King Pin Needs Replacing?

I posted this in my build thread but no one has answered me, hoping someone will see this and help me out.

Doing my disc swap and thought I would replace King Pins if they NEED it. There is a bit of slop. I took the nut off the locking pin that runs through the axle but that pin is NOT going to come out.

I took a short video of it, is this excessive?

Matt, I watched the video and i would replace them, there cheap(under $50) but the trouble is that some just slide out and some are a real bitch. Do you have a harbor freight close to you? If so go buy a ball joint removal tool( look like a big c clamp with acme threads. This will help remove the king pins if they are frozen. Hopefully donivan will chime in with a picture of the ball joint tool. Actually cheap with your local autozone they will let you borrow the tool for free and they also sell the king pins. Bob

It isnt the king pin that is frozen that I can tell, it is that pin that runs side to side with the nut on it that holds the king pin from sliding up and down. I would think the KP has a slot or bevel in it for this pin to slide through to hold it in place?

Hi I'm new here but I have a 68 nodoor and I just did mine I had to put lots of heat all mine up with oxy/act till I was getting a little concerned with the axel getting soft before the ball joint press started turning em out if u have acsess to a torch I would use it

You can try soaking them down with pb blaster witch is the best for any thing rusted for a day or so or I hate to say it you will have to heat them up with a torch like we use to do it up north and drive them out with a punch or press????? just let them cool down on there own I would not pour water on them when there hot you may weaken the metal any way good luck. JOE VAN.....STOW A WAY......

Thanks guys! I think I will take the axle off so that it is easier to work on it. Not sure how I will hold the van up through all that though. Maybe some Jack stands.

Dan,

I see that Oreily carries that same set for $72 also. Think I would rather do that than order it off of eBay but thank you! That gave me the part number I needed!

Those wedge locks have been in there for almost 50 years.

like Donivan65 said. Get a 3 lb hammer or small sledge and pound them out. You get new ones with the kit.
And if those wedge pins are that frozen in: like Dbennett said, you are going to need copiouse amounts of oxy/acetalene heat and will probobly need to bring that end of the axles up to a cheery glow to get the king pins out. This dosn't change the metalurgy of the axle unless you cool it too fast with oil or water. let it air cool or slow the cooling using torch heat to aneal it.

This job is not dainty, it takes large hammers, much force and often heat.

The original pins had bronse bushings, the aftermarket stuff used to be in bronze but then only nylon bushings in later years.

Nylon dosn't seem to last as long but thats because thier feature is that they don't need constant greasing. The bronze lasts way longer but you have to grease them at least twice a year or they wont last.

Sometimes when your king pins feel like they are seized up. And you do have bronze bushings, you take a little heat to the bushing area and pump grease into them while they are hot.Of coures it will smoke and burn grease but if will loosen up and you keep pumping the grease till it cool down.

I buy the king pin set and then have bronze bushing made and pressed in at a machine shop.

M1D

mbasaraba wrote:Thanks guys! I think I will take the axle off so that it is easier to work on it. Not sure how I will hold the van up through all that though. Maybe some Jack stands.

Dan,

I see that Oreily carries that same set for $72 also. Think I would rather do that than order it off of eBay but thank you! That gave me the part number I needed!

Have a O'Reilly's right down the street. In there once or twice a week and never thought about checking to see if they had them....

So, thank you for enlightening me!

Dan

That set on eBay looks like the brass bushings. I'd verify first. They seem alot harder to get than the Delrin/Nylon/Plastic bushings. Frankly, I've had good luck with the Delrin and White Lithium Grease (doesn't dissolve the polymers over time) yet alot of folks prefer the brass. Good luck and a 3 pound sledge fine tunes most everything ;-)

got the drivers side replaced. Working on the passengers right now. Having huge issues with the springs though.

Both sides done with kingpins at least. I cant get the steel bushing p\out of the front eye of the leaf spring to put the new bushings in so now I am stuck again...

I got everything swapped. Now to get the right bushing for the passenger side. Working on making a steel bushing that will reduce the 1.600" opening in the spring to match the drivers side at 1.125.

hey guys ... im thinking i might need to replace my king pins but i dont know exactly how to check them to see if they are in need of replacement ... its a 69 G10 with a 230cid 3 on the tree ... thanks .... Paul

Check the video I posted. If you can wiggle it, it needs replacing I guess...