Technical kingpin install

I installed my first ever set of kinpins on a 1940 Buick. Don't think its quite right. I cleaned and pre-greased all the parts. I used a dremel and small stone to remove burrs, etc from the original part. Had to use a press to get the bushings in. Then had to use a press to get the pins in. There were a lot of brass shaving pushed out the other side. Should there be? I pressed the pins back out and cleaned all shavings and checked for burrs and reinstalled. Now I can not move the spindle by hand at all. If I put the assembly in a vice I can move it with a great deal of effort. Basically had to put all my strength to move it a few inches. Should they be that tight?

 

Did you use a king pin reamer, or hone, or just used brute force ?

 

Take it to an auto machine shop and have the bushings honed or reamed. Spindles should turn easily, you need .002 clearance for free movement otherwise they won't take grease.

 

You should always test fit parts first .You need to either do some reading,asking questions, find a mentor and watch some videos maybe on youtube and/ or all the above .

 

A local truck shop, hot rod shop, or front end/suspension repair facility may get you on the right path. I believe Speedway web site lists bushings with the required reamer size so you can get an idea what you need. Google is your friend .

 

Should push in with one finger.Machine shop with a Pin hone will fix it.

 

20 ton press so brute force

 

Your bushings are junk, your pins are probably skinned up so your next step is buy another kit and start over.

Remove old bushings, install new bushings, take spindles with new bushings installed and new pins to machine shop and have them ream bushings to fit new pins. When they are done the new pins will slide right thru the installed new bushings all nice and easy like.

 

As said the bad news is you need to start again with a new set.
Sure the bushings get pressed in ,but then the machine shop has to ream them out to an exacting tolerance to accept the pin.

 

I think the issue is, you had to "press" the king pins in, that as others have suggested was your first mistake. Kiwi is right, I would start from scratch.

 

Always better to ask BEFORE you do it, if you're not sure....... Kind of a "measure twice, cut once" thing.

 

The long, kingpin reamer, made locally here by Chadwick & Trefethern, makes for a sound aligned fit. The further bushing aligns, as you cut the first one, then the tool is flipped, so your second cut is guided by the previous one.

 

Well an expensive lesson learned looks like. I'll give it another go around. Thanks for the tips and advice everyone.

 

You should get yourself a factory service manual if you are going to be doing other work on your car. Saves a lot of headaches.

 

If you are going to press the 2nd set in before you take the spindle to have them reamed, please make sure the grease holes in the bushings line up with the greasing ports in the spindle, or you will be doing it again soon! JW

 

Yeah I have a 1940 Service manual but they weren't big on details apparently. Also have a 1940 Parts manual. The IPB's are a big help in that but the part numbers no longer match anything. Big help on narrowing down what is supposed to be there where parts fell off or were removed along the way. Thanks

 

Thanks, as you guessed I had to do it twice when I couldn't get grease in.

 

Laws confuse me. We HAVE to use a certified electrician, plumber or building inspector to check work on our house, yet ANYBODY is allowed to work on critical components of a 2 ton piece of iron that travels at high rates of speed on a public road around other vehicles of questionable repair. Some things are definitely best left to the professionals.

 

My project, my learning curve, my mistakes, my lessons. Your smart ass comment ain't helpful. I'll get it there and done right too. Maybe not the first time but I will.

 

I disagree, knowledge is power and there is no reason anyone cannot do many things on their own. A pro or machine shop might come into play for reaming, or for a proper hone job on king pins but that job, as well as many others are in reach for anyone.

 

Exactly. Your learning just like everybody else did at one time in their life. Welcome to the Hamb and good luck with your project.

 

DB, welcome to the HAMB as i see this is day one for you. You should ask as many questions as you need as we are (well most of) here to help just like back in the day. No such thing as a dumb question....just dumb answers, if you don't know well you just don't know so happy building. JW

 

Thanks

 

Thanks

 

Every time I hit the streets I was breaking some Fucking Law or another! Blue Dot Tail Lights-Wide Tires-Loud Pipes-Curfews-Altered Suspension-Headlight Alignment-Cruising-Long Tube Headers-LAWS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN!


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Amen! Truer words were never spoken. In the 25 years that I have been repairing heavy trucks, some of the “mechanics” and stuff they do would make you cringe.


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On the flip side, I've seen some really crummy work from "certified" mechanics. I wouldn't let a modern repair shop anywhere near a set of king pins unless they had a known, good reputation.

 

Just bear in mind that medium and heavy duty trucks still use some kind of kingpin front axle. In my world kingpins are far from “antique”. Our shop does at least two sets of kingpins a week. We also have a Sunnen hone machine to properly fit the pins and bushings.


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So can anybody explain why kingpin bushings are the only auto part that needs to be machined to fit after installation?

Back in "the day" I had a '65 Chevy van with a straight axle. The kingpin bushings were plastic (probably nylon) and didn't need any stinkin' reaming.

 

I work for a major airline. All those bag tractors that run around pulling carts still use kingpins. You should see the look on the face of some of the new (young) mechanics when they see these. My first try at it 30 years ago did not go as well ether. For years we used brass bushings, those need to be reamed. It would probably cost less to have a shop ream them for you than buying a reamer for one use. For some reason we now use some type of plastic bushings. These do not have to be reamed. They seem to work fine, but if it were my car I would use the brass. One thing I learned, when you make a mistake (been there done that) and you have to do the work over, you rarely make that mistake again. Keep trying, nothing more satisfying than being able to say I did it myself. Anyone can pay someone to do it.