They are back ordered, just got an email saying the ETA has been moved back to the 27th of this month. My 4* wedges should be here any day though.

 

Just an update, the parts should be here by tomorrow and hope to get them installed on Saturday, also going to install one of the THD piston lift pumps

 

I'm also going to take Mr Lanes advice and install studs in place of the bolts to make installing the pump easier, and if I remember correctly someone said to use a heat gun on the insulation and it will cut like butter!

 

So after reading a reply from jtamulonis in the "what did you do to your gen 1 today"
He said,

"I`ll bet that if you hold the cones by the threaded end and turn it slowly at eye level, there will be an uneven wear pattern on the taper of the cone. they always come out smooth, but the un -even wear on the cone is what contributes to the death-wobble. look at the not tapered part of the cone that contacts the axle flange. that shoulder will not be the same thickness all the way around, like a new one will be. every axle I`ve rebuilt (over 20)with any where near 100,000 miles has warn out cones. but you may have the exception to my observation."

I have decided to investigate a little further before I install the moog k992 parts that should be here today, if the cones are indeed worn uneven those will be replaced (that would explain why my caster is not the same from side to side) then test driven and if that cures the problem I will not install the moog parts.

 

Do yourself a favor and just replace the cones while it is apart. It is time and money well spent.

 

Yes sir, that's exactly what I'm going to do, but I will not send the other parts back till I put a few miles on it and am satisfied the problem is cured, I'm also going to put new plastic cups in as even though they are only about a year old they are probably worn to the old pins pattern.

 

Quick ?, do you think I could just pull the top cap and remove the kingpin and then install the new one without completely dissembling the entire knuckle

 

I don't think so, it is tapered. It is possible to do the lower because I did it. IMHO, you should also replace the lowers...Mark

 

Mark, I did do the races and bearings in the lower when I did the front-end about a year ago.. do you think I need to replace them again?

 

Sorry, I missed that you changed the lowers. I would think that they are still good, but you may want to mic them out just to be sure...Mark

 

IMO, the spring fatigues, and nylon cup wears/deforms/breaks, before the steel kingpin cone is harmed. You could get some accelerated wear from sand/grit contamination, but everybody greases regularly, right?

Big tires (leverage) and bumpy roads (impact) are jostling that spring loaded joint to some degree anytime the truck moves or steers. Thats a big reason why there's springless setups with bronze cups now.

Here's the cones I'll be using again... (with new nylon cups and springs)

 

in your pic it looks like you have the ends of the axels off the tubes is that right? As long as you have an axel apart my question is will the king pin fit through the knuckle from the bottom up through the top, in other words can I just take the upper cover off an break the king pin loose and pull it out the top

 

Update:


So far I have went from a mostly slopped out front axle and rebuilt it into a better than new front axle. Even with all the time and money I have put into it, I really haven't improved the way it drove - until yesterday.


My 4* pinion wedges showed up on the Brown truck so I ran the '93 in the shop and got them put in in a 1/2 hour or so. Took it for a spin and the difference is night and day. It drives SO MUCH better - It wasn't terrible before, but now it actually drives itself down the road like it should (i.e. self steer).



I do have a touch of play coming from my less than 5,000 mile RedHead steering gear that will have to be addressed, but the increased caster did the job.

 

Glad to hear it finally does what it's supposed to do. The son is coming over today and we are going to replace the upper king pins in mine then test drive it and if its still not right we will put the lower camber adjustable king pins in, the only problem is there is no room in the shop at present and it going to be raining so it will be kinda miserable

 

Not sure - and I can't check as I'm on my way out of town. My cones were too tight in the C's to use anything 7/8" hex to remove them. These are my spare kingpin parts I stripped off a Ford 60.

Its the little things