Guys, I've got my front end nearly in pieces and can't get the king pins out. I've got the lock nuts out and the caps from the top and bottom off. My shop manual tells me to remove the pins out from the top of the steering knuckle. I can't get enough force (large sledge - little clearance) from the bottom side to knock'em loose and out the through the top. Is it possible to pound them out through the top side so they exit the bottom or will this actually press them in tighter?
'79 F-100 2WD

 

It will pound them in tighter as the pin where the nut goes on is tapered, altho it wont really "get tighter" it may help to break them loose, rap on the top a few times then try to hamer them back the other way, then there is the hot wrench method which makes it real easy, good luck, even a propane torch would help you if you have anything, and its a ball joint not king pin, good luck hope ya get it there real stinkers

 

These are king pins otto, theres no ball joint on a 2wd. the king pin isn't tapered either, you can drive them out the bottom. you said you took the locknuts off so I'm assuming you drove the drawpins ( the things the locknuts screw onto ) out. the bad thing about king pins on light duty trucks is that the pins atren't very thick, so after 20 some years there so distorted that it can be really hard to get them out. If you can its alot eisier to take the whole I-beam out, then have the pins pressed out at a shop. its usually alot quicker too, and you stand less of a chance damaging the knuckle or the I-beam.


John,
GM writes my paycheck but all I drive is FORDS

 

There are no ball joints on a 2 wd model ?

 

no, theres no ball joints. not untill about 1980

 

Yea 1980 and up use bal joints on 2wd models i never worked on anything older than that in 2wd form thanks for the enlightenment

 

After reading Otto's first reply I was confused. How can there be a ball joint in a hinged spindle? Anyways, I'm glad you guys figured out that yes, the things I've been pounding on are pins not ball joints. After some time, I've had SOME success. The driver's side pin drove out easiy. This is when I realized that the pin does not taper as earlier mentioned. The passenger's side pin does not want to budge. I've pounded on either end without any luck driving the pin either way - it must be bent. SO, I figure I have one of three options :
1) Use a large C-clamp to try to manually press the sucker out - I don't think this will work considering all the force the pin withstood today.
2) Try heating the spindle up with a torch to give a little more clearance and pound some more.
3) As earlier mentioned, pull the I-beam and take it to a shop. I'd rather not have to mess with the coil springs and shop costs/ retorquing.
SO, what do you guys think of the torch idea? It seems like the easiest and most cost effective way to go. But then again, I can go without the truck for about a week. I'm sure the "old red" could use new coil springs after 20+ years. Hmmm....

 

now that you have the one side out use that king pin to pound on with you hammer after you get the spindle red hot. The advantage to this is that the king ping is the same hardness of the one your taking out, if your using a brass drift thats just to soft and dosent work as well.

 

i would definatley do the torch method, and a bfh

 

Been there and done it. If a king pin don't tap right out, you'll probably wind up taking it to a shop to be pressed out.

1. An acetylene torch will help. Propane's the same as spittin' on it--makes you feel better for a while, but it won't help move the pin.

2. Forget the c-clamp.

3. DON'T hit a king pin with a hammer. It's a case hardened steel, pieces of which can shatter and go flying in you eyes, etc.

4. Tell me, did the driver's side pin have nylon bushings or metal? Nylon says its been replaced before, metal's probably original--hard to knock out.

5. Search the archives. Somebody described a procedure one time where he put a jack stand under the king pin and lowered the truck. That let the weight of the truck press the pin out the top.

Dan Blackwell

 

The pin that came out has the orginal brass bushings in the spindle arm. I tried using my hydraulic jack to press up on the pin while it's on stands. It just started lifting the truck and tweaking the I-beam + I was nervous about the pin giving quickly and the truck falling hard. So, one last ditch effort before I decide to take the I-beam off and take it to a shop on Tues. I'm going out to buy a torch to try the heating route. Question : I should try heating the spindle itself, not the pin (hard to get at anyways) because I want the spindle to expand- not the pin, right? Any suggestions on how to get the bushings out? If I do end up pulling the I-beam, do I need to worry about securing the spring in the restrained condition?
You guys have been a great help thus far, I'll let you know how it goes :|

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 27-May-01 AT 03:08 PM (EST)[/font][p]I never could figure out why saftey glasses were such a big deal anyway

Heat the spindle, and bang out the king pin, If you remove the I beam it should be OK to let the pressure off your spring for a couple days, also as long as your taking out the I beam why not take the other one out as well and replace the bushings. Save you some trouble in the long run

 

ive done about a hundred of these take a floor jack up under the axle put a little tension on it remove the lower shock mount let jack down some this will give you more room to swing that bfh get a brass or bronze drift and a torch with a rose bud on it this tip is made strictly for heating that king pin is stuck in the area around the axle you need to heet just this area get it red and start hammering on the drift you will need to keep this area hot until you get it out also you do not need to remove the axle to replace the busings since they are located in the spindle if you get the plastic bushings you will not need to take them to a machine shop if you get brass bushings you will need to take the spindles to a machine shop remember LOTS OF HEAT hope this helps

 

As usual, a seemingly simple job has ended up being more difficult than anticipated for some extraneous reason. I tried the torch (MAP), it didn't get me anywere except high from the grease burning off the spindle and I-beam . I tried pounding some more with it hot and tried the floor jack idea to no avail. Rather than anger my neighbors anymore, I decided to put the BFH away and pull the I-beams. I probably have to wait until Tuesday before I can get the stuck pin pressed out (shop). I figure it's a good time to replace the coil springs anyways and the I-beam pivot bushings that I knew nothing about until removing them. My shop manual has nothing in it about these bushings - has anyone replaced these and are they something that will require "shop" help as well? Any good ideas on how to get the bronze bushings out? I'm replacing them with the nylon jobs. Well, so far so good - no broken bolts and only three bloody knuckles .

 

to get the bushing out you can drive them out with a bushing driver or use a chisel to cut a slit down the side of the bushing. after making the slit the bushing should more or less fall out.