Hi guys, I got a question for ya, I have a 67 with 255/75/r15 tires, the truck wanders pretty good going down the road, could this be a kingpin problem?? I'm getting tired of working so hard to keep the old girl pointed in a straight line... Thanks.......

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 08-Jun-02 AT 10:35 AM (EST)]If you haven't yet replaced the kingpins, they probably need to be done. More importantly, check your tie rod ends. They will have more slop in them than your kingpins. Other parts to check are your axle pivot bushings- we are still talking about the front end. That is what the two egg-shaped bushings are called that hold the I-beams to the frame of the truck. Your radius arm bushings should also be checked.

When all that has been tightened up, then you can check your gearbox and rag joint.

Sounds like alot but it really is a piece of cake. If I remember correctly, most all the front end parts are still available through local parts houses.

Joe

 

If it is worn king pins, you can determine this easily enough by jacking up your front end. Then grab your tire at the top and bottom and wiggle it. Assuming your wheel bearings are tight, if it wiggles, your king pins are worn. After I replaced my king pins, my trucks still wandered. I found my I-beam end bushings and my radius arm bushings were also worn. I used polyurethane replacements, and after a front end alignment, no more wandering. As an added bonus, my truck sways much less when going around sharp curves, and is much easier to control. Drives like a new truck.

 

Thanks for the info guys!! Are all these parts easy to replace myself, besides the kingpins.....I read the post about them..LOL
I understand how to tell if rubber bushings are bad, but just how do I tell about the tie rod ends?

 

You can watch them when wiggling your wheels left and right. Better still, you can squeeze them with channel locks and if there is any movement, they are worn. Be sure to remove the grease zert when doing this. Place one jaw of the channel locks on the stud and the other jaw at the opposite end and try to squeeze, if they don't squeeze, put a pry bar in there and try to pull apart (not literally). Again, if there is any movement, they should be replaced.

Joe

 

tie rods are easy to check. Get someone to slowly turn the steering wheel back and forth. You watch the tie rods for slop, where the linkage is being moved, but the wheels do not move. You can also tell by grabing them and rocking back and forth. They should move, but should be tight. When worn out, they will rock back and forth very easily.

 

A quick and easy one too is to check your wheel rims...In the years before I had the truck people changed the wheels but put the lugs on wrong so the rims had too much play in them.... I had to get new rims.... :-)