DO NOT order a standard size king pin set for a 1 ton without confirming that the replacement pins are in fact .921 in diameter. Not all but most suppliers will show in the catalogs they will fit both 3/4 and 1 ton, I ordered a set from truckandcarshop.com that I was told they are guaranteed to fit a 1 Ton, they do not!!!!!!!!!!! .866 is what I received for a 1/2 ton. Because I had taken the bushings and spindle to a machine shop to ream I now have a $60. set of steel drift pins and a full set of bushings that if reamed to .921 would likely have no bushing material or grease channel remaining. I've called multiple vendors and searching online and even if they are in stock they are .866 1/2 ton pins not .921 although the catalog lists as fitting a 3/4 or 1 ton. I've had lots of "HUH", "WOW" and even a "OOPS" moments when the parts person actually gets it, whether or not they will get a IT geek person to change the listing is for another discussion. I did find today 1 supplier that has 3 complete sets in stock although they are at a much higher price at least he has confirmed them to be .921 standard size. Should be back on the road in a week. Doyle
Do the pins have any oddball shapes or features that can't be duplicated by common machine tools? It sounds like there's a market niche that's just begging to be filled by someone with a lathe, and possibly a milling machine handy. How about sending me one of the pins you're replacing for some R&D on tooling up to make a limited run of them? Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I feel your pain, run into the exact same issue. Ordered two both claiming to be 3/4 & 1 ton; both clearly 1/2 ton. I haven't tracked down the correct size yet although there was another post on the subject and he listed a vendor that also has the .921" (FCRC Machine). I should probably try again to order a set - third time's the charm right.
HRL when I get around to mine, happy to donate the old ones if you don't have any then.
1949 Chevrolet 3/4 Ton - Still Solid. Regular Driver OT Vehicles: 1925 Hudson Brougham Super Six 1950 Chevrolet Styline (Parts) 1952 Canuck Pontiac Sedan Delivery (Well Underway) 1973 F250 4x4 Highboy 1977 F250 4x4 Lowboy
Thanks! I can't imagine why a good quality piece of round steel stock of the proper alloy couldn't be turned into a serviceable king pin by anyone with the unmitigated gall to call himself a "machinist". There are at least two or three guys here at Stovebolt that I'd be comfortable with betting my life on a part they fabricated. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
There's an NOS Kingpin set available on Ebay right now, worth the money and yes its the correct part number. I'd jump on it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/125263072209?hash=item1d2a42cbd1:g:ypcAAOSwxxpiWrt-
Ron - - Dusty53 1954 Chevy 3604 In the Gallery Forum "You can't dance with the Devil and then wonder why you're still in Hell." "They will forget what you've said, and they will forget what you have done but they will never forget the way you made them feel."
There's an NOS Kingpin set available on Ebay right now, worth the money and yes its the correct part number. I'd jump on it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/125263072209?hash=item1d2a42cbd1:g:ypcAAOSwxxpiWrt-
The king pin listed on the Ebay site listing is for the .866 pin the standard size of pin for a 1 Ton is .921
I feel your pain, run into the exact same issue. Ordered two both claiming to be 3/4 & 1 ton; both clearly 1/2 ton. I haven't tracked down the correct size yet although there was another post on the subject and he listed a vendor that also has the .921" (FCRC Machine). I should probably try again to order a set - third time's the charm right.
HRL when I get around to mine, happy to donate the old ones if you don't have any then.
I'm ordering a set from a vendor in Ontario that has confirmed it is .921 pin size, once I have it in my hand and confirmed the fit I'll send you the vendor information.
The GM NOS Kingpin set on Ebay that I referenced is the correct part number. It is listed as the correct part number for 53-55 1st , 3/4,1 and 1 1/2 Ton. I have a GM # 3704112 Kingpin set and the pins do measure .921" . I don't know where the .866" you referenced comes from. I understand that the GM Parts list text has 5 5/8 long x 15/16 O.D. ( .9375") but the pins in my set actually do measure .921. Hope this helps.
Last edited by Dusty53; 06/07/202211:26 PM.
Ron - - Dusty53 1954 Chevy 3604 In the Gallery Forum "You can't dance with the Devil and then wonder why you're still in Hell." "They will forget what you've said, and they will forget what you have done but they will never forget the way you made them feel."
I found on old receipt in my box of spare king bolts for my '51, 1-ton pickup, chassis designation JSF. Here's the NAPA part number dated 4/17/03: 262-1161.020. I ordered two sets because my local store had to special order them from NAPA. I know this is old but it might be a start. The standard part number would end with 1161. The .020 is because they are .020 oversize. That may be why they had to be made to order. Two sets came in one box and the invoice is for $105.80 list, $80.90 net and $10 freight. It's not clear who NAPA got them from. Perhaps Precision Engineering. Their name appears on the box along with the part number.
1951 3800 1-ton "Earning its keep from the get-go" In the DITY Gallery 1962 261 (w/cam, Fenton headers, 2 carbs, MSD ign.), SM420 & Brown-Lipe 6231A 3spd aux. trans, stock axles & brakes. Owned since 1971.
So they were "guaranteed to fit". What does that guarantee entail? Did they give you your money back?
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
Heres the ones i scored off ebay for my 3/4T. You will also need to ream them to fit. I have seen both of these on ebay several times. I just bought mine justvover a year ago. That part number might help you.
I'm a machinist and making a king pin one off that was right would be near impossible. They need to be heat treated per GM specs, if you knew what the alloy was. The best and easiest thing is keep digging to find the correct pin.
Custom gunsmiths have been heat treating parts since the days of Brown Bess muzzleloaders in the 18th. Century, or before. Using a Brinell hardness tester is not rocket science, and neither is using a rosebud torch and some Kasenit powder. The only places that might need to be tempered are the ends where the bushings ride, and those don't need to be brittle- - - -just surface hardened. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
If it is going to be a WORKING truck I'd follow specs but if a cruiser or show piece anything should work. Should be very easy to turn from a piece of 1" bar stock and don't worry about accurate to five places as the BUSHINGS can be honed on a Sunnen to correct clearance. One hour job. My centerless grinder went with the big shop but I still had they would be as accurate as the instrument doing the measuring.
I bought a king pin kit from Chevs of the 40s late last year for my '52 GMC 3/4 ton. Their part number is 601019. The web page did not have dimensions, so I e-mailed asking. The right answer came back, "The 601019 are .920 X 5 1/16 and the bushing is 1.06 OD"
I have a used one time .921" reamer for rent. The guy at the machine shop says it worked great. I haven't done the left side yet, so I'll need it back. Price is $50 (gladly refunded when I get it back) + shipping.
Last edited by Bill Hanlon; 07/08/20226:34 PM.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
If you guys are still looking, I ordered a kingpin set off of Rockauto for my 54 3800. It was a few years ago and I was able to get an AC Delco kit, I might have the part number still. They still offer one with a .921 pin that's being sold by Moog.
1954 Chevy 3800 Long Bed: ex-fire truck turned farmer's town run about turned 353T powered retirement project 1953 Chevy 6400: the work truck
Thanks, I'm satisfied with the set I ordered from Bill's Truck shop in Ontario. Now to try to find a speedometer gear that will work with the upgraded 4:10 gears I just installed!
Regarding the speedometer gear mentioned by doyle1950, many years ago when I changed the differential gears in my 1958 1/2 ton panel truck (went from 4.11-1 to 3.80-1), I went to a local speedometer shop for help.
They calculated the gearing that I needed vs. what was in the truck from the previous gears (stock) and built me a little adapter that on one side screwed into the side of the transmission and on the other side accepted the speedometer cable.
That little adapter (a tiny gearbox in itself) made the speedometer read correctly. I was a very happy camper!
That little adapter (a tiny gearbox in itself) made the speedometer read correctly. I was a very happy camper!
Back in the day GMC sold a wide variety of those adapters in the parts department. Here is the list:
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
