How important is the knuckle ring?

[n1ks0n]

While changing the ball joint I accidently bent the knuckle ring. My question is how important is this part? Has anybody driven without one. It seems that the ring on the cv joint covers most of the bearing.

 

[Jon_G]

I bent up mine pretty badly too, but managed to dress it back into a serviceable condition using a vice and hammers... it still looked a bit battered but I got it to fit back in. Without it I'd be worried about dirt affecting the wheel sensor, or even the wheel bearing. It does form a fairly close seal with the end of the driveshaft, without it the gap would be much larger.

 

[n1ks0n]

Thank you, Jon for your reply! I have straightened it as much as I could, but it was making a grinding noise occasionally. Today I have undone the knuckle once again to straighten it again and I think i have managed to. Hope it stays like this.

 

[Jon_G]

Hope you put a good coating of grease onto the end of the driveshaft where it meets that ring? Apparently this stops low speed 'clonking', there was a Honda service bulletin about that.

 

[n1ks0n]

I have just ***embled everything. I should have read before .