Patent ID: 7530583

Claim:
A method of assembling a steering knuckle to a steerable axle, said steerable axle having an axle beam and a kingpin mounted in an end thereof, said method comprising: assembling a lower yoke arm of a steering knuckle to a first end of said kingpin so that a lower kingpin housing connected to said lower yoke arm is in receipt of at least a portion of said first end of said kingpin; assembling an upper yoke arm of said steering knuckle to a second end of said kingpin so that an upper kingpin housing associated with said upper yoke arm is in receipt of at least a portion of said second end of said kingpin; and press fitting said upper kingpin housing into an aperture of said upper yoke arm so that said upper kingpin housing is immovably connected to said upper yoke arm and so that non-functional gaps between said upper kingpin housing and an area of said axle beam surrounding said second end of said kingpin are substantially eliminated.