Is there a way to tell if the King pins are good or bad with the I-Beams off the truck?

 

Mount the i-beam and spindle in a vise and check for play. More better if a wheel can be mounted and wobbled to and fro.

If any doubt, replace them with metal bushings reamed for fit.

 

Thanks HIO. I figured I probably can't since I have everything apart but just trying to move the spindle on the vertical axis it doesn't budge. I turns nicely but like I said, probably need more leverage / force then I can generate to really tell.

How much should it cost me to have new ones installed since I have both beams out? Just ball park if you can. Thanks, Todd.

 

I delivered my spindles and $70 kingpin kit from NPD to a local shop and they installed, reamed the metal bushings, and fitted the kingpins for $95 of shop labor.

They appreciate the courtesy of dealing with clean parts.

 

The worst part is getting the old pins out, usually. If you don't have the tools, it is better to have the shop press them apart and then install/hone the bushings in the spindle.

The new pin will slide into the axle with little fuss. The hard part is getting the crusty old pin out.

 

If the kingpins/spindles and wheels were still on the truck, you would grab the wheel at 12:00 o' clock and 6:00 o' clock and try and move the wheel inwards and outwards to check for wear/play in the pins/bushings. You would also grab the wheel at 9:00 o' clock and 3:00 o'clock and try to move it side to side.

Some old pins will drive out without too much fuss. Others are stubborn and need to be pressed out.

After I had pressed the old kingpins and bushings out and was pressing the new bronze bushings in with an insertion tool I had made.





New bushings pressed in.



I had borrowed an adjustable piloted reamer from a local engine shop to ream the new bushings.

 

You may want to change pivot bushings too, if so make sure you don't mess up the metal shells. You need them in there for the replacement.

 

If you're going to install polyurethane I-beam bushings, you need to leave the thin metal shell from the old rubber bushings in place. If you're going to install new rubber bushings, the new rubber bushings will come with the thin metal shell on them.

 

Now he tells me. Yeah I am going to see if the machine shop wants me to get the old rubber out or what.

 

You're talking about the bushings at the opposite end of the I-beam correct? I already took out the old rubber. I couldn't get the metal shells out. They wouldn't budge.

 

If you're going to replace the rubber bushing with another rubber bushing (a new rubber bushing comes with the thin metal shell installed on it), you can take a hacksaw, slit the old shell, crush the shell inwards and then push it out of the eye in the I-beam. Just don't get crazy with the hacksaw and gouge into the I-beam casting with the saw blade.

 

If the shell in yours is good, leave it in and get the poly ones instead. I bought new ones with the shell and am now having to remove the rubber off new ones so they can be reinstalled the shells for the poly bushings. PITA. I put lighter fluid several times on the rubber today the rubber just fried on the ends after I also drilled into the rubber.

 

Yeah, I drilled the rubber out and then used a razor knife to clean them up. I'm going to get the poly bushings.

 

I have Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings on the '77 F100 disc brake I-beams and radius arms on my truck. The bushings will come with some silicone grease to coat the bushings with. The bushings need to be coated anywhere that they will come in contact with metal, to keep them from squeaking.

If the small packet of grease that comes with the bushings isn't enough to coat them or, you need to reapply grease to them in the future, don't put petroleum based grease on the bushings.

You can use silicone caliper slide grease to coat the bushings. This is what I use. (Versa - Chem Synthetic Caliper Grease p/n 26080.) You can get it at O'Reilly's.

 

I called ES directly. they said to use Marine grease the one thats blue. As per their direction.