Kingpins?
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Fort Rucker, AL
Kingpins?
I put shocks on my truck today and what a difference that made in the ride. While I was doing this I was under it lubing. I got to the grease fittings that are right up against the tires, one on top and one on the bottom. I couldn't get any grease into the ones on the bottoms so I took the fitting out and it's fine but there's hard crap up in the well where the fitting screws into. Am I talking about the kingpin?
If I take the bolt out that the grease fitting screwed into, is that opening a can of worms or can I just scrape out the hard stuff that's in there?
If I take the bolt out that the grease fitting screwed into, is that opening a can of worms or can I just scrape out the hard stuff that's in there?
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: WEST TENN.
Yes, that is the kingpin, you can unscrew that cap, and clean it out. I did the same thing today, thought I needed kingpins, but it just needed grease. After I greased mine they were nice and tight, no play.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,893
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From: Ohio
The "caps" do come off. You will then see the bottom of the pin. You can try to clean it up and try re-greasing. If they still will not accept grease, it is because the pin and bushings are frozen and no room for grease. This is usually followed by wear/slop and replacement time.
If you want to help get grease into everything . Jack up wheel to take weight off spindle. Then try greasing and moving wheel back and forth to work grease around. If you jack up truck and can wiggle wheel, then it's time for new pins/bushings. If spindle moves up and down on pin(while jacked up), then thrust bearing is worn. It is smart to replace all parts then.
Sometimes you can warm spindle up with small propane torch and try getting grease into it. This sometimes opens up areas(as it gets warm) and lets grease move around. Let it cool, then keep pumping grease into it. There is a small seal on bottom side of axle(above bearing) so don't get carried away with torches. Care is the word.
Larry
If you want to help get grease into everything . Jack up wheel to take weight off spindle. Then try greasing and moving wheel back and forth to work grease around. If you jack up truck and can wiggle wheel, then it's time for new pins/bushings. If spindle moves up and down on pin(while jacked up), then thrust bearing is worn. It is smart to replace all parts then.
Sometimes you can warm spindle up with small propane torch and try getting grease into it. This sometimes opens up areas(as it gets warm) and lets grease move around. Let it cool, then keep pumping grease into it. There is a small seal on bottom side of axle(above bearing) so don't get carried away with torches. Care is the word.
Larry
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Fort Rucker, AL
Obviously I bought this truck used and have found some unthinkable things wrong. Any truck lover would never take the shortcuts that were taken with "Baby". The caps on the kingpins were jamed in and stripped. I took them off and one one wasn't stripped. I went to the "yard" today and got some but there's one that just won't accept the cap so I will be scavenging for the kingpin housing (?) this weekend.
Neither of them is loose but the bottom of one still will not accept grease so this weekend I'll take them both off and try to clean them. Is there anything special that I need to know at this point? I know the tire will have to come off as well as the brake line but I'm looking for surprises. Seems that so far nothing has been as easy as it should have been.
Neither of them is loose but the bottom of one still will not accept grease so this weekend I'll take them both off and try to clean them. Is there anything special that I need to know at this point? I know the tire will have to come off as well as the brake line but I'm looking for surprises. Seems that so far nothing has been as easy as it should have been.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
you can rent taps and dies, and clean up those threads. It usually works on steel and iron parts, take it easy on the torque. Those old kingpins are tough to wrestle. If you're going to need structural parts, you need coils too. Time for a system rebuild, sounds like fun. What wheels/tires are you running?
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Elder User
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From: Fort Rucker, AL
I guess the wheels are stock, 195s, beauty rings and hub caps. I think I'm just going to fix the threads on that one, then heat the kingpins to get them to take more grease. When I get some money I'll replace the whole shebang, spindles and kingpins.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Ohio
Unfortunately it sounds like maybe someone has replaced them before. I hate to say, but when I did my first set, with NO tools in the driveway I mangle the threads also. The caps BARELY went back on. They took grease as I was careful when I greased them. Older and wiser the next time I did them it was much easier. Proper tools help also.
Some heat the axle part and hammer on pin from top, some use air hammers. Some remove axle from truck and take it to machine shop to have pressed out. Either way will get the job done. Either way could be easier depending on your tool selection and how lucky you are with them coming out.
You have to remove brakes/backing plates to get pin out, basically a complete tear down.
Maybe one of those Thread restorer tools and some luck might get the threads cleaned up enough to thread new/better caps in.
Good Luck
Larry
Some heat the axle part and hammer on pin from top, some use air hammers. Some remove axle from truck and take it to machine shop to have pressed out. Either way will get the job done. Either way could be easier depending on your tool selection and how lucky you are with them coming out.
You have to remove brakes/backing plates to get pin out, basically a complete tear down.
Maybe one of those Thread restorer tools and some luck might get the threads cleaned up enough to thread new/better caps in.
Good Luck
Larry
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Fort Rucker, AL
Oh God. I think I'll leave well enough alone and just try to restore the threads on that one problem fitting. I'll do some heating and try to squeeze some crap out of them with some good grease. I'm the kind of guy that if I know something can be fixed, I want to fix it but that sounds like a big pain in the #*! for something that isn't an emergency.
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