Reasonable cost for kingpin replacement?
Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
Reasonable cost for kingpin replacement?
I know this has been touched upon before, but any ballpark figures for having a shop replace both kingpins? I was just quoted about $500 in labor from one shop, that seems too high. I'm over in San Jose, any recommendations are appreciated. I'm tempted to try the job myself for anything over $300 (will farm out the honing of the bushings).
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
The kingpin bushing are reamed, not honed. Respectfully, I don't understand how replacing the bushings will be farmed out when you're asking what a shop will charge to replace the bushings.
$500 is a bit high IMO but California labor rates range between $70 and $90 per hour. And shops generally refer to industry labor standards for the type of work being done. Did they assume an alignment would be required?
I delivered my (cleaned) spindles and $70 kingpin kit to a capable machine shop. They charged me $110 to ream the metal bushings and fit the kingpins. Then I brought them home and reassembled.
Call around to see who can ream them. Some have the reaming fixtures, many do not.
$500 is a bit high IMO but California labor rates range between $70 and $90 per hour. And shops generally refer to industry labor standards for the type of work being done. Did they assume an alignment would be required?
I delivered my (cleaned) spindles and $70 kingpin kit to a capable machine shop. They charged me $110 to ream the metal bushings and fit the kingpins. Then I brought them home and reassembled.
Call around to see who can ream them. Some have the reaming fixtures, many do not.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Don't know. A year ago this month, I was in the process of swapping over a '77 F100 disc brake front suspension into my '69 F100. I called around to alignment shops and garages but no one had the reamer to do the bushings.
I called an engine shop and asked if they had a reamer for .859" kingpins. The owner said he had several --fixed diameter and adjustable diameter. I asked what he would charge. He told me I could borrow them (he didn't even know me).
I had never done kingpins and bushings before but, it wasn't too difficult to figure out.
Piloted reamer passing through both bushings.
Kingpin, bushings, bearing, spindle installed on I-beam.
Suspension in the process of being installed under my truck.
I called an engine shop and asked if they had a reamer for .859" kingpins. The owner said he had several --fixed diameter and adjustable diameter. I asked what he would charge. He told me I could borrow them (he didn't even know me).
I had never done kingpins and bushings before but, it wasn't too difficult to figure out.
Piloted reamer passing through both bushings.
Kingpin, bushings, bearing, spindle installed on I-beam.
Suspension in the process of being installed under my truck.
Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
Thanks for the pricepoint. I should have been more specific- I am planning to remove the old kingpin and spindle myself. A little hesitant since people have horror stories about driving out the old pins. Then bring the spindle and new kingpin kit to a shop for installation and machine work. Then reinstall spindle myself. My machinist back in NC said to look for an engine building shop out here, as they will be qualified and have the equipment to ream the new bushings.
The shop I stopped by did not indicate that an alignment was included- they just quoted about 5 hrs labor at $100/hr. Also- I didnt think an alignment would be needed since this would just restore factory settings?
I'll also do the radius arm bushings while I'm taking suspension parts off.
The shop I stopped by did not indicate that an alignment was included- they just quoted about 5 hrs labor at $100/hr. Also- I didnt think an alignment would be needed since this would just restore factory settings?
I'll also do the radius arm bushings while I'm taking suspension parts off.
Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
Ultraranger- suspension parts look great! What coating was used on the spindles? The I beams look powder coated?
Also- impressive taking on that work yourself. How many shims did you need above the bearing when you assembled everything?
Also- impressive taking on that work yourself. How many shims did you need above the bearing when you assembled everything?
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Anytime you disturb the front suspension assembly, plan for an alignment afterwards. The alignment on my truck was under $60.00 dollars. Not worth the risk of grinding up the front tires, just to try and save a few bucks by not making sure the alignment is right. --a new pair of tires will likely be more than the cost of an alignment.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
From: Spencer Mountain, NC
I disassembled my front axles then cleaned and blasted the spindles. My machinist installed the bushings I provided and reamed them to size for $20. I then reassembled and installed the axles. Wasn't that difficult a job.
Trending Topics
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Thanks. The '77 F100 donor parts didn't start out looking good. They were oily, dirty and nasty. This was after a lot of pressure washing.
Some of the components after I had degreased, bead blasted, primed and painted them.
(2) coats of primer and (4) top coats of paint on the parts. Everything that's black was painted with with Dupli-Color Ford Semi Gloss Black DE1635. All the gray parts were painted with Dupli-Color Cast Coat Iron DE1651 (available from O'Reilly's).
I replaced all the consumable parts: suspension bushings, calipers, brake pads, flexible brake hoses, wheel bearings/seals, tie rods, draglink, etc.
I-beam and radius arm bushings are Energy Suspension polyurethane components. Steering linkages, kingpins/bushings and the CC808 progressive rate coil springs are all Moog items.
This is what I started with.
After I got everything swapped over/installed.
I only had to use one of the thin shims in the Moog Kingpin set and that was on the left spindle.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / Worst Features Of The 2025+ Ford Expedition
Brett Foote
10 Ways Ford is LOSING to the Competition
Joe Kucinski
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Any kind of work is going to cost these days, businesses have so much overhead and expense before a wrench ever gets turned. It's ridiculous. Then, it's California, to add an additional layer of WTF'ery.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
Thanks for the pricepoint. I should have been more specific- I am planning to remove the old kingpin and spindle myself. A little hesitant since people have horror stories about driving out the old pins. Then bring the spindle and new kingpin kit to a shop for installation and machine work. Then reinstall spindle myself. My machinist back in NC said to look for an engine building shop out here, as they will be qualified and have the equipment to ream the new bushings.
The shop I stopped by did not indicate that an alignment was included- they just quoted about 5 hrs labor at $100/hr. Also- I didnt think an alignment would be needed since this would just restore factory settings?
I'll also do the radius arm bushings while I'm taking suspension parts off.
The shop I stopped by did not indicate that an alignment was included- they just quoted about 5 hrs labor at $100/hr. Also- I didnt think an alignment would be needed since this would just restore factory settings?
I'll also do the radius arm bushings while I'm taking suspension parts off.
An alignment is typically not required if doing just kingpins so long as the tie rods are not turned. BUT, if replacing the radius arm bushings then an alignment should be done. I did mine using two pieces of aluminum, two tape measures, and painters' tape. 'Set it at 1/8-inch of toe-in and it was spot-on according to the tech who checked my work. PM me if you want a play-by-play.
Yes there have been horror stories but you won't know until you get there. I tapped out the pins using a brass drift. It's more helpful if previous owners periodically greased them. I used an engine (machine) shop to ream the bushings.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Fortunately for me, I bought a 20-ton press back in the early '90s ($250.00).
I removed the old kingpins and then the old bushings with this press and then used it to press the new bronze bushings into the spindles, using an 11/16" deep well 3/8" drive Snap-On socket with a 6"extention, to push the new bushings in with.
The bushings should be reamed just slightly smaller than the .859" diameter of the '75-'79 F100/F150 kingpin diameter. The new (reamed) bushings should have a slight interference fit when inserting the new kingpins. I was able to drive the new kingpins in with a plastic tipped hammer, when I reassembled the spindles onto the I-beams.
Coat the new bushings and kingpins with grease, prior to assembly then, grease them through the Zerk fitting after everything is assembled.
Check for freedom of movement of the spindle on the I-beam before you get everything completely reassembled. The spindle should pivot freely without binding up and shouldn't have any wobble in it.
I removed the old kingpins and then the old bushings with this press and then used it to press the new bronze bushings into the spindles, using an 11/16" deep well 3/8" drive Snap-On socket with a 6"extention, to push the new bushings in with.
The bushings should be reamed just slightly smaller than the .859" diameter of the '75-'79 F100/F150 kingpin diameter. The new (reamed) bushings should have a slight interference fit when inserting the new kingpins. I was able to drive the new kingpins in with a plastic tipped hammer, when I reassembled the spindles onto the I-beams.
Coat the new bushings and kingpins with grease, prior to assembly then, grease them through the Zerk fitting after everything is assembled.
Check for freedom of movement of the spindle on the I-beam before you get everything completely reassembled. The spindle should pivot freely without binding up and shouldn't have any wobble in it.
Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
Well thanks for the clarification. Between this and flyboy's write up, I'll tackle the job myself and then take it down the street to the big rig shop for an alignment. I'll collect the parts (kingpin set, poly bushings) over the next month and then start.
By the way, how did you know the tierod and center link assembly was shot?
Also- think the spray bomb paint will hold up?
By the way, how did you know the tierod and center link assembly was shot?
Also- think the spray bomb paint will hold up?
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Well thanks for the clarification. Between this and flyboy's write up, I'll tackle the job myself and then take it down the street to the big rig shop for an alignment. I'll collect the parts (kingpin set, poly bushings) over the next month and then start.
By the way, how did you know the tierod and center link assembly was shot?
Also- think the spray bomb paint will hold up?
By the way, how did you know the tierod and center link assembly was shot?
Also- think the spray bomb paint will hold up?
I painted my front suspension parts a year ago and they still look good.
I painted the rear end housing in my truck in May, 2011 (Dupli-Color DE1635 rattle can paint), while I was going through the brakes at the time.
This is what the rear end housing looked like in April of this year (3 years later) when I was installing a '79 Bronco rear sway bar. Other than a little bit of dust on the rear end housing, it still looks really good and the paint has held up really well.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jzjames
1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
7
Feb 22, 2016 10:45 PM
thesprocket26
1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
6
Feb 5, 2005 10:43 PM