The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Kingpins are a tough job!

I started the left kingpin removal yesturday (57 1T) and am going to have to drill out lockpin. I searched the kingpin posts and read alot to get a idea of what I was in for. Lets say it sounds fairly easy reading the posts.(Not)Can I just replace 1, the one on right does not have play? The space between lower axel and spindel is large enough for spacers, why are there not any as this may have prevented the repair now? Can new kingpins go in without reaming? Are new lockpins easy to find?

You can buy a kingpin kit at NAPA complete with pins, bushings, plugs, thrust bearings, shims, lock bolts, nuts, and washers.

While I suppose you could only replace one It's almost always done in pairs, I'd do both while you're at it.

If you're missing a thrust bearing you may also need a new spindle and or axle if they're worn.

New king pins on a 1 ton will require reaming the new bushings.

Grigg

Thanks Grigg, 6 broken bits and 1 broke chisel and I still have to get the lockpin out. There has to be a easier way. I seem to have hit something hard I cant get the drill bit to bite to continue.
I thought you would tell me to do the other side while i'm at it, I hope its easier.
The lower thrust bearing is missing as well as the shims but wont know how bad the spindel or axel are until I get out lockpin and kingpin. So what you're saying is if the axel is wobbled out I need to replace it also.

If the axle is wallered out out need to get an oversize king pin set & have the axle ream out. It might be about time to pull the axle out. If the other side is not loose & takes gears good, I leave it alone.

Explain takes gears good please.

He misspelled "grease".

So you are missing a thrust bearing.... I bet the axle and spindle is junk. I've seen a 1/2 ton that had locked up (no grease) thrust bearings and the bottom side of the axle and the spindle too were worn so bad it was a lost cause.
Clean it and have a look before you fight with it any more, see if it's worth the fight or if you're in search of a better axle.

The hard part you hit with your drill is the kingpin, you won't have any luck drilling it.

Grigg

Thank you Coil.

Yea Grigg, The lower thrush bearing is gone, but the upper and axel are tight meaning no play other than free slide up and down on upper thrush bearing. Spent another 5 hrs trying to get lockpin out today and its still in there. Any tips you can offer. I've been step drilling trying not to ruin anything, and trying to drive it out. I can move it both directions but can't get it out.

So those lock pins are wedge shaped. It has to go back through so that the threaded end goes back through the hole. Is the threaded end mushroomed a bit so that it is hanging up? If not, and you have a U shaped ball joint press, you might try using it to push it out. I had to drill mine out until they were paper thin. That was a scary job for me but I was succesful.

So I'm drilling and will get it and with a little luck won't destroy the part. I was looking on the net for new spindles and did not find anything. If I wanted to change the axel is a drop axel my only option beside scouring the net and junk yards for a replacement. Thanks for your help Grigg&truckernix

Hurray! I finally got it out, now to get out kingpin.

A good air chisel can help

Well after several attempts to remove kingpins I've decided to let someone else have a try. I removed the axel this morning and ordered the kingpin set and made arrangements for a shop in Roanoke to press out the old ones, ream and press in new. I must say it was or possibly will be hard to find someone to do this job. The shop said to bring axel and parts by they would see if they could do it. I guess the newer vehicles are a bit different, all of the places I called said they don't do kingpins on stuff that old. I told them what, should we melt down any vehicle thats more than ten years old. He?% I did the work by getting out the axel and bringing it to them and I have to put it back. Then there doing me the favor of charging $130.00 for ten min work. I guess I got in the wrong profession.Oh well!!

10 minutes work?
It'll take an hour or two total to press the king pins out, clean all the grease off everything, remove and replace bushings, and hone or ream the bushings to size. Then who reassembles it, I'd guess you can do that without any trouble.

Around here NAPA would do the whole job. However to save some money I'd only let them press the king pins out if stuck and then clean the parts. Then I would remove and replace bushings and take spindles and pins back to NAPA for honing to size.

Grigg

Thanks Grigg, Well maybe I under estimated what all it would take. He said it would also be extra $ if they have to use the press. Duh if I cant pound them out how else can he remove them. The only cleaning he would need to possibly do is the bores I've cleaned everything. Napa and Fisher here dont do it anymore but Napa is getting the new kit. I was surprised to find that alot of shops wont touch them. Anyway it will be worth it to me if he can do everything take out the old clean,ream, hone and install.

A local big truck shop had to press out the lock bolts, the king pins (30,000 pounds!) and straightened my tie rod for $96. I was happy.

Worth every dollar of that bill, Wally.

Thanks, Im sure I'll be happy also. I was frustrated because I could'nt get them out, Im partially disabled now and everything I do takes 10 times longer than most fellas and I'm finding I always need some help. So use to doing things myself and my way. Thanks again

Back in the day, I removed a lot of king pins on pickups and larger farm grain trucks. Some were easy, some were a #!#!#. If I had the room I'd use a drift pin that was slightly smaller than the king pin I was trying to remove. Usually an old drift pin that I had already removed from something else. Drill a hole in 2x4 to hold it, and then hit the drift pin with a sledge hammer. Of course it took another brave soul to hold that 2x4 and drift pin. Another difficulty is finding an alignment shop that will do the camber/caster on a straight axle.

I heard a story of someone trying to remove a stuck kingpin with the sledgehammer method... tried so hard they noticeably bent the axle, seriously affecting camber on that side.
the hydraulic press is the safer option if you can remove the whole axle.

If you can't remove the axle then a hydraulic kingpin press is an option.
http://www.ntxtools.com/network-tool-warehouse/OTC-4240.html
And the non hydraulic version
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...2&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

Grigg

whoa, those kingpin presses are costly. I just removed mine, and luckily they came out with the persuasion of a 2lb hammer. No axle wear, significant wear on kingpin at bushing, but bushings are firm in spindle.

DavidF, glad to hear you got yours out easy enough. I've got my axel back from shop and put back under the truck. While it was out I discovered that the front spring shackel bolts were froze up. So I removed, cleaned and put new zurks in reinstalled, now all is good except wheel bearings on right side. Ordered new ball bearing type just for that side,now waiting for them to arrive. I keep getting so close to having it safe and then I find something else wrong. Now the new master cydr. is leaking at plunger end and at main seal at rear.As you can tell this is my drug of choice! Ha! Got to love rusty trucks

Hang in there Duwop. With my last truck I decided to not stress myself by trying to rush or make unrealistic goals. And all the frustration will be worth it when you get it driving again, and have that feeling of satisfaction.

Thanks Frank50, yeah no rush I've got nothing but time. Really getting excited about getting on the road. I bought it from my neighbor a cross the road from me and the only driving I've done is in the pasture at my home. It was really hard to steer and if I got out of 2nd I was lucky. I'll keep y'all posted.