Please Explain "Knockouts"

[Oil Changer]

Vehicle: '99 Chevy 1/2 ton van, 2 wheel drive with typical upper and lower control arms.

Went for wheel alignment and to everyone's amazement, the van still had it's "knockouts". So the $45 alignment turned in to $300 because the upper "A" arms had to be completely removed and all the hardware replaced to do the alignment - which was out of adjustment.

They explained the knockouts are put in on the assembly line and not meant to stay in this long. Spending it's life in Michigan, everything was pretty wasted.

I would like to see pictures of knockouts and have someone give me an explanation on what knockouts are. They gave me the impression that knockouts are supposed to be temporary but these made it 15 years. School me.

 

[DuckRyder]

This thread should give you an idea:

http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forum/gener...-have-them.html

 

[racin4ds]

Typical half baked GM approach...

 

[SwampSurvivor]

IFS has no place on any "work" or commercial vehicle.

 

[FowVay]

Amazing to see a company too cheap to even do a wheel alignment on the assembly line. My 1996 K-1500 was so far out of alignment from the factory that it wore the tires within the first year of ownership. Even asking for an alignment check during warranty got me nothing.

I took my truck to a tire store where I learned about the blocked plugs and had them do what needed to be done to properly align the truck. My happiest motoring day was the day I got rid of that piece of junk.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: racin4ds
Typical half [censored]ed GM approach...


The older I get, I have found that nearly every vehicle on the road has at least one "achilles heal", some more expensive than others. It's good just to accept this, otherwise one would never be able to own a vehicle if they could only accept perfection.

One of my experiences was a brake rotor change on my son's beater Mitsu Mirage(?). The rotor, bearings, and hub unit were pressed in and had to be removed and serviced at a machine shop....what the heck? It was a labor/cost saving function when built at the factory.


What is IFS????

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: racin4ds
Typical half [censored]ed GM approach...


The older I get, I have found that nearly every vehicle on the road has at least one "achilles heal", some more expensive than others. It's good just to accept this, otherwise one would never be able to own a vehicle if they could only accept perfection.

One of my experiences was a brake rotor change on my son's beater Mitsu Mirage(?). The rotor and bearings were pressed in and had to be removed and serviced at a machine shop....what the heck? It was a labor/cost saving function when built at the factory.


What is IPF????


A lot of Dodge trucks are like that.

 

[Chris142]

Atleast they gave the van a way of being aligned in the future. Imagine how upset you would be if there was no way to adjust anything.

 

[Propflux01]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself


The older I get, I have found that nearly every vehicle on the road has at least one "achilles heal", some more expensive than others. It's good just to accept this, otherwise one would never be able to own a vehicle if they could only accept perfection.


Funny you say this, as the older I get, the more I feel that auto manufacturing should almost be perfect considering mass production of autos has been around for a century. Lotsa time to get things right.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: racin4ds
Typical half [censored]ed GM approach...


The older I get, I have found that nearly every vehicle on the road has at least one "achilles heal", some more expensive than others. It's good just to accept this, otherwise one would never be able to own a vehicle if they could only accept perfection.

One of my experiences was a brake rotor change on my son's beater Mitsu Mirage(?). The rotor, bearings, and hub unit were pressed in and had to be removed and serviced at a machine shop....what the heck? It was a labor/cost saving function when built at the factory.


What is IFS????


IFS = Independent Front Suspension

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
IFS has no place on any "work" or commercial vehicle.


+1 Most people and many mechanics don't know about the knock outs. They are easy to do when you expect to do them. If you use an impact wrench and hit all the fasteners with PB Blaster a week before you zip right through. Not difficult.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
[
One of my experiences was a brake rotor change on my son's beater Mitsu Mirage(?). The rotor, bearings, and hub unit were pressed in and had to be removed and serviced at a machine shop....what the heck? It was a labor/cost saving function when built at the factory.

What is IFS????


Actually it was the technology of that particular hub unit generation at the time. You don't need a very big press to remove them. I have an auto parts store that would do mine.

 

[Oil Changer]

Than you, Duck'. That link answered most all my questions.