spindle and king pins

[Jimmie]

I pressed mine in with a large c-clamp

[shootrig]

The vise and c-clamb are both good ideas; I have a vise I might have been able get enough butt into it; I am certain I don't have a c-clamp that big. I called the company I bought the kit from, I am sure most if not everyone on here has bought stuff from them. The tech told me today, that because what they sell are aftermarket parts, I should have sanded or filed the OD of the bronze bushings before I tried to install them. I don't know, that just don't seem right to me. I have a feeling I am going to start doing what I do for my wife's Avalanche and my F150 - go to the dealer for parts.

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Installing the bushings isn't typically a problem. The fact that they compress so tightly once installed that the kingpins won't slide through them is the issue. Once they're reamed out, they're fine. But then again, I don't use or sell aftermarket bushings so I can't speak for them.

[shootrig]

Originally Posted by Gearhead1956

When I replace bushing like that, I put the new bushing in the freezer and heat the eye of whatever the bushing is going into.
old school but it works well.

Ya, I always forget about this way. Seen it done, works, but I seem to forget it.

[shootrig]

Shop report:

I am borrowing a 3/4" drill bit and a 1/2" drill from a buddy at work; so I wanted everything to be ready when I brought his tools home so I can use and return them in a timely manner. I pulled the spindles off and removed the king-pins, what a chore. On the right side spindle I put the king-pin bracket in the vice, drove a 1" PVC pipe on the tie-rod extension and used the PVC and the other extension as a lever to twist and pull, it sucked but I got it.

On the left side, since I did not have the extension for the tie-rod, I viced up the spindle lever, put a bolt through the king-pin and took a long pry bar and twisted as I pushed the king-pin out; again a lot of work, but I got it out.

Now the spindle tube for where the king-pins go are full of new grease, I needed that out so it wouldn't hold the shavings when I drill them out. I used a 12 gauge brass brush from my gun cleaning kit, wrapped a rag around it, soaked it with brake clean, and scrubbed them out a half dozen times each. Both are nice clean and dry, ready to drill out, wash and reassemble tomorrow evening.

Oh and yes TahoeDawg is correct; I measured the king-pins and .750 (3/4") is spot on!

[shootrig]

Shop Report

Instead of drilling the bushings out, one of the guys at work suggested I use a brake cylinder hone, that that will keep things more trued up. Good idea, and its working; I just have to take a small wire brush and clean out the filings from the soft bronze every so often, but its working.

[shootrig]

Shop Report

One side is complete and feels good, the other side, the top one is done but the bottom one still has some honing to be done, I had to order a replacement set of hone stones. The king pin must not be true as I insert it from the bottom up about the time the threads begin to poke through, it seizes up, if I insert it from the top down, same thing. I assume the king pin is just a touch larger toward the bottom. I will need to hone just the lower one more.

[DannyAbear]

Originally Posted by shootrig

Shop Report

Instead of drilling the bushings out, one of the guys at work suggested I use a brake cylinder hone, that that will keep things more trued up. Good idea, and its working; I just have to take a small wire brush and clean out the filings from the soft bronze every so often, but its working.

A hone will follow the path of least resistance and not necessarly align 2 bushings up.

[Jimmie]

That is why I used a drill long enough to go through both bushings