56 steering knuckle/king pin

[Wooly15]

I know, I should have started a "Front Suspension Rebuild" thread... ok, time to tackle the king pins. I've been researching on the forum and have come across others who have done this. Ive read where some have sent theirs out to be honed at a machine shop. Is this necessary? There is no excess play in mine, I was just wondering if I needed to do this. Also, which side do I drift the retention pin out from? The peened side or the side that's recessed?  I figured I'd ask before messing something up. This is my first suspension job so does anyone have any pro-tips for removing the Welch plugs?

[Aaron65]

I did my passenger kingpin a couple of years ago, and I just gave the spindle to my machine shop to hammer out the old kingpin and install the new one.  I figured they'd have the correct reamers to fit the bushings, and from what I remember, the labor bill was about the price of a set of reamers (or less), if I could even find them!  Money well spent, in my opinion, and I'm normally a guy who likes to do as much as he can by himself.  That would be my suggestion, but I'm sure others will offer theirs.  Good luck!

[Bhigdog]

Bushings need to be reamed or honed to a slip fit with the pin. Back in the day every car store did this. You're probably going to have to look for a place that still does this. Welch plugs: drive a punch into it and pry out. Taper pin I would say drive towards peened end. The caveat is there's no telling what someone did in the past to booger them up.

I totally agree with AAron65. If you can find a shop to do it drop them off and have a beer........................

[Wooly15]

Ok, it's reassembly time and I'm running into an issue. How

do you get the lower control arm up to the steering knuckle lower pin? I'm jacking the control arm up and it gets to a point where the rest of the car lifts also and I can't get them any closer. The closest I can get is about 4" away. I can't use my spring compressor because there's not enough room. 

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Wooly15 (see edit history)

[Beemon]

I want to say put some weight on the car and slip the pins in real quick but that's probably really stupid. Maybe a ratcheting strap?

[old-tank]

Place the jack further out, like about where the edge of plywood is. (it does have an engine?)

[Wooly15]

There is an engine. I tried pushing on the bumper but not enough movement. I don't want to knock it off of the jack stands.

[Bhigdog]

 The lower control arm is attached FIRST then the jack is placed under the spring perch and is raised to bring the upper arm into position. Methinks you're trying to do it the hard way....Bob

Edited March 15, 2017 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

Thinking back to a post Bernie made, do you have the spring in in the correct orientation?  And is it seated in the upper pocket ?

Edited March 15, 2017 by JohnD1956 (see edit history)

[Wooly15]

1 hour ago, Bhigdog said:

 The lower control arm is attached FIRST then the jack is placed under the spring perch and is raised to bring the upper arm into position. Methinks you're trying to do it the hard way....Bob

I should have thought of that....it was late...I bet that'll work with more weight over the part I'm trying to raise.

 

as far as the orientation, do you mean which end up? Whether or not it's correct I'm putting the end thats flat up because that's the way it was in there. Is that right? I'm also making sure it's all the way seated at the top.

[60FlatTop]

I would do the lower pin first. That's how I did it on the bare frame of my Riviera with no engine. THen you can get the jack right under the pin.

 

If you get a chance to look at a Rolls-Royce Sliver Cloud workshop manual there is a great picture of one with sandbags piled on the bonnet to facilitate spring replacement. I never think to scan it when I get the chance. With a Rolls it should have been SpeedDry. I'd buy four or five bags in your situation.

Bernie

Edited March 15, 2017 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

25 minutes ago, Wooly15 said:

I should have thought of that....it was late...I bet that'll work with more weight over the part I'm trying to raise.

 

 

Yup, that's the way it's supposed to be done. Easy Peasy. Get your jack as far outboard under the arm  as you safely can.

28 minutes ago, Wooly15 said:

as far as the orientation, do you mean which end up? Whether or not it's correct I'm putting the end thats flat up because that's the way it was in there. Is that right? I'm also making sure it's all the way seated at the top.

 

Assuming you mean the spring: You are correct the end that's ground flat goes to the top. The bottom spring seat is formed to fit the bottom spring coil. Rotate the spring to seat it . Be safe...............Bob

[Bob Engle]

I am not recommending the following story. It's just a tale of how we did things in the good old days.

 

In the 50's, my dad had an auto repair shop.  One of our specialties was a full setup of Bear equipment for frame straightening and front end alignment and repair.  The mechanic that I assisted when I was in my early teens used baling wire for holding springs compressed.  

 

Before removing the coil springs, we placed (usually 3) windings at 3 locations around the spring.  We just twisted the ends like a baler would do.  We then would remove the control arms for rebuilding and the spring was in normal loaded condition.  They were easy to reinstall and then we would cut the wire after the suspensions was completely assembled.  

We had a rig to keep new springs aligned and we would use an arbor press to compress the spring and wire it for assembly.

 

I think I helped install several thousand springs  using this method.

 

#10 gauge baling wire has a 75,000psi tensile rating. This is over 1,000 pounds load rating per strand.  3 wraps at 3 locations is 18 strands.  The trick is to  make good twisted ends so they don't slip.

 

Bob Engle

[Wooly15]

23 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

 The lower control arm is attached FIRST then the jack is placed under the spring perch and is raised to bring the upper arm into position. Methinks you're trying to do it the hard way....Bob

Worked like a charm. Had to man handle one side to get the bolts aligned, but it's all back together now. 

On to the passenger side. has anyone accomplished the upper arm wouthout having to lift the motor? 

[60FlatTop]

Done it on a ball joint car with the absolute minimum weight. Had to grunt pretty good.

 

Ooops! Read that wrong, though it said without a motor.

Edited March 16, 2017 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[Aaron65]

8 hours ago, Wooly15 said:

Worked like a charm. Had to man handle one side to get the bolts aligned, but it's all back together now. 

On to the passenger side. has anyone accomplished the upper arm wouthout having to lift the motor? 

The upper arm should be a breeze, since the spring is pushing on the lower arm and frame.  Support the lower arm on a jack (and stand) and remove the upper threaded "pin."  I'm assuming a '56 is similar to a '53 here (although a '53's upper arm is the lever shock), so maybe someone with '56 experience could back me up.  On my '53, there were pockets in the frame so you could remove the nuts holding the upper arm (shock) in.  I don't remember there being any reason to lift the engine.

[Wooly15]

Just an update: in order to pull out the rear bolt of the upper control arm, I had to unbolt the motor from the mount and lift it about 2".  The generator bracket was in the way.