hole in an otherwise good knuckle that seems a little iffy.

 

[StG58]

Looking at the price of that, you might be able to do it cheaper just ordering the inserts...

https://www.mcmaster.com/#threaded-inserts/=1b75hiv

They have a bunch there, I just picked one. They make ALL kinds of eays to fix threads. If you already have the proper tap, drill bit, bolts, etc, then just buy the inserts.

I've got drills and taps, just not metric. The insert needs to have 8x1.25 threads, so the outside on the inserts is probably metric as well.

Edited to add: Nice! I was wrong. McMaster has the inserts with metric on the inside and SAE on the outside. Thanks! (There's a joke in there someplace)

Edited to add: Amazon has these as well. Around a buck apiece. Comes in packs of ten.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002KWHWL6/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[mrblaine]

Has anyone used the Black Magic Knuckle Savers? The threaded inserts that @mrblaine has on his web site?

I was dinking around with my front axle the other day and think I may have boogered up one of the threaded holes for my front brakes. If the threads are messed up, should I just go ahead and do all four?

I prefer to do all four just because I am OCD like that.

 

[StG58]

I prefer to do all four just because I am OCD like that.

Thank you, @mrblaine, that's what I was thinking as well...

 

[Chris]

I hear what Blaine is saying. I too am OCD, and couldn't do one of them without doing all of them.

 

[StG58]

I'm not particularly OCD, but I hate doing a half-assed job. Or doing a job twice.

 

[mrblaine]

I've got drills and taps, just not metric. The insert needs to have 8x1.25 threads, so the outside on the inserts is probably metric as well.

Edited to add: Nice! I was wrong. McMaster has the inserts with metric on the inside and SAE on the outside. Thanks! (There's a joke in there someplace)

That's the one we use. The tap size is 1/2-13. If you already have everything but the inserts, it makes no sense to buy our kit. It is set up for someone who has a few hand tools and a drill motor or can borrow a drill motor and needs new hardware. A few cautions-
Do use liquid red Loctite 271, 263, or equivalent.
Do wire brush the dry compound off of the threads on the outside of the insert. It doesn't work.
Do thread an 8mm nut onto the caliper bolt and use it to set the depth of the insert by screwing it in until the nut bottoms out on the face of the knuckle.
Do try to keep the tap as straight as possible.
Don't use a helical wire insert. They are more suited to blind holes and not through holes.

Let the thread locking compound set up and you're good to go. The inserts are very high quality and we've never had a single one strip out. The only complaint I have ever had about the kit is someone wanted me to include a fixture so they could drill the holes perfectly straight. I explained that the kit was already expensive enough and I didn't need to add a 100 bucks to the price.

 

[StG58]

Again, Thank you, @mrblaine, good advice that I will follow. I've got all the tools to do this job on my bench. Well, except for the inserts that is.