Has any one used
needle bearing king pin kits on 48 f-1 early front axle
they say you don't need machining
but they do cost 200.00
this is my winter job on the truck
it's time to do it
thanks Joe

 

I was wondering about those for my 54. I dont know if i can find a mech shop close by or one that will do it. If you put them in report back. Thanks

 

People I know who've put them in rave about them, but my truck is very smooth and tight with the stock (refurbished) bushings. On some cars (not trucks that I know of) the needle bearing type reduce friction enough that there were some issues with alignment and tires; namely a high-speed shudder or wander. On a 50 yr old truck, just repairing the kingpins may just uncover other problems, so I don't know how much to read into those reports.

Personally I like the bushings because they are very stout. Needle bearings were around in Henry's time and he chose not to use them, and I wouldn't think just because of the cost. Bushings are more suited to impact loads than needles. They last at least 100,000 miles of hard use. Depends on your usage I guess. If you were going to PS you might want them.

 

I bought a hand reamer and did my own fitting - cost around $50 (plus bushings) and was not a hard job. It was a fun afternoon project.

After I was done I found a couple of shops who had the machine for doing the fitting. You just unbolt the front axle and take it to them - they press out the old pins and fit the new ones. Both told me they would have done it for $20 or $30 labor and the cost of the new pins.

Even today the new big trucks have brass bushings and steel pins - no rollers. Likely they would be ok if you didn't haul much weight or drive on rough roads, but I would be more comfortable with the old style bushings.

 

Hey WillyB, where can I get the reamer?

 

Just sent you a PM.

 

send me a pm too please

 

Done.

Clint

 

Have a friend with a 34 Roadster, puts between 10 - 20 K per year. Several yrs back he switched to the Royal King Pins, once he went back thru the front end replaceing tie rods, bushings etc, he sai it drives as good as his new car.
I intend to put them in my 48 Panel as it will be a Daily Driver.

 

I really wanted to go with the roller kit, but could not find them for the '53-56 F100's. I believe they are made by SSBC (Stainless Steel Brake Corporation), and I called them about it. They do not make a kit for these years. Sort of a strange hole in their applications, but I'm assuming if they were really wonderful, there would be demand enough to make them...My "oldskool" bushings are in the mail as we speak.

 

It isn't a matter of demand, I'm sure, as 53-56 outnumber most other years except maybe 48-50. It must not be practical to adapt the 53-56 kingpin setup to rollers. Either that or all the 53-56 guys are putting Chrysler and GM clips on their trucks and don't need them!

 

Hmmm, from an engineering point of view I could see the friction reduction for a while but if the vehicle was driven any distance on straight roads I would think that needle bearings would fail from fretting corrosion just like a U-joint if it does not get enough operating angle. The continual vibration with the pin in one place would displace the lube film.

-Just my 2¢

 

You're probably right about everybody going with Mustang II, Volare, etc. It's sad that everybody is dumping that technological masterpiece -- that is, a solid chunk of scrap iron with a couple of leaf springs bolted on top of it. Theirs probably don't even "ride like a truck"....to each his own.

 

I am keeping my stock axle, and going to stick with brass bushings and steel pins. They seem to have lasted a good long time.

 

In general, needle bearings need to ride on hardened surfaces. If you can ream the axles, that would imply that the surface is NOT hardened, so you might expect early failure of the needle bearings. Do you know if the kit includes a hardened insert for the axle?