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Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Sep 2019 Posts: 12 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Sep 2019 Posts: 12 | Ok, I put some new kingpins in my 53 chevy, now I am not sure but I may need to redo one side.
One side moves nice and smooth, the other side is very tight. You really have to have a good hold to get spindle to turn back and forth. Will this loosen up later?
The bushings on the tight side were tough to get in, I used a vice.... and then king pin was very tight going in....
So do I need to redo the tight side with a new kit or?????
Thanks
1953 3600
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | It will loosen up with use, but the proper fix would be to ream the bushings for the proper clearance to the king pin. Possibly there was a burr in the spindle bore that deformed the bushings as you pressed them in. Or maybe you mushroomed the end of the bushings with the vice.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | You can probably fix it by honing out the bushing. Ive used a wheel cyl. hone on them.
George
They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,059 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,059 | I wished that all of them were snug like you describe. I have had more of an issue of them being too loose when new. I am talking about the fit between the new kingpin and the inside bore of the new bushings.
One question, however. When you installed the new kingpins, did you check the gap where the included shims are to be used?
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2019 Posts: 12 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Sep 2019 Posts: 12 | 52 Carl, yea I think I used a shim or two in there.
I am thinking maybe I will leave it alone, put a few miles on it and see if it loosens up.
1953 3600
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 639 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 639 | Wben I put new king pins in I had a tight one on the driver's side. I thought it would get looser with use but it actually got worse. Almost impossible to steer. I talked to an old timer who told me that the very tight tolerance of the new king pins was not allowing grease to get in where it needed to. His solution was to jack the truck up and turn the wheel all the way left, grease the heck out of it, turn the wheel all the way to the right, grease the heck out of it, then set the truck down and do it all over again. It took 2 or 3 days of this but it finally loosened up and works like new. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2020 Posts: 114 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2020 Posts: 114 | can you get greese to come out ? if so they not be to tight. hhad a few where after I pressed in the bushings they got screwed up because the spindle wasnt cleaned out enough
Last edited by woof359; 04/03/2020 7:42 PM.
woof359 Family 1952 3100 5 Window
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