1961 - 1966 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Slick Sixties Ford Truck

Kingpins - Metal or Nylon bushings??

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Old 04-25-2015, 08:21 PM
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Exclamation Kingpins - Metal or Nylon bushings??

Hey guys, I have to replace my front Kingpins on my Suspension, and I was wondering, should I get a Kingpin set with Nylon bushings or Metal ones? I found LMC sell sets with either one and Mac's Antique Auto Parts sell a set with only the Nylon bushings.. Any advice guys?
 
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Old 04-25-2015, 09:05 PM
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When I did mine a few years ago I talked to my front end alignment shop first (he's an old timer and expert on this sort of thing) and he said he would absolutely NOT have anything to do with aligning my truck and guaranteeing it if I were to use nylon bushings. So I bought metal. And he was happy. Check with your alignment expert and see what he says.
 
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Old 04-25-2015, 09:36 PM
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good idea, there is also two different sizes for some other replacement kingpin sets I've seen .8592 X 6.353 and .8692 X 6.353 I'm guessing the larger one is an oversized part, any way to tell which one I need?
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:38 AM
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The larger is for worn I beam hole.
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 11:12 AM
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Bronze bushings, precisely reamed for proper installation will last the life of the truck, if properly lubricated.
I put new king pins on with bronze bushings in the early '80s. When I upgraded to disc brakes about 2010, the bushings were tight and clean. Changing the king pins for the disc brakes took just a few minutes because they just slipped right out.

Nylon ones quickly wear and put the tires out of alignment.

I consider the slightly greater expense of the bronze installation to be worth more than easy installation of the nylon ones.
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 03:04 PM
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Bronze definitely.
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 03:24 PM
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Ok, I'm gonna get a set with metal bushings, thanks for all the help guys!
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 05:18 PM
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Be aware that 1965 F100/250 2WD kingpins are 1965 ONLY!
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 05:38 PM
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Yeah, I was reading that, I'll double check to make sure I have the right set. Do you know the dimension differences between the two?
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 05:49 PM
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The slot for the locking pin is different '65 for both F-100 and F-250 I-beams and king pins.
Changed in '66 and stayed the same up to '79.
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 05:51 PM
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Oh ok, so I could tell if I got the wrong part by comparing the two, I was planning on ordering them off of O'Reilly's Auto, MOOG is the brand.
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by banjopicker66
The slot for the locking pin is different '65 for both F-100 and F-250 I-beams and king pins.
Changed in '66 and stayed the same up to '79.
... ...
 
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Old 04-26-2015, 05:54 PM
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I just checked, they have 2 different part numbers for '65 and '66, so I know they will be the right ones. Thanks again for all the help guys, I love this old truck hehe.
 
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Old 11-24-2017, 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by banjopicker66
Bronze bushings, precisely reamed for proper installation will last the life of the truck, if properly lubricated.
I put new king pins on with bronze bushings in the early '80s. When I upgraded to disc brakes about 2010, the bushings were tight and clean. Changing the king pins for the disc brakes took just a few minutes because they just slipped right out.

Nylon ones quickly wear and put the tires out of alignment.

I consider the slightly greater expense of the bronze installation to be worth more than easy installation of the nylon ones.
Noticed some play on kingpins while stripping drum brake setup off of my 66 F100. Purchased NAPA replacement kingpin kit with metal bushings. Promptly split open one bushing while trying to press into spindle. While considering that, I found that the kingpin is a larger OD than the bushing ID. I'm guessing the metal bushing replacement into the spindles is a job for a machinist?
 
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Old 11-24-2017, 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted by kv66f100
Noticed some play on kingpins while stripping drum brake setup off of my 66 F100. Purchased NAPA replacement kingpin kit with metal bushings. Promptly split open one bushing while trying to press into spindle. While considering that, I found that the kingpin is a larger OD than the bushing ID. I'm guessing the metal bushing replacement into the spindles is a job for a machinist?
Not sure about these newer trucks as I haven't had to do it on my 65, but my 51 had to be done by a machine shop. They need to be reamed to eliminate all slop.

You can do it yourself if you have the reamer and the skills. I had neither, so to the shop they went.
 


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