King Pin Replacement Question..

[Neshkoro]

It depends on how much chrome they put on the diameter. It could be a couple of thousandths. If so, they might be too tight in the bushings. You might measure them (they should be a nominal dimension) or just try them.

 

[Guy]

same thing happened to me with the powder coating 2 weeks to clean out all the holes , but i didn't give the the king pins

 

[Gerry]

You must have a dimension for the needle roller? Put a micrometer (caliper) on the pins and see where you are.

 

[skinny mike]

Reading this , I really don't understand something. Check everything you get for your ride. Cams, pistons, u-joints, etc. But the pins aren't made to a spec? I find that confusing. It really bugs me. Can someone explain ?

 

[Space Coast Rodder]

Reading this , I really don't understand something. Check everything you get for your ride. Cams, pistons, u-joints, etc. But the pins aren't made to a spec? I find that confusing. It really bugs me. Can someone explain ?

The pins are made to a spec but the bushings are lined with phosphor bronze & are a few thousandths of an inch undersize so that when they are pressed in they can be line honed or reamed to the exact size for the best fit..

 

[skinny mike]

Yeah. That's the hard thing to wrap my head around. My engine block ( for example) , has cam and crank bores. Get your bearings, install them ( no honing ) then install cam and crank. It just bothers me the axle thingies aren't as friendly. I'm not arguing, just find it horse and buggy, tho come to think of it , kinda like bronze valve guides, huh? Oh, well, you can get a laugh out of my confusion. I'm lovin' all this. So much to learn and relearn.

 

[Neshkoro]

Engine blocks are precision bored and honed to size. Axle king pin bosses are machined and then welded to the axle. The welding deforms / shrinks the bosses. The axle doesn’t need the accuracy as the engine block does. The engine parts are turning at very high speeds. The kingpins are not turning much at all! Big difference. That’s why all you need to do for the kingpin fit is to press in the bushings and then run a reamer through them and you’re pretty much done!

 

[skinny mike]

I guess a thing that adds to my wonderment is the idea the axle boss is I D machined before the welding. But...since I'm thinking of a new axle I will understand if and when I have to get my hands dirty doing the install. I have ALWAYS been an advocate of hands on. It can be painful but, that ah-hah moment is priceless.

 

[old round fart]

Bushings are designed to be replaced when the bore or pin are worn but need to be honed for the just right fit.

 

[RPM]

The kingpins are not turning much at all! Big difference. That’s why all you need to do for the kingpin fit is to press in the bushings and then run a reamer through them and you’re pretty much done!

The king pins don't turn at all they are locked down in the axle, a set screw on most tube axles or a lock bolt on an I beam axle. The Ford spindle has bushings in it and they have to be fit, either honed or reamed. Both bushing at the same time or they will be misaligned. The Chevy spindles have bushings, but they don't require boring when you replace them. New bushings and you are ready to go.