I am building a 34 ford truck. Chassis Eng. axle. My kingpin lock pins are too tight to go in flush with the axle. I would appreciate advice about the best way to solve my problem. I'm not sure if I need to drive them in with a hammer, or should the nut pull them in tight enough. The lock pins need to go in about 3/8 inch more to be flush. Do the pins need to have some metal shaved off where they contact the kingpin? Everything is new and the holes are clean and lubed. Sorry I posted this in the wrong place earlier.Thanks.
That has to be perfectly lined up and the lockpin doesn't alway go in flush with the face of the axle.
The flat spot on the kingpin is aligned in the hole. The lock pin goes through enough to get the nut on. It just looks like it needs to go in another 1/4 inch or so based on similar setups i have seen.
Happened to me on my '47...I ended up using my old pins, instead of the new ones...And they worked...Don't ask me why...The new pins acted like yours...Wouldn't fit w/out a bashing...Wasn't going there...Good luck...!
Depending on the pin, sometimes you have to dress the outer diameter up just a tad to allow the pin to go in a little further. I just keep grinding a little off all the way around with an air angle grinder and quit when the pin goes in better. It doesn't take much. Don
I've seen lock pins with different sizes. I think if you can get a nut on it there's no particular reason why you have to have it sunk in enough to be flush.
who told you that they need to be flush? mine aren't. They need to go in far enough to lock the king pin in place and that's all. The nut on the other side is the steering stop. It's distance from the axle is important but not the other side. The pin is tapered and will lock when wedged into place as long as the pin is in place. As long as it tightens up the king pin it will be fine. The length of the nut on the other side limits the turn of the spindle. The other end of the retaining bolt and how far it sticks out is irrelevant.
You don't have the axle turned around do you, the hole is tapered too (i think - model 'a' axle is anyway)
I have one that goes in too far. I need a new pin. The last set was not perfectly flesh, but close. Just file a lil and you'll be fine.
Mine is not! The wedge is ground into the pin. This is a Deuce axle with Henry's locking pin inserted into the wrong end to prove that the hole is NOT tapered. I just tapped it out and turned it around for this picture. If it was it might tighten up in the axle before the king pin tightened up. all my axles have king pins installed at present but a Ford axle will allow the retainer pin to go all the way through if there is no king pin in the axle. There is no front and back on a Ford axle. I know this is often disputed but that's my story and I'm sticking to it until someone can prove otherwise.
Yes … no front and back As long as the king is being engaged by the lock pin it’s doing it’s job … don’t over think
One of my pins sticks out slightly further than the one on the other side. I have just been too lazy to remove it and grind on it a little. Other than cosmetic there really isn't any reason to make them flush, functionally they will work fine as long as they jam up tight and you can get enough threads on to securely hold the nut in place. Don
i have had new pins that stuck out instead of fitting flush, sometimes i reuse the old pins. i always drive them in with a hammer, so i do not strain the threads.
The Jalopy Journal
