The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop King pins and spindle bushings

I struggled with the king pins trying the jack method and heat to no avail. Took the axle off to go in search of a press but decided to give it one more try with a couple of different sized ball and peen hammers on the shop floor. I held the smaller hammer with the ball on the pin and thumped the hammers peen to peen. It worked not once but twice. Two pins on the floor and I was "King". Beginners luck! Now what? This is a 55 1st series 3/4 ton the TRW Automotive king pin kit came today from Chevy Duty. Not a word of instruction in the kit, but what did I expect right? So I pull out the 1954(55.1) Shop Manual where I learn that 1/2 ton trucks have floating bushings that drop in and don't get reamed. I have a 3/4 ton and the old manual is telling me I've got what ya call yer press fit bushins whats needs pressin & reamin with a special K-318 bushing driver and a .923" diameter model J-3057 chevy reamer. Now I'm guessing that the closest I will ever come to those two vintage Chevy tools are the pictures in the back of the chapter. Now I'm hoping maybe modern science and all that, figured a way to make my 3/4 bushings as user friendly as the 1/2 tons. Since TRW Automotive didn't include any literature I went in search of their website and thanks to Yahoo I found it. The problem is they dont even admit to making king pin kits, let alone what to do with them. Now if anyone out there hasn't figured it out yet, I don't have a clue as to what the hell I'm doing here, but I dont think that should stop me and I know someone is goina say "machine shop" but there is no fun in that if there is a way to do it yourself? So the point of the story, and there is a point, is how do I determine what type of replacement bushings I have? Will standard size bushing drivers work here and what would I ream it with?

Ordinary bushing drivers will install the bushings..Just make sure to install with the grease holes lined up which should be the correct height in the bore.. DO make sure the bore is CLEAN !!....It only takes an ordinary hand reamer to line bore the new bushings..Used to buy the reamers from the local parts stores..Surely a local machine shop will have the reamer needed. Its not a big operation...You simply keep reaming a little at a time til you get a "Wrist Pin " fit of the pin with some light lube on it...

Thanks for the advice. I'l give it a try. One thing about the replacement bushings is that they are slit down the side all the way through. The originals were solid all the way around. Is there any thing different about installing this type of bushing I need to know?

My 1 Ton replacements were slit down the side too. I guess this allows them to conform and in the process the inside diameter gets a little smaller.