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Christy Hicks (Christyhicks)
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Username: Christyhicks

Post Number: 19
Registered: 1-2007
Posted From: 65.77.66.1

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Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 8:29 am:   

Ok, that sucker's just tough! Seriousy, we can't get the darn kingpin out of the axle on our MCI-9. It looks like the steering knuckle was slightly bent, as if maybe a previous driver hit a curb or something, so Larry decided to go ahead and replace the knuckle, and all went pretty well until he tried to get the kingpin out.

Larry has used a hammer, a larger hammer, a small sledge hammer, a large sledge hammer, a homemade press (it bent 1" thick stock ), heat . . . and still, the kingpin is right where it started, snug as a bug. . .well, you get it.

Anyone have any advice on getting that *#&^%(*&#^# kingpin to budge without removing the entire axle? Please. . .respond quick . . this will bug him ALLLLLL weekend and he won't think about anything else (including his sweet wife ) until he gets that thing out! Christy hicks
John MC9 (John_mc9)
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Username: John_mc9

Post Number: 207
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 66.217.108.98

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Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 9:33 am:   

Tapered kingpin = Gotta' whack it upwards, not downwards....??

A lil' trick we used with kingpins and ball joints on older
cars and light trucks, was to hit the assembly on one side,
while holding a heavy hammer to the opposite side..
Like thus: hammer-->||<--hammer
The vibration will loosen damn near anything. It works
especially good, if there's pressure being applied whilst
youse is doin' it.. Like from the bottom, pushing up....?
Paso One (Paso_1)
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Username: Paso_1

Post Number: 86
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 142.165.246.239

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Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 9:54 am:   

Most king pins have a lock of some sort Look for a Stud sticking out the side. Turn it counterclockwise. :-) I hope you didn't mind my asumption that you didn't know about the locks..
Tim Hoskinson (Tdh37514151)
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Username: Tdh37514151

Post Number: 208
Registered: 9-2004
Posted From: 4.252.65.17

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Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 11:28 am:   

Use caution hitting the king pin directly or even with to hard of driver can mushroom the pin making for even more work. A very good suggestion made by paso one look to make sure there is no retainer bolt coming through the axle beam from the back near the center point of the pin. If your bus has tapered pins they usually come out faily easy and the ones that I have personally worked on come out the bottom. Befor trying to remove a tapered pin you must remove the retaining nut then the upper collar bushing so that you are not pushing down the bushing as well as the pin. There are times when the king pin is just plain stuck in place. In this case a regiment of heating and cooling will eventually loosen the pin. Heat the pin on either end until bright red go from end to end until the pin is well heated. Allow the pin to cool and heat again. Repeat this several times. This method expands the pin pushing out on the bore then when cooling takes place the contraction develops tiny cracks in the rust or invasions between the pin and bore. At this point apply some blaster or other good penetrant. Wait a bit for the penetrant to be wicked in from the heat. BE CAREFUL WHEN APPLYING FLAMMABLE PENETRANT TO HOT METAL AS IT CAN FLAME UP. Use small blasts of the penetrant. After allowing to soak for 10 minutes or so carefully heat the out side of the axle beam again being careful with the penetrant it will flame up a bit but will quickly burn away so long as you didn't apply to much. Once the axle beam bore is heated to a dull red use a brass drift to drive on the pin. You may have to repeat all steps more than once its irritating work but having worked on antique equipment for over 20 years I can tell you you must sit back take a deep breath and don,t let the work win! When using this method as with any use of a torch keep a fire extingusisher right there with you. Very best of luck to you. Tim
john w. roan (Chessie4905)
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Username: Chessie4905

Post Number: 420
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 71.58.126.56

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Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 11:44 am:   

Paso one is correct about the lock. Do you have the new kingpin,s? If so, is there a small flat area notched about midpoint on the new pin? If so, the end of axle where pin goes down through has a tapered pin that goes through perpindicular to the direction of the kingpin. About all you would see is a nut and lockwasher on one side and a bump on the other. If so, you have to drive this locking pin out by hitting the threaded end. If no locking pin,is the new one tapered? are you driving it in the correct direction? You could just go ahead and remove the axle assy so you can take to a large press. I know, that is going to be a PITA also. Might be needed anyway, as a lot of times the end of axle hole is beat out of round and will need to be shrunk and reamed back to original size. That is why some replace kingpins and after a couple of hundred miles, there is half the slop in the joint again.Do it right and lube regularly; you'll never need to address it again.And sometimes you have to beat the bejesus out of them if they have significant rust.If you decide to use heat, be careful not to get too hot and weaken the metal.Just ideas for you.
Christy Hicks (Christyhicks)
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Username: Christyhicks

Post Number: 20
Registered: 1-2007
Posted From: 65.77.66.1

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Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 7:29 pm:   

Well, thanks to the guys who responded and to Gary LaBombard, who took the trouble to send us pics and advice. After days of hammering, pressing, lubricating, and heating the spindle several times, Larry finally re-inforced his home-made press with some 4" I-beam, 3/8" thick, clamped it onto the axle, using a 20 ton jack, and jacked her as tight as he could. Then he applied heat to the axle portion through which the spindle protruded, and boy, Gary wasn't kidding, when it popped, it popped loud. There really was no visible rust, it was just in there tight!

I'm convinced (as a amatuer), that it would not have come loose without heating the axle, as the 20 ton jack was not budging it. Larry did heat the spindle red hot a couple of times, as advised by Tim, so he gets credit too, ha ha.

No, there were no locks, pins, flats, etc., this was just a tapered spindle, and it needed to go down, not up, on an MCI-9. It was pretty obvious from the shape of the spindle and lack of any type of lock that it was just in there tight! Definitely, if you have to do this, the "have patience" admonition is a good one.

Thank GOODNESS that's over! Thanks again guys, Christy Hicks
Paso One (Paso_1)
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Username: Paso_1

Post Number: 87
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 142.165.246.239

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Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 8:06 pm:   

Thats good Christy Glad you guys finally made some progress That "Blue wrench " always works.
john w. roan (Chessie4905)
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Username: Chessie4905

Post Number: 474
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 71.58.117.21

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Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 7:49 pm:   

Now that youv'e done it, the next time will go a lot easier.

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