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Knuckle question


Allan Faust

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Well, I got the brakes off on one end, separated the parts into their components... but I have 2 questions...

First, how do I get the spindle and knuckle off? (ie what is locking the kingpin in) and how do I get the kingpin out (since it seems that the knuckle will come off then...

Also, on the rear backing plate, the 2 spring loaded bolts, can they be removed, and if so, how....??

Allan

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Never done it but I understand there are two tapered pins holding the king pins in. One is removed by knocking it toward the back and the other from the front. Which is which???? Dunno! I believe the from teh manual it looks like drives's side is removed from the front Look for a diameter difference on the end of the pins. And look for the straking marks on the end that it removes toward. You will probably need to clean off the crud before you can see them. then there is a welsh plug at the top of where the KP mounts, remove this and then drive the pin out from the other end.

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I think he was planning to send the spindles to charlie to be fixed up for disk brakes. If the kingpins are good though I think I'd try to tap them myself and not have to add the expense of kingpins to my brake upgrade. Can kingpins be reused once they are removed?

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That makes sense then. That assembly is heavy when it's all together. I've never had to take them apart myself. However, I believe the Kingpin could be reused if it's good, but........I think there is also bushings in there. Those would probably need replacing when he put it back together.

As for the backing plate question. If all you are doing is cleaning and painting, I'd leave the adjusting bolts with the springs in there. Most of the ones I've seen done the springs are painted, so they must have left them in there.

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I think he was planning to send the spindles to charlie to be fixed up for disk brakes. If the kingpins are good though I think I'd try to tap them myself and not have to add the expense of kingpins to my brake upgrade. Can kingpins be reused once they are removed?

I re-used my king pins and bushings with no problems.

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I could have re-used the king-pins, for that matter the rest of the front end parts could have been re-used.

I did save the old stuff.

(Like I don't have enough stuff around that is too good to throw out but that I'm unlikely to ever use :rolleyes: )

I just thought that I don't know anything about what shape anything's in and I have it all apart and don't want to take it all apart again so I'll replace everything and it's done.

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Pat,

You really don't have to physically look at kingpins to see what condition they are in. Just jack up the car, leave the wheel and tire on. Grab it firmly at the top and bottom and see if you have any play. If you do, then you need to pull the kingpins and probably at least replace the bushings. If you don't have any play in the wheel, then everything is good there.

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Never done it but I understand there are two tapered pins holding the king pins in. One is removed by knocking it toward the back and the other from the front. Which is which???? Dunno! I believe the from teh manual it looks like drives's side is removed from the front Look for a diameter difference on the end of the pins. And look for the straking marks on the end that it removes toward. You will probably need to clean off the crud before you can see them. then there is a welsh plug at the top of where the KP mounts, remove this and then drive the pin out from the other end.

Yep, its a pin alright, I have one out thanx to a mechanic friend of mine... haven't noticed if the other one comes out the opposite direction though... the crud prevented me from seeing this... and I got to remove the bottom arm in order to drift em out....

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Why do you want to get them apart? If the kingpin was tight' date=' it will probably last you a lifetime. As far as cleaning and painting, that can be done with it all together. I have a pair in the shed that I took apart like that from the extra chassis I had at one time.[/quote']

I'll be sending the knuckles and steering arms to charlie for tapping for the disk brake kit.... and I'm pulling everything apart and will be powder coating the entire kit-n-kaboodle....

Allan

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I think he was planning to send the spindles to charlie to be fixed up for disk brakes. If the kingpins are good though I think I'd try to tap them myself and not have to add the expense of kingpins to my brake upgrade. Can kingpins be reused once they are removed?

Exactly Ed, and I was told by my buddy that as long as the kingpins are tight, they can be reused... if there is any give, to replace em.

Allan

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That makes sense then. That assembly is heavy when it's all together. I've never had to take them apart myself. However' date=' I believe the Kingpin could be reused if it's good, but........I think there is also bushings in there. Those would probably need replacing when he put it back together.

As for the backing plate question. If all you are doing is cleaning and painting, I'd leave the adjusting bolts with the springs in there. Most of the ones I've seen done the springs are painted, so they must have left them in there.[/quote']

I'll be replacing all of the bushings, zerks, etc.... so that way I'm not messing with possible problems....

When it comes to the backing plate, I was just wondering if they would need to be removed to not interfere with the discs more than anything else, since I don't think they are needed now that the old brake pads will be gone...

Allan

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The thing I find amazing about all of this is that how for months I was worried about doing this, worried about the possibility of not being able to put things back together, not being able to understand all of this (mainly because of the weather and job search, haven't had time to work on anything) but since I got into it, it seems so simple, so easy, I'm thinking how I could've worried about all of this... worst case, I get someone to "do it for me" (ie mechanic) and it'll cost me a bit more... other than that, I'm learning so much right now, its not funny.....

Allan

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These articles may help...PlyDo's kit is very similar to Charlie's (PlyDo is in limbo since the owner passed away recently.)

http://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=52&SID=16

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/135_0501_1951_plymouth_suburban_wagon/index.html

Don C. also did a great job of documenting his disc conversion and has a link in his posts

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The thing I find amazing about all of this is that how for months I was worried about doing this, worried about the possibility of not being able to put things back together, not being able to understand all of this (mainly because of the weather and job search, haven't had time to work on anything) but since I got into it, it seems so simple, so easy, I'm thinking how I could've worried about all of this... worst case, I get someone to "do it for me" (ie mechanic) and it'll cost me a bit more... other than that, I'm learning so much right now, its not funny.....

Allan

Allan,

Know what you mean. I was that way when I was repairing my floors and rocker. Then again on making the door panels and installing the headliner, and other things. But.........you just gotta get down and dirty into it, and it all just falls together as you go. No big deal.

As for the backing plates. Ed is right. If you install disc brakes you don't use your old backing plates. But.....Ed, I think he mentioned the rear backing plates. Those he'll have to reuse unless he puts disc's on the rear too.

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Allan' date='

Know what you mean. I was that way when I was repairing my floors and rocker. Then again on making the door panels and installing the headliner, and other things. But.........you just gotta get down and dirty into it, and it all just falls together as you go. No big deal.

As for the backing plates. Ed is right. If you install disc brakes you don't use your old backing plates. But.....Ed, I think he mentioned the rear backing plates. Those he'll have to reuse unless he puts disc's on the rear too.[/quote']

Norm your bang on this, I am my own worst enemy at times , by fearing the worse, or not having the confidence to do the job.

Most times it truns out just fine, last year when I did the rear freeze plug on my engine, a lot of work needed to be done in order to make this happen, it was hard work at times, but very simple.

I also did floor and rocker panel work, this is just labor intensive, not too bad at all, just as you say, get down and dirty and get her done.

I pulled my diff aprt, that was very simple and straight forward, it went well, still have a leaking diff, but oh well I will fix that too some day.

Doing an engine rebuild, is not my territory, but when I need this done, I will have a machine shop do a lot of the work, and I will assemble the engine, will break her down too.........Fred ps Allan glad to see your making progress, now if we were closer to our Buddy near the Foothills, maybe we could have helped him on his project a bit too.

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