King Pins

[Healey Nut]

So I have been doing some preassembly of parts ready for the 62 project .
One project to tackle was the installation of new king pin bushings .
I had the swivel axles all prepared and sandblasted clean .
Fortunately for me I had two sets of new king pins and bushings in my parts box .
After destroying one upper bushing trying to install it I decided on a different approach .
I carefully measured the bores and bushings and decided the interference fits we’re just way too tight to work .
The new bushings are split because I think they are rolled from plates and the edges of the seam where they join are not exactly parallel and square to each other so I carefully used a hack saw and ran it through the joint in the seam of the bushing edges to make it slightly wider, but also to make the edges parallel and square to each other . It also allows the bushing to collapse in just a fraction more when inserted into the swivel axle .
Success. All bushings fitted nicely with no gap in the seam joint and just the right amount of interference to keep them in place. All that’s needed now is to take them to my friendly machine shop guys and have them use their expanding reamers to size them for the new kingpins

 

[Healey Nut]

So I did some surfing on Amazon and adjustable reamers for the sizes I need are readily available so I’m going to order the two sizes needed and DIY my kingpins .

 

[BigGreen]

Be aware that the upper and lower bushing have to be in-line
In my memory, the first new bushing is reamed with the other (old) bushing in place as guidance for the (long) reamer

 

[steveg]

HN - Mike Salter in Ontario may have the proper reamer - he once sold me a pair of BJ8 swivel axles that had been properly reamed.

 

[Healey Nut]

Adjustable reamers delivered today , finest Chinese via Amazon . They do appear to be very sharp though .
Looks like I will be doing some reaming this weekend ........Still three working days left for this non retiree .......Roll on retirement.

 

[BigGreen]

I would not use those.
The original ones have two sections; the one guards the other.
With only one section you have the risk of misalignment.

 

[Healey Nut]

This is not rocket science it’s reaming two bushings . I’m a millwright by trade and this is nothing new to me to hand ream and fit bushings bearings etc .
Also that is a fixed reamer (non adjustable) so can’t compensate for the manufacturing differences between the sets of kingpins .

 

[vping]

I would not use those.
The original ones have two sections; the one guards the other.
With only one section you have the risk of misalignment.

View attachment 68193

Anyone know where one could obtain the correct reamer for a spridget?

 

[Healey Nut]

Success. Took about an hour to do them both. There are quite snug, but can be turned. Once I get more stuff assembled with grease nipples etc. I may give them another kiss-cut just to free them up, depending how they feel once they are lubricated.

 

[gonzo]

Thanks for sharing your approach to renewing kingpin bushings. Looking like a nice job. Please follow-up after first test drive. I'm trying to discern if the some of the perceptible movement in the front left wheel are worn KP bushings or out of adjustment front wheel bearings. The right side is fine, no movement. Both KPs were renewed a same time several years ago by BCS - Stockton.

 

[red57]

If you haven't already, I suggest crack checking them. The late BJ8 stub axles are much stronger but the earlier ones can and do fail.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

An effective crack check is to suspend the stub axle with, say, a bent coat hanger, then lightly rap them with, say, an end wrench. They should produce a tuning fork-like ring--don't know which note--but if they make a dull thud they are likely cracked, even if you can't see the crack. Of course, Magnafluxing would confirm the diagnosis.

My dad took our BN2's axles to BCS for bushing installation and reaming. Dad said Norman Nock was impressed that Dad knew this "old mechanic's" 'trick." It sounded like the two old mechanics, from opposite sides of 'The Pond' hit it off.

 

[Healey Nut]

You can also forcefully rub engineers blue on the critical area then polish it off . If it’s cracked then the blue crack lines will be highlighted .

 

[Bob_Spidell]

You can also forcefully rub engineers blue on the critical area then polish it off . If it’s cracked then the blue crack lines will be highlighted .

Good idea; "Poor Man's Magnafluxing"