Well, GL, you were right. Getting the pins out of my 1 ton axle was rough - and get this - most of the shops wouldn't even try it - even the local truck repair and axle shops here in Dallas, Texas! Not like its a community of 1000 with one shop. Sheesh. Need a lounge thread on that. Guess no one needs to work.
Anyway, fortunately I have a bud who runs a local general repair and with his 30 ton press and a oxy-acetelyne, we finally got both pins out after about an hour of general foul language. There was no way my pounding on it with a 16 lb sledge hammer was going to get that #$#@ apart.
After reading about the Royal King pin kit in the previous post, that got a bug in my ear, but I have a 1 ton, so I can't use that kit. I have found some suitable roller bearings to use, but I would have to turn the ends of the king pins down about 1.5 mm and bore the knuckles about 3-4 mm. The metric bearings are the closest fit. Have to leave the middle of the king pin alone so its still tight in the axle.
Now for you engineers out there, see if you can help me with this and bounce some ideas about:
1. No reason to use new king pin kit I bought if I convert to needle bearings/roller bearings because I would be turning the old pins down. Right?
2. Main problem I can see would be installing the thing. You'd have to put the king pins through the knuckle and axle, and then press the roller bearings in from the top and bottom on each side. Using the shop press, that should go ok without destroying the bearings, right?
Any comments or opinions are welcome. Since I would return the king pin kit I bought that would cover the expense of the roller bearings and caps.
