guys

today when i went to go rotate my tires on my 69 f250 2wd (camper special) i noticed a LOT of slop in the right front tire; it has a lot of movementat the 6 and 12 o'clock positions(in and out). i think the kingpins are shot to hell. How hard is it to replace em myself? i never did a job like this before. Is it a regular "drive out the old, and punch in the new R&R job or is more involved? any help would be appreciated!

thanks
ben

 

Get the biggest hammer you can find, a torch and a lot of band-aids ready.

Seriously, pull your two front axles completely off the truck take them to a shop with a press. This will save you tons of misery.

 

Kingpin replacement is not for the weak. It doesnt have to be a killer job either.

First you have to make a couple of decisions.
1st- Are you planning on owning this truck a long time?
2nd- How much can you pay a machine shop (get quotes)

There are two kinds of kingpin kits. One has plastic bushings and the other has oem steel/copper bushings.

The plastic bushing kit is ok, but doesnt last a long long time (they're plastic). These are easier to install but most of the work will be getting the old ones out. This is where the press comes in handy.

The best way to go is the steel/copper bushings. After you get the old ones pressed out, the new get pressed in. Now the real work starts.
You can purchase a reamer (these can leave too much clearance for the pin) or have a machine shop that has a kingpin hone fit the pins in the spindles. A kingpin hone is a powered stone holder that is about 14 inches long. When the pins fit right, they will be straight and slide in without binding, they should not have any slop to them. Clearance between the pin and bushing is only .0015-.002 It would be best to leave the axles at the shop so they can check the fit,(GET A QUOTE).

Most shops (at least here in phoenix) charge $35-$55 per man hour. It takes two people to wrestle these without getting someone hurt.

Now it's time to reinstall, bleed the brakes and set the toe in. Any Questions? Are you tired yet? Its a lot of work, but worth the effort.

Good luck "HEFTY"

 

If you decide to replace your king pins yourself, a propane torch is the ticket. Support the frame well with a jack stand. Also, it's really important to place a jack stand under the I-beam inboard from the king pin. This takes the bounce out of the I-beam, and makes that big hammer more effective. I propped a torch up aiming at my spindles for a good 15 to 20 minutes after finding the pins wouldn't budge. I used an old king pin as a punch to get it started, then used a large bolt to finish driving it out. The rest depends on if you're plastic or metallic bushings.

 

Most of the king pins just slip right out with the push of a thumb, just remeber to purchase a new set of pins with the brass or metal bushing instead of the plastic ones.

 

"Most of the king pins just slip right out with the push of a
thumb"

Huh? What? What dimension you live in?

-j.banks-

 

Remove the I-Beams and have the old pins and bushings pushed out by a machine shop. You can reassemble the rest without special tools if you use the nylon bushings. If you insist on metal bushings have the shop install and ream to fit for you. Replace the rubber I-Beam and radius arm bushings while your in there. Assemble the I-Beam and spindle in a vice on the bench. Be sure the correct shims are installed to limit up and down play between the spindle and I-beam. I like nylon bushings!
William in Atlanta