TECH: Kingpin & bushing replacement- Ford spindles.

These guys were in my home town, they make a good pilot-style ream.
If you cut gradually you can achieve a quality finish bore.
http://www.chadwickreamers.com/angle_blade_adj_lp.php?adjust_measure=fractional

 

Reamers work O.K.,but if you want a precise and long lasting set-up bring your spindles to a machine shop and have them fit the pins with a rod hone.
I've been an auto tech for the USPS for 30+years and when we used to replace king pins in the older postal jeeps we reamed them in shop and they would last a couple of years.A employee at the time was racing dirt modifieds and was having his spindle bushings honed at the local machine shop and swore that they lasted forever.
We tried it on a few Jeeps and it was amazing how much longer a hone fit kingpin/bushing lasted.
Needless to say we stopped using a reamer!

 

Here are a pair of 32-34 spindles a buddy of mine put new bushings in and honed. We used an NOS 36 king pin kit, honed them slowly, checking the fit often until they were perfect. From removal of the old bushings to the new ones being fit and honed, about 20 minutes total.

 

To those that have just put new pin bushings in; how hard are they to grease?

 

Thanks for the info, seems I have a few ways to look at this . in any case I like all your views.
Thanks agn
Bud

 

We got the wishbones off today with a lot of heat and a big f'n hammer.The kingpins are next,tanx

 

QUOTE="seb fontana, post: 9218594, member: 8107"]To those that have just put new pin bushings in; how hard are they to grease?[/QUOTE]
In reply to Seb's old post here, it was not unusual for an auto maker to include info on kingpin bush replacement in their operating maual that went with the car. As you want a stiff (two thumb) fit of the kingpin through the bushings, getting grease into the space can be near impossible during the first thousand miles or so. Depending on how tight a fit. Although little galleys for the grease are usually cut into the bush to accommodate this lubrication from a grease fitting, many car makers suggested you assemble with something like a 140W gear oil, and frequently "grease" them with a grease gun that has been filled with the gear oil instead of grease. The manual would generally state how many miles to "grease" and then when to switch to regular grease.
edit) The brake hone is a good idea, those flex-hones do a nice job and come in different grits.

 

No on the flex hone they have to be honed at the same time,inline,not one at a time. Sunnen hone is the way to do it! I've got an old one here,works perfect.