how easy is it to replace kingpins? and how do u do it?

 

Some people get lucky and they knock out pretty easily, mine never did. A big hammers and a lot of heat...I would drop the I-beams and let the machine shop do them for the $50-$75 fee. Good time to replace the axle pivot bushings anyway!

Good luck if you decide to do them yourself, It's a project you can do at home but you never know if it will take 4 hours or all weekend.

 

Do a search in this forum...several threads in reference to kin pins. I did mine with no trouble...but it is an Arizona truck so there was no rust. All the hardware on my frame is super clean. They had been replaced before too, with the nylon bushings. The hardest part was removing the brake drums. Once the brakes were taken apart the rest was a snap....but I do realize i got lucky

 

It can be easy or tough. Wish I could tell you what your situation will be.
You'll need to pull the wheels, hubs and backing plate, or caliper support as the
case might be. I tie the plate or support out of the way with wire or something,
Then clean up the axle end with a putty knife and wire brush that you can see what
is there. Thru the center of the king pin is a locking pin, it has a nut that must be
removed that you can drive it out of the axle. Don't mash it over or bend it as that makes it harder to remove. Once that is out your ready to drive out the pin. On the
newer Fords rubber O rings are used to seal the end of the pin the older had Welsch
plugs that had to be puncture with a small punch and popped out. You drive the pin
out from the top, the one with the O ring can be hit with a sledge on the top to start
it. Again don't mushroom it over. Two more things on removal A jack stand under the axle end so your energy is effective, and safety glasses. This stuff is hardened steel and a bad hit and pieces can fly. If it seems to be real stubborn hit the side of the
axle eye to help loosen it. Once it's out clean up the bore and try the new pin. If it falls thru it needs to be bore for an oversize pin or sleeved.
Now you have the spindle in your hand, replace the bushings get them honed at a machine shop and put it back together. There is a reamer that will do the bushings,
at one time they were cheap,not today, for one job not worth it.
Good luck! Sorry this is so long.

 

Don't forget heat! After you have pulled the brakes off, clean all the old grease and muck away from the kingpin/axle area....after removing the top/bottom caps and exposing the pin itself, apply heat. One of the other members mentioned propping the torch up with "stuff" and going somewhere to eat lunch while things heated up....I don't suggest that but the torch/heat certainly helps get stubborn parts to move. I had to lightly heat my brake drums to get them off...the were stuck around the studs. That was the hardest part of my experience.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...light=kingpin+

see if this link helps...another thread on this topic

 

I'm old school. The manufacturer heat treated the eye of the axle to be the hardness/
toughness for the job. Heating it and the cooling changes it, in my shop heat was the last resort.

 

When I did mine on my '67 it took A LOT of heat and a very good buddy to hold the pin on the kingpin while I whacked away with a sledgehammer. It's not very difficult but it is a lot of hardwork!

 

The kingpins at the junkyark came out with no effort on a 76 1/2 ton for the disc conversion. My truck on the other hand, took 3 days and I had to cut the spindles off the axle to start the kingpin moving! I'm glad it's done. And spend the extra $ using the brass bushings because you will never want to come back to this area again! Just my personal experience. Good luck!