Anyone done Kingpins themselves?

[Agnem]

Sounds like a wheel cylinder hone should do the job then? I have a reamer that my Ford dealer lent me. The parts are also from my Ford parts counter. Ford discontinued the kit, but my dealer found NOS in Wisconsin and had it shipped in. There is no plastic in the kit, and it all looks high quality. So it sounds like then, that I need to take the axle out and take it to a big bearing press. That will slow down the process a bit.

 

[typ4]

No a wheel cyl hone wont do it, I was 15 at the time and had no money and lots of time. Read 2 days of sanding.

Now you can ream it snug and then use a ball hone but reaming them is a pain also.

 

[david85]

They have to be line bored so the center axis of each bushing lines up perfectly with one another. If you have a hone long enough to bridge the distance between them, then maybe it could work. Considering the cost of the parts, the hastle of the total job, and how long these things last when done right (I don't usually say this, but) I would just take it to a good machinist to have it done once. Chances are you won't have to do the job ever again as long as you own the truck.

The pins were actually still in fairly good condition on my truck, but the thrust bearings were shot (no bronze bushing left at all). But since the process of taking out the kingpin is so destructive if it has rusted to the beam, it all has to get redone anyway.

 

[Agnem]

I think we are going to dismount the axles and take them to a machine shop that has been recommended to me, and with whom I have dealt before. For about $200 they will do both sides. Sounds like a bargain to me.

 

[Diesel JD]

Time for an update:A week ago I finally finished this job, had the truck down for a bit over a week to do it but not all conditions were ideal. The guy that was helping me is a little difficult to get hold of so it didn't get worked on every night in that time frame. Anyway getting the front end apart was brutal. We knocked the old kingpins and retaining pins out with a hammer. It wasn't easy but they let go. I had a machine shop ream the new bushings for me. They were MOOG bronze bushings and looked like a pretty ok kit. We also did axle pivot bushings and radius arm bushings and brake pads and repacked the bearings/resealed the hub, cleaned everything as best we could. It was expensive: $110 in machine work....I paid my friend $250 for his labor (actual shop and mechanic so I wanted to treat him right) $100-ish for the kit, and $50-ish for misc parts. so a bit over $500. It seems to drive nicr/steer better. It still needs an alignment and a new soft brake line. It's a tough job and you better have some big wrenches...and I was advised no air tools. It can be done by home mechanics other than the reaming of the new bushings. That should be left to a pro unless you now what you're doing exactly.

 

[Brimmstone]

What size range reamer is needed. If someone can get me a spec I should still have one floating in one of the tool boxes. Lord knows I haven't opened the box my kingpin press is in for a while now. I might have a reamer that will go that small.

 

[monkeyboi]

repeat of info

 

[itsacrazyasian]

Time for an update:A week ago I finally finished this job, had the truck down for a bit over a week to do it but not all conditions were ideal. The guy that was helping me is a little difficult to get hold of so it didn't get worked on every night in that time frame. Anyway getting the front end apart was brutal. We knocked the old kingpins and retaining pins out with a hammer. It wasn't easy but they let go. I had a machine shop ream the new bushings for me. They were MOOG bronze bushings and looked like a pretty ok kit. We also did axle pivot bushings and radius arm bushings and brake pads and repacked the bearings/resealed the hub, cleaned everything as best we could. It was expensive: $110 in machine work....I paid my friend $250 for his labor (actual shop and mechanic so I wanted to treat him right) $100-ish for the kit, and $50-ish for misc parts. so a bit over $500. It seems to drive nicr/steer better. It still needs an alignment and a new soft brake line. It's a tough job and you better have some big wrenches...and I was advised no air tools. It can be done by home mechanics other than the reaming of the new bushings. That should be left to a pro unless you now what you're doing exactly.

Too bad i didnt read this earlier. Coulda made a weekend of it down here and we coulda knocked it out in about 3 hours and aligned it.

I just got my butt handed to me today, did 4 lower and 2 upper balljoints and bushings on a mercedes (8.2 hours total book time) and ball joints on a E450 diesel.

 

[typ4]

Moog is good parts, at least they used to be.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

Moog is good parts, at least they used to be.

They still are, expensive but decent.

 

[Michael Fowler]

Mel,
Sorry, I didn't read this earlier.
Have you broken the king pins loose yet?
I'd endorse the machine shop part of the project. I used a brake hone and it took forever and another set of stones. I was worried that the finish might not be right, and I had no way to check the alignment except to drop the KP in. It all worked out for the 10+ years that I owned it.
If you have a frozen KP, I'd recommend getting it up on jack stands and disconnecting the tie rods from the spindle. You've already removed the pinch bolt. Next is the WD40 and the air hammer on the top of the KP. Once it begins to move, drive it up and WD40 everything again. Once it starts to move, and everything is wet with WD40, it should come right out.
Mine was frozen so tight that it would stay where I rotated it to--out of my way. The first indication I had that something was actually happening was when I noticed it had rotated into my way, and I had to push it away.
What is your time-frame? Nights are bad for me during the week.