King pin removal

[Mertz]

I have soaked the king pins in acetone trans fluid mix. And it’s not coming loose. Today I bought a Bernzomatic TS8000 with MAP gas and got it hot enough to melt the grease but it won’t budge. The retaining bolt is out and the bottom cap is off. Do I need more heat or an impact hammer?  The bushings are very loose so it has to be stuck at the axle. 

[Tooljunkie]

Think i used my air hammer. If you beat on it too much yo may risk mushrooming the end. I took some photos, i will see if i left myself a clue. 

[Tooljunkie]

Ok, i left a clue!

[Mertz]

I tried the clamp but from the top. The bushings are so worn they are creating a lip on the bushing. I’ll try from below and move the king pin so it centers on the bushing. 

[ggdad1951]

I used a 2 pound sledge and a brass driver rod to pound mine out.  Supporting the bottom so it didn't break anything.

[Tooljunkie]

9 minutes ago, Mertz said:

I tried the clamp but from the top. The bushings are so worn they are creating a lip on the bushing. I’ll try from below and move the king pin so it centers on the bushing. 

This clamp is massive, 7/8 socket on a 2 foot long ratchet. 
Its my ball joint press. Or maybe i used my impact, 450 foot pounds maxed out. 

[Mertz]

I tried my splitting maul and a head bolt. Nothing. I bent an 8” clamp using a 9/16” socket. I have bent the handle on the clamp using a wrench for leverage. I’ll try the clamp again with heat and pound the edge. It might take an impact hammer which I don’t have. 

[nkeiser]

Mine were stuck as well and wouldn't budge no matter how much I beat on them. I finally removed the axle and used a 12 ton hydraulic shop press to get them out. 

[Tooljunkie]

As you see i was heating with propane. Think i propped everthing so i could stand torch on bench and let it heat for a good long time. 10 minutes maybe. 

[kencombs]

Maybe you've done this already, but be sure the axle/spindle are supported solidly to the floor when hitting it.  Otherwise spring bounce will dissipate much of the hammer's force.

 

On another note, a standard c-clamp is inadequate for this job.  The threads are too coarse and don't generate enough mechanical advantage.  The snap-on 'clamp' pic is really a ball joint press designed for such work.   Note the large diameter screw and fine threads.  That type of 'clamp' is also made from much stronger material.

 

I have a 20t shop press, and even that is at it's limit on some suspension and bearing work.

[Mertz]

The axle is supported on jack stands with the weight of the engine on it. I wasn’t getting much bounce back. I had the heat on it for awhile but didn’t time it. It was pretty hot because the grease was melting and smoking. The spindle was also hot. I’m using MAP gas which is a little hotter than propane and a swirl frame torch. 

[kencombs]

If possible have your support directly under the spindle.  Like a big socket under the pin on a solid stand.   Heat is your friend, but smoking grease isn't much heat.  Probably under 300.  It needs to be really hot to help.  And, if possible go at it with an air hammer, the bigger the better as the little cheap ones don't hit all that hard.

 

Patience and a bucket full of special words are needed here.

[NiftyFifty]

Lots of auto parts stores will rent you or loan out ball joint presses, it’s a really beefy c clamp with an open bottom, that’s what I used last time, but in some cases the axle has to come out and go into a hydraulic press

[Mertz]

I’m going to check into the clamp and an impact hammer. I have NAPA, Autozone and OReily. I’m sure my NAPA doesn’t rent tools but the others do. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

If using a large heavy hammer and just a jack stand you are losing a lot of impact shock through the jack stand.....

If you feel the need for heat in this instance..

It needs to be hot and fast...oxy acetylene to quickly expand just the axle I beam area and not let that heat soak to the pin and expand it too.

10 minutes with mapp is heating both....won't work very well.

Personally I don't like heating a critical part on steering or suspension.

A good press or king pin removal tool is needed on some tough pins.

A snap-on king pin tool shown.

I realize most don't have these tools but some can be rented or have a shop do it.

JMO.?

[48Dodger]

This is a video I did a couple years back, may or may not help.

 

48D

 

Estrada MotorSports 1948-53 Dodge Trucks: Steering Knuckle Kingpin

[Mertz]

Did you have to use heat or was the hammer enough?  Looks like you have it supported the same way I have it. Did you put something under the spindle when you hit it?

 

Enjoyed the video. 

[Mertz]

OReilys has a ball joint puller that looks like it might work. The thing just barely fits over the spindle but the rod is 7/8” diameter and is larger than the king pin diameter. I can use my impact hammer with it. Has anyone had success with one of these?  I can’t find a king pin pusher to rent and they are to expensive to buy for just 2 king pins. 

[NiftyFifty]

On 1/6/2021 at 5:59 PM, NiftyFifty said:

Lots of auto parts stores will rent you or loan out ball joint presses, it’s a really beefy c clamp with an open bottom, that’s what I used last time, but in some cases the axle has to come out and go into a hydraulic press

I’ve done it and worked great, but on yours I’d recommend some heat then cook it with penetrating oil 

[Mertz]

The king pins are out. I moved a jack stand under the frame directly adjacent to the spindle. Full weight of the front end on the stand. I heated the area for 10 minutes heating each side with my propane torch. I then put a sacrificial 14mm socket on top of the king pin and hit it with a splitting maul. Once the pin moved enough I had to use an deep socket to move it further than the short socket on top of that to finish it off. 

 

Thanks everyone one for the help. 

[Mertz]

Now that I have the king pins out does anyone have a clever way to remove the bushings?  Can I use heat and the right sized punch and hammer or are they to tight and need a press?

[kencombs]

3 hours ago, Mertz said:

Now that I have the king pins out does anyone have a clever way to remove the bushings?  Can I use heat and the right sized punch and hammer or are they to tight and need a press?

I use high tech equipment.  It's a box of cheap sockets that I've saved from various auction purchases.  Also included in the box are some cheap extensions.

 

I can almost always find one that is just slightly smaller od that the bushing in question.  If not, a few seconds on the bench grinder and it will fit! 

 

That and a 3-4 lb engineers hammer and an extension works.

[billrigsby]

If I remember correctly back to the late 80s early 90s, I think I used a Dremel cut a couple small slots in both sides of the bushing and then hammered it out with a chisel. Mine was pretty dang stock also.

Edited January 22, 2021 by billrigsby

[TodFitch]

24 minutes ago, kencombs said:

I use high tech equipment.  It's a box of cheap sockets that I've saved from various auction purchases.  Also included in the box are some cheap extensions.

 

I can almost always find one that is just slightly smaller od that the bushing in question.  If not, a few seconds on the bench grinder and it will fit! 

 

That and a 3-4 lb engineers hammer and an extension works.

 

+1

 

Not sure if yours is an Elliot or a Reverse Elliot (bushings on spindle or on axle). For my 1933 the bushings are in the spindle which means I could take it to my bench vise which I used as a press and, like @kencombs I used a couple of old sockets as the press tooling.

[Mertz]

I looked at the manual and there is a tool I don’t have. I thought about using a clamp but I think the vise will work better. The other option was sockets of different sizes and a fine thread bolt to push the bushings through. The socket and hammer did not move the bushing. Bushings are in the spindle.