Cork?!

[jhorton3]

So I've got my parts laid out on the table for the suspension rebuild, and it looks as though the kingpin has cork spacers on either side of the fulcrum. Is cork that durable? I'm surpsied they didn't put in some kind of poly or rubber.

 

[jlaird]

Sorry, that's what goes there.

 

[tosoutherncars]

Supposed to be oiled / greased before installing, I believe

 

[spritenut]

And when you rip them trying to install them, try a rubber garden hose washer.
They are a tad too thick but if you sand them down or peel one in half with a razor blade, they work great and last about 20 years longer than the cork.

 

[texas_bugeye]

Cork ... Geez you got admmit that its crazy. Its not even decent cork like valve gasket mat. The hose washer trick that a good idea.
Throw sand and gravel and salt and a few years of use and I wonder why the front end fails? Cork ... I used large cross section viton orings Fit snug and shoud keep the road gunk out. McMaster Carr is where I found them I cant find my folder of parts invoices. If I could I could give you the part number. I hate looking in there the numbers freck me out on how much I really spent on the car. Free cars are the most expensive.

 

[jhorton3]

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one who looked at those cork spacers and went "Huh?". The rubber washer idea sound pretty good. It'd be great to have regular O rings like what Chris put on his.

 

[jlaird]

The cork is only to hold the grease that you are supose to have in there.

 

[jhorton3]

Doesn't look like it'd hold that well. Guess that's why a lot of these fulcrum pins and A arm bushings are shot if that's all that's holding the grease in. You'd think though with the major suspension rebuild kit that there would be an option for a better seal material.

 

[jlaird]

It is supose to wear, that is the bearing.