Right front steering knuckle caliper mounting bracket tabs bent Options

[Langing]

ADDED NOTE: I am not a trained auto mechanic; I try to DIY whatever I can to keep my 300,000 mile Celica happily running. Thanks to a wise comment below, I now see that making the statement 'my steering knuckle is bent' is oxymoronic on its face. The steering knuckle is made of cast iron and it is well known that cast iron does not bend (though exceptions exist). Cast iron acts more like a brick which cracks when a transverse force is placed between its two ends. Nonetheless, there exists a situation with my right front caliper mounting bracket, in conjunction with the disc, that causes it to seem very much like the mounting tabs on the steering knuckle are bent. I am seeking the true explanation for this (at least apparent) bending of a cast iron part. It would be great if some expert in front suspensions would stop by and explain my observations set out below, and pinpoint my problem. Until then, I dare not change the title of this topic; what cannot be is.

2nd ADDED NOTE: After much on-line research, I have been convinced that bending of the tabs (or ears) on steering knuckles is more common than most people believe, despite the fact that "cast iron doesn't bend." Not sure what that has to say about steering knuckle castings, or what exact metal they are made of, but evidently it does happen. See my posting near the end of this thread.

94 Celica ST Coup 1.8L Manual:

Installed a new rotor (measures 0.986"; manual specifies 0.984" maximum). Rotor run-out minimized; much less than maximum. The caliper mounting bracket bolt tabs/ears on my right front steering knuckle are slightly bent toward the rotor (worst is the lower tab; 3/32 inch; shown in following photo). This causes the caliper mounting bracket to be misaligned so much that it interferes with my new rotor.




It has severely scratched the last ¾ inch of the rotor (to the outer rim), during short test drives (less than 1000 feet). Of course it made a lot of noise, but it was the first time I had ever done a job like this and just wasn't aware of the severity of the problem.



What is the best way to fix this problem?

Should I attempt to bend the steering knuckle tabs? Is the steering knuckle a cast iron part? Should I die grind the proper alignment into the caliper mounting bracket surfaces where they meet the steering knuckle tabs? Should I buy and install a new steering knuckle; they cost around $200 and require a lot of work to install?

This post has been edited by Langing: Jun 1, 2014 - 4:44 PM

[Langing]

NOTHING ADDED 2:12 pm

Never can tell how long it will take for my posts to make it to the board. The last one I posted about an hour ago. In that post I had four pics of the hub alone, and promised to come back and show the rotor mounted to the hub. I was going to just edit that post when it appeared, but since it isn't up yet, and I have no idea when it will be up, I am going to add another post with the rotor pictures, and this is it.

This first photo is of the mounted rotor, lug nuts at correct torque, almost directly face on (you can tell from the shadows it isn't perfect), and taken from a little distance:



This next shot is closer in toward the hub, but is still from a little above rather than directly straight on:



The following two pics I tried to get close in and looking dead center:





The next two I tried to get detail in the axle nut in the center of the hub:



And show the hub poking through the center hole in the rotor:



Again, I don't know what photo will give you the best view of the off-center rotor mount, so please let me know.

This post has been edited by Langing: May 28, 2014 - 1:12 PM