Kingpin Removal and replacement

[67D100Pickup]

Greetings. I found that my front wheels wobble significantly. It looks like I need new kingpins?

Can someone tell me how to go about removing and replacing them?

Also, what is the thing called the kingpins go in? Do you call that an axle?

EDIT: And please advise if it is practical to swap out my front end with a newer one with disc brakes, etc?

Jeff

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Its a complex procedure. Highly advise to get the FSM. Kingpins go thru 3 openings to attach the spindle to the axle.

[67D100Pickup]

Thanks for the heads up. I have the Chilton manual. Is that what you're referring to? I couldn't find any others.

Jeff

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Factory Service Manual.
Its the specific manual from Dodge for each year. Chiltons is generic and useless IMO.
bishkoautobooks, or something like that.

[martincom]

http://www.autobooksbishko.com/repair-manual.html

or

https://www.faxonautoliterature.com/

[67D100Pickup]

Factory Service Manual.
Its the specific manual from Dodge for each year. Chiltons is generic and useless IMO.
bishkoautobooks, or something like that.

Yeah, the Chilton didn't have adequate detail.

The bishko site was broken. Didn't allow payment.

[67D100Pickup]

http://www.autobooksbishko.com/repair-manual.html

or

https://www.faxonautoliterature.com/

The faxon site had it.

Thanks again.

Jeff

[67D100Pickup]

I got the king pins out and inspected them. They are like new. A micrometer confirms there is no wear on them, but yet they're loose in the knuckles.

I'm told I can get some oversized bushings, pound them in to the knuckles, then machine them out to the correct inside diameter. Is that right? And is that the best course of action?

EDIT: The king pins also wiggle in the axle. I'm told you can get oversized king pins and ream the axle to fit.

But same question, is that the best course of action?

Am I better off to get a new axle and knuckles? Does anyone sell that stuff?

Jeff

[martincom]

I've never had to do king pins in a Dodge, but have done them in Ford E370 stripped chassis that were under the step van bodies we utilized in my business. Reviewing the Dodge service manual, they are near identical procedures.

The king pin will not fit snugly in the axle. Any slop that is there now will be taken up when the locking bolt is installed in the axle, to secure the king pin in the axle.

The king pins are made of a very strong/hard alloy, considering the load that is upon them. I'm not at all surprised you are not measuring any wear. The knuckle bushings are a much softer material and, as such, that is where the wear occurs.

When I did the Fords, the knuckle bushing and king pins were sold as a set. I would expect the same with the Dodge. I always had a machine shop install the bushings in the knuckles, as they were intentionally supplied with a smaller inner diameter than the king pin. Once the bushings were pressed in, the knuckle assy needs to be line reamed so the pin will fit snugly into the knuckle/bushing assy.

This should be common sense, but be sure to check the bushing installation performed by the machine shop to insure that the bushing are installed so their holes line up with the grease zerks. I had a machine up install them upside down once. The grease zerks were in caps at the top and bottom of the king pin, on Fords. So there was vertical grooves from an end of the bushing, to the center groove, for the grease to travel through.Thankfully, I caught it before I installed the knuckles.

[67D100Pickup]

This sounds like a good course of action.

I'll focus on the bushings and see how that goes.

Thank you very much!

Jeff