Kingpins Question

[bambamshere]

No I never took the shoes off. I hung them on the the springs when I was doing it. It might be the 2 adjustment bolts at the bottom aren't adjusted properly. Plus a couple weeks ago I put 2 new brake lines on the back of the truck and wasn't going to bleed the brakes till after I did the kingpins in case I had to take the front brakes off. I will bleed them tomorrow and see how things go. 

Edited June 23, 2018 by bambamshere

[Tooljunkie]

Just found this thread,i got a nos king pin set from a shop in winnipeg. Very knowledgeable guy. 
will be attempting this in a couple weeks, likely over christmas break. 
He had king pin set,axle seals dust caps,brake hoses,wheel cylinders and a couple frost plugs i needed. 
has a front motor mount, but couldnt find it. 
 

so, you want me to post the process here, or start another thread? 
i figured something out with the brakes and adjusting,as i dont have the measuring tool and my new relined shoes wont work with the adjusters where they were. 
clean the adjuster pins so they rotate easily. Use a pick in the cotter pin hole to turn the adjuster to your preference. My preference is just a slight rub as drum rotates,

and it will wear in after a couple applications. 
looking forward to communicating with you all to learn and share our experiences.  

[bambamshere]

Wow I thought I did the King Pins on my truck this past summer. Post what ever you want on the thread. Were all here to help.

[Tooljunkie]

time flys when you are having fun. 
i just discovered the 49 i bought is actually a 51. I never thought about the parts issues when i bought it back in september, but with my parts background i recalled the go to guy for everything i needed. 
 

[bambamshere]

Ya when I got my 56 I thought was a 55 because of the vin number. Oh well no difference I guess.

[Tooljunkie]

Got the Fargo back into the shop, pulled the left spindle again and fitted my first pair of bushings. 
Machinist buddy had a reamer and we figured out a bushing to ream it true. 
is a tad short but does the job. 
 

will start from scratch on right side tomorrow,will try to photograph every step. 
stay tuned. 
Frank. 

[bambamshere]

On 3/25/2018 at 11:46 PM, Adrian41D-19 said:

 

Of course. Can’t you let the truck on a jack stand for a while? The time to find the pins? 

 

Forget this post thanks. Sure wish they had a delete button 

Edited December 21, 2019 by bambamshere

[Tooljunkie]

Ok, my version of king pin repair. 
will submit a few photos, but pretty much self explanatory. I will leave out the basic stuff like jacking and blocking your vehicle,and all safety precautions.im sure if you have the willingness to take this on you are also prepared to protect yourself. 

[Tooljunkie]

Pry out top and bottom end caps, two lower bolts for steering linkage should already be out when brakes and backing plate was removed. Bend retainer and remove lock bolt from the center piece. A little penetrating oil and let it soak. 
 

i used my ball joint press, reason for pushing pin up is i wanted to save thrust bearing. I destroyed the one on other side. 
 

in order to get things moving i applied some heat, propane is enough to do it without harm. 
 

was considering my bottle jack but 

for safety reasons i chose not to. 
pin came out fairly easy, had to use a couple sockets push pin as the screw would jam in the bushing. 15mm shallow, then a deep. 
 

 

[Tooljunkie]

I found a socket the size of the outside of bushing, and they drove out with ease. 
 

pressing in with vise? Fail! It went crooked. Using a hammer and socket i drove it in. Its in but im not happy about how it got there. Second one i used a good c-clamp and a few light taps on the screw top and it went in easy. A little oil on bushing as well. 
used a very thick washer to push bushing so it was even with shoulder inside. 

[Tooljunkie]

Reamer was a little short,but i managed. A proper reamer for this .873 king pin isnt all that easy to get for me. And i think my snap on dealer’s kids have both graduated, so he doesent need any more money from me. 
 

the sleeve is a guide i used to keep reamer true,only took a couple minutes on the lathe. 
 

the reaming went easy, started with setting reamer so it just fit, and gave both bushings a single pass to true them up.

then adjusted reamer 1/2 a turn larger and repeated until old pin was starting to fit. Then i adjusted reamer 1/4 turn larger until new pin fit. It goes in snug, so a few rounds without adjusting it until pin slides through with a light push. 
take your time, too much and you will go beyond the .001 clearance needed. A light honing with a brake cylinder hone may finish it up if you are really close. 
 

pack thrust bearing with grease, clean truck side of knuckle and assemble. Shell on thrust bearing should face downwards to shed water. 
a few pictures and im done. 
i didnt have a clue,and the videos didnt explain the reaming process at all. 

[Tooljunkie]

As you can see, there is a flat on king pin, has to line up with lock bolt in axle. Retainer to hold lock bolt. 
also i need to mention there are shims, go above or below bearing, to take out vertical movement in knuckle. 
 

end caps drive in easy with a socket, mine are staked in. 

[Tooljunkie]

Better photo of reamer, the small one i used and the larger two as examples of what is your typical king pin reamer. 
on the small one the two collars with wrench flats are your adjusters, one way expands, other reduces diameter. 
 

 

[John-T-53]

Where did you get the reamer from? Do they still make 'em new?

 

Years ago, the guy that sized my bushings used just a Sunnen hone. Came out great, .001"

[Tooljunkie]

39 minutes ago, John-T-53 said:

Where did you get the reamer from? Do they still make 'em new?

 

Years ago, the guy that sized my bushings used just a Sunnen hone. Came out great, .001"

I borrowed it from a friend. 
i found them all over on the web,amazon and ebay. 
most any parts store can source them. KD tools distributors can supply. 
the small one came from a machine shop supply house. 

[R&D Dodge]

I have a question. Is it always necessary to ream new bushings when replacing pins?

I am planning to replace mine, thanks for the pictures and explanation.

[Tooljunkie]

My understanding the new ones sold now are knurled and you push the king pins in. I wouldnt know for sure unless i saw a new set. 
the set i got was new old stock,army surplus believe it or not. Some writing on the box dates it to prior 1966. 
 

if your bushings have worn right out,and into casting then you will need to get involved with a machine shop.to resize spindle for larger od bushings. 

[kencombs]

King pin kits are also available with a Plastic bushing.  No reaming needed.  Probably not as long-lived as metal  But the limited mileage our trucks get they should be fine.

[bambamshere]

11 hours ago, kencombs said:

King pin kits are also available with a Plastic bushing.  No reaming needed.  Probably not as long-lived as metal  But the limited mileage our trucks get they should be fine.

 

When I was doing mine I looked at the ones with plastic. It cost me $60 extra dollars to get them put in and reamed. Mind you the reaming was $60 I got them put in by a buddy. So let's say $100 extra. But I will probably never have to do them again. Plastic how long do they last for. Anyone have plastic bushing out there. Oopsy mine were the brass ones, steel, UMMMMMMMMM the ones that aren't plastic  

Edited December 23, 2019 by bambamshere

[R&D Dodge]

I would think if you keep them greased you'll be fine..

[bkahler]

9 hours ago, bambamshere said:

 

When I was doing mine I looked at the ones with plastic. It cost me $60 extra dollars to get them put in and reamed. Mind you the reaming was $60 I got them put in by a buddy. So let's say $100 extra. But I will probably never have to do them again. Plastic how long do they last for. Anyone have plastic bushing out there. 

 

Any idea what kind of plastic?  There are some plastics like delrin that would likely make excellent king pin bushings.