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'37 Pontiac Bad King Pin Bushings


Guest bofusmosby

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Guest bofusmosby

Looking good wagary! Looks like the last 2 photos didn't come though. I see what you mean about working with limited space. I appreciate the photos, as I'm sure the others do as well. It looks like you've got a handle on this one, and hopefully, it'l go back together with no problems. I look forward to seeing and hearing about the instillation. I'm sure that the other side will be much easier that this one. You know, the experience.

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Guest wagary

Hello, I've been working on my 1963 F-100, with the worn out spindle bolts and bushings (kingpins). For more reasons than I care to write about here, I decided to try and do this entire job without removing the axle OR using any special tools or a machine-shop. So far, I haven't wrecked anything, got stuck or got hurt. Those are the three important things. As a bonus, I learned that this job can be done this way. I'm not done yet, but almost!

I received the kingpin bushing kit from rockauto auto parts Thursday and put them in the spindle arm I'm working on (the kit was short two bushings).More on that some other time.

1)To remove the old bushings I read the Ford manual and used a small punch and screwdriver.

2) I cleaned out the spindle bore with a cordless drill and flap-brush. I measured it to an average I.D. of .903". (If I remember correctly.)

3) I measured the O.D. of the bushings I already had and the new ones. Both sets were about .020"- .030" over the spindle bore size. That's a standard "press fit".

4) I deburred all edges (for ease of mind) and lightly tapped bushings into spindle to get started. I was going to try and squeeze them in with a large C-clamp, but that didn't work. I didn't think I had much of a chance, but I tried anyway.

5) I put the spindle in my medium sized vise (6"?) and protected the bushing from contact with the vise jaw (if you're a fan of beburring, you might skip this, but I don't recommend that).

6) I started cranking on the vise handle and then had to start hammering on it. I also used a home-made breaker bar to avoid wrecking my vise anymore than I already was- this job was about the max working load for that vise.

7) By now, I was feeling pretty smug! I started looking for a way to ream the bushings to accept the new spindle-bolts (kingpins). Ford used to make a tool and I actually found one on ebay for $69.99 plus. I found some adjustable reamers too for about $60.00 - $125.00., also I saw a brake caliper honing tool for about $30.00 at Fleet farm a while back. I don't know if that would have even fit into the I.D. of the newly fit bushing.

8) I measured the I.D. of the bushings several times and found them to be an average of .843".

9) I measured the O.D. of the new spindle-bolt and it was still .8585" by my micrometer.

10) I figured I had to remove about .015" for a "slip fit", so I started with a piece of rolled up 36 grit paper and started honing it by hand. That was taking too long for me (about .003 per hour and not very accurate and not exactly inline with the other end).

11)I rolled up another strip and pushed it into the bore of the bushing and made my flap brush fit in there to spin it. I got the 3/8 cordless chucked-up and started spinning that around and checking with the caliper. I figured I could have those bushing scrapped in about five minutes using 36 grit paper.

12) I was careful (NOT LUCKY) and kept checking with the caliper and then switched to 180 grit when I had about .005" left to remove.

13) I kept working at it (dry) and started checking with the pin now, to see when it would start to fit.

14) In about five minutes, I was done with the lower spindle bore, greased up the pin and bushing and slid it through to check the alignment. Not bad, only about .005 off. Still feeling smug, I went to work on the upper bushing and had it done in about twenty minutes.

15) Now the new spindle-bolt fit all the way through both bushings as it should- a "slip-fit" with about .001" - .005" (max.) clearance. Mine's probably a bit sloppy in the lower bushing, but I couldn't detect any freeplay. We'll see what happens

once it has the wheel and all that hanging on the end of it- maybe then I'll need some of that luck, but I think it'll be fine.

So, maybe the bushings will wear out quicker. It's not like it was, and I should still be able to align the wheels close enough. I think I have a 1/16" to screw around with there and that's enough tolerance to build a house. Plus the one tire is shot (almost) and the other one was looking tired (ha, ha) too, so new tires are in my future.

Here's some pics I hope-

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Guest wagary

So the pics didn't work- neither did the spindle- yet.

I tried it while the pics should have been loading and the bushings are too tight. I'll run the stuff through there again while this is posting and see what happens.

I guess it's better that they were too tight with the first try, rather than too loose.

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Guest wagary

O.K., I spent another twenty minutes with the contraption and I'm try it in the truck again. Here's how I squeezed the bushings in-

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Guest bofusmosby

Good job wagary!! Looks like things are coming along just fine. I agree, its better to have them too tight. They can brought down to the correct fit, but if they were too loose....well, more bushings would be needed. I must admit, seeing this gives me the idea of trying this myself...well, it did for a moment. :D

Glad to see the photos come out. Looking good!

Usually, its our own doubts that hold us back. Its amazing what a person can do if they really try. I'm sure that the other one will be a lot easier. I remember the first time I replaced he wheel cylinders. The first one was a pain, because I didn't have any confidence. However, the next 3 were a piece of cake.

Thank you for the great detail in which you described the work you are doing. Thats what is really great about this forum. It gives others the confidence to do things that would otherwise wouldn't be done by anyone but a garage.

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For those who do not have reamers and machine shop equipment there are plastic bushings available. In fact, for many years plastic bushings were original equipment on Ford trucks. When you bought new pins and bushings the plastic ones were the default choice, if you wanted bronze bushings you had to ask for them.

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