17/18 Maxwell king pins

[Old buicks 2]

How do you remove the king pins on a 17 or 18 front axle????

[hddennis]

 

 

 

It's been a long time but if memory serves me correctly I removed the brass oiler, nut and washers and found something that screwed into the oiler hole and beat the snot out of it! I did it on two axles and one would not come out no matter how hard I beat it until I heated the heck out of the axle end. The king pin is tapered with the fat end being on the bottom and has no other locking feature other than this taper.

 

Howard Dennis

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by hddennis (see edit history)

[Old buicks 2]

hddennis,  exactly what I needed to know.    thank you a bunch!!!!!!!!!!!!!😊

[hddennis]

Glad to help, Have you found a source for new king pins? 

Howard Dennis

[Old buicks 2]

The axle that I am working on for a friend is in really good shape.   There isn't any play in the spindles but the real thing I wanted to do was press them out so I can clean out the oil passage ways.   He has been working on this project for over 40 years and I'm just trying to help move it along a bit faster.

[MaxwellFox]

I was looking forward to doing this job and making new kingpins out of some nice tough steel and Maxwell strikes again.  Tapered kingpins?  Eesh!  Could you use a puller on the top end to press them out the bottom?

[Old buicks 2]

We used a shop press with a special receiver on the bottom to support the spindle assembly when the king pin comes loose.   Didn't have to heat the axle where the taper is but we did turn the nut down down flush with the top of the king pin.   The press we used is a 75 ton, but they came right out with little pressure.   You may have to head the axle with a rosebud tip if they are a little stubborn.