Re: Urgent Online Advice Needed; re, King Pins..

Posted by BH On 2009/8/23 11:16:07

What little I know about removing king pins comes mostly from a couple of jobs on medium- and heavy-duty trucks of more recent years, which still used a solid front axle.

Study the parts book cross-sectional diagram provided above. Follow the length of the kingpin and about halfway down, you will notice a small circle. I believe that represents a pin that runs cross-wise through the end of the axle to lock the king pin in place.

Unless PMCC used a something as obvious as a bolt and nut as a locking pin for the king pin, it may take some careful cleaning and inspection of your axle to reveal that location. I know nothing about a '34 Packard, but have seen this hole capped with lead plugs. Some trucks used a tapered locking pin, which only comes out one way - opposite the way it was driven in.

You may have to drill this locking pin out - start with smaller diameter bit, then work your way to a larger ones. You may not have to drill it out completely, but after you've hollowed it out enough, what's left may be driven out with a punch.

Yet, even after the locking pin is removed, the king pin may be rust bound. If so, you may have to resort to heating the axle with a torch. When driving the king pin out, you need to support not only the axle, but place some sort of spacer between the top and bottom ends of the knuckle to keep form distorting it.

Hope this helps and that others chime in if they have more specific/accurate advice.