Kingpin Replacement Tool (made it a 1-Day job)

[l1k2gadd]

For anyone thinking about having to replace kingpins in their F100 I dreadded the job I had to do recently. The night before I was ready to undertake this potentially hand-smashing, finger-crunching job I scanned the free classified ads in the Ocala4sale.com tools section. I knew there was such a thing as a $1,900.00 King Pin Press that I wasn't about to put money out for so I did a search of this section of Ocala4sale.com and searched for the word *press*. A person had a 6-ton shop press for sale that he had originally bought at Harbor Freight for around $125.00 (as he said) and he wasn't using it anymore. I contacted him by e-mail and shortly after his reply I was calling him. I don't normally like going to look at something after dark but I decided to check it out. Here I am at his place at around 10:00 p.m.
I took my chances when I got there and looked at it, gave him $80.00 for his $75.00 advertised tool because he said he didn't have change, I put it in my 1989 Mustang GT Convertible and I headed home.
What an investment!! I supported the frame of the truck on heavy-duty jack stands. I unbolted the lower coil spring retaining seat with a 1 & 1/8" wrench and bunches of PB Blaster. I was able to hold the coil spring up with my *inside type* coil spring compressor. I unbolted the steering ends from the spindles. I supported the I-beams with a floor jack one at a time and lowered them until I could maneuver the small shop press (about 3' tall) in under the inner fender. I set the shop press ram onto the kingpin. I lowered the ram onto the kingpin and applied pressure to the kingpin. I heated the end of I beam with a propane torch (Wal*Mart type) for a few moments (not too long). I tapped on the end of the I beam with my hammer, and BOOM the noise of the kingpin releasing could be heard through the entire truck. I used the shop press to push the kingpins out until they slid out with ease.
This is a tool you can use for more than this job so I would say it is a worthwhile investment, especially if you have a kingpin job coming up in the future.

[jor]

Post a photo of that thing if you get a chance, gadd.
jor

[l1k2gadd]

Ok, I went downstairs and took this picture in the dark. It came out pretty good for a nighttime picture. I didn't have time to move the press outside or cover up all of the junk that is stored downstairs all around it. There are also two black flat 5" x 2" x 1/2" (approx) blocks that came with it that aren't in the picture I took. DUH! I'm looking at the header on this page but I am not computer-saavy enough to know how to post the picture here. I have a .jpg picture if it though. What do I do with it to post it? DUH! I can send it to you if you'd like, or anyone else that asks.

[l1k2gadd]

Wow, I didn't see the "Add an Attachment" button last night. Maybe I was too tired. I'm going to give it a try.

[Banjo]

I am jealous. I had the front end off my old one to rebuild, and my brother had borrowed my daily driver truck and left me his brand new Honda while he moved. I actually went to Harbor Freight to buy that 6 ton on sale and backed out because I was scared of tearing the fabric in his brand new lease car, and I beat my kingpins out w/4 pound hammer, it was tough work. I wish i'd seen this post before I went through all that.

[l1k2gadd]

I've used Fordification's site to decode my two F100s' door tags and just signed up either yesterday or the day before. I figured since I was now signed up I might as well post this to the site.

Anyone else that is going to undertake this project with this press read carefully. I would believe the press is another "Made in China" Harbor Freight special (not sure). I don't think you can't just press the kingpins out without the heat and the light hammering. The ram did look like it was under a bit of pressure and flexing a bit while I was doing this job. The heat and the hammering I believe helped too!

Also, I never put something on a vehicle like this back together without Anti-Seize compound. I wire brushed the inside of the I-beams with a round flea-market type brass brush to clean the I-beam without scratching it up before installing the new kingpins too. If I ever have to replace the kingpins again due to the nylon-type bushings wearing out I want the parts to come back out easier the second time.

[fordman]

those nylon bushings do wear out pretty fast. its best to put the brass bushings back in them.

[l1k2gadd]

I took worn nylon bushings out of the spindles when I did the kinpin replacement this time. Bo-o-oy were they worn. I was told keeping them well greased is ver-r-r-ry important. Wire brushing rust and debris out of the places in the spindles that the bushings go into might also be important but I won't know until these wear out. Oh, I guess I will leave them for now. I might need something to do when I get done with all of the other projects. I may try my hand at the bronze ones at that time.

[averagef250]

The nylon ones last about 50 miles. The brass ones last 20 years when greased often.

I think you got a bit lucky with the 6 ton press. I've had 1/2 ton kingpins push my 40 ton press to it's limits with an oxy rosebud on them.

[l1k2gadd]

50 miles? I bet I have to replace them already then!!

The nylon bushings and replacement kingpins I put in a 1978 E-150 van years ago lasted me years, until I sold the van, and it was a daily driver.

I might have gotten lucky with my F100 kingpin job. The first day of beating on the passenger side kingpin to get it to budge was the pits! I also didn't feel like carrying the whole darn mess to a machine shop to pay them even more to get my truck back on the road.

I guess with Harbor Freight's 30 day return policy those that want to try to avoid smashing their hands up and potentially ruining the grease cap threads on their spindles might have the same luck I did with mine. They might want to check to see if this is still so before you buy one.

Patience while working on a project like this is also a must!

I can't remember how long it took me to do my E-150 van that long ago but I have had a backup vehicle since the 70s so if it was laid up for days during the repair it didn't worry me back then.

I really do regret all of the trouble that you had replacing your kingpins though. That must have been a real tough job.

[jor]

Thanks for the photo, gadd. I'm thinking about picking up one of the Harbor Freight presses too. BTW, it's not difficult to post your photos so they appear with your reply if you like. Just sign up for an account on one of the free photo sites (I use www.photobucket.com). Once you have an account, upload the photo you want to post. Once its uploaded, just copy (highlight/edit/copy) the "image" link, the one the arrow is pointing to and then paste (edit/paste) it right into your fordification post. The photo will be displayed like this one.
jor

[averagef250]

I used nylon once. The kingpins had noticeable slop after the first day of driving. For all the work that goes into a kingpin job I feel the nylon stuff is waste of energy.

[Tim P.]

dont the bronz ones need to be honed after there installed to fit the king pins in?

[FORDification]

Yes they do...but once done, and as long as they're properly lubricated, they'll last forever.

[MadMaxetc]

Atlas Spring and Axle here in Wichita will redothe king pins on the truck and give you an align ment for $$300. Well worth it in my opinion. I will never do them myself for that price!