RE: [ihc] D30/27 ends kingpin replacement.

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> ES> I have a '71 800B that I need to replace a top
## >> kingpin/bushing on.  I
## >> ES> seem to remember that there was a way to replace this
## >> with a bearing.
## >>
## >> I can't help you directly concerning the axle you are referring to but
## >> I can attest to a common replacement of a bronze bushing with a
## >> bearing.  I know Mac has done this on one of his vehicles, I do not
## >> recall which.  Basically there is a bearing on the lower side and a
## >> bronze cone bushing on the upper side.  It is this cone bushing that
## >> is replaced with a bearing.  The bearing to use is identical to the
## >> stock lower one.
## >>
## >> I know this is the case on the Chrysler 9-5/8 front-end commonly found
## >> in Dodge M37/M43.
## >>
## >> Ken
## >> ---

yup, Ken is right.  i replaced the upper bushing with a bearing on the right
front of my '72 1110 TravelAll 4x4.  bushings aren't readily available for
it (i had a lot of trouble finding one, hence the conversion to a bearing).
it's a closed knuckle D44, with the small knuckles (they appear to be
similar to the ones on our 1970 800A).  the conversion worked like a charm.
the only thing i had to do was file down the kingpin itself so that it would
fit in the centre of the bearing.  didn't take much, but in my case the
kingpin was already partly worn anyway from the damage of the bushing
wearing all the way through.  as Ken mentioned, the bearing i used was a
replacement identical to the stock bearing on the bottom of the knuckle, and
it fit perfectly in the conical hole the bushing used.  seems like the top
of the knuckle is a bearing race inverted but otherwise identical to the
bottom of the knuckle.  funnily enough, when i went to repeat this process
on the driver's side, i discovered that a PO had already done it.  now that
front axle has bearings top and bottom on both sides, and it works VERY
well.  i really like it and i'm glad i did it.

i haven't dismantled the knuckles on the 800A yet, but if it's as much like
the 1110 as it looks (as i said, the knuckles on both the D30 and small
knuckle D44 appear to be very similar), it should be a snap.  just use
replacement bearings that match the bearings on the bottoms of the knuckles,
and it should be fine.  again, the only thing i think you have to do is take
a little bit off the diameter of the kingpin to fit it in the centre of the
bearing.

honestly, it didn't make sense to me why they used a bushing on the top but
a bearing on the bottom.  seems like a relatively cheap and easy thing to
do, putting bearings in both.  ah well, the one axle is done that way now
and eventually so will the other.

--Mac

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Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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