

Now remove the entire front brake assembly, backing plate and all. The inner bearing and its seal usually come off with the wheel, but if it stays behind, pull it off of the spindle and then wipe away any excess grease. Just grab the tire firmly and pull it off of the spindle. Pull off the washer holding in the outer wheel bearing, and then pull out the bearing and its inner race. Pull out their cotter keys and remove these nuts. Under them you will find large, preloaded castellated nuts that hold the wheel bearings in place. Pull out the cotter pin and take off the main wheel nut. Spread newspaper or plastic tarps on the floor around and under the front wheels, and then pop off the wheel covers. Put your truck up on sturdy jack stands in front, and block the wheels in back. CA 92879 While you are waiting for the parts to arrive, take the front steering apart and have everything ready for the installation. Order a kingpin and bushing kit by email or phone from a source such as Brothers Truck Parts. The parts are readily available, and you will be pleased with how well your truck handles once its steering system is nice and tight. The task is actually pretty simple, and can be done at home using hand tools. The problem is you need to replace your truck’s kingpins and bushings. If you are interested in reading further, the book is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble for around $23 and covers Chevrolet pickups built from 1955- 1960.
1956 CHEVT KING PINS BUSHINGS HOW TO
What’s going on? Answer:Īs it turns out, I wrote a chapter on this problem for my book: “Classic Chevy Truck Handbook HP 1534: How to Rod, Rebuild, Restore, Repair and Upgrade Classic Chevy Trucks.” What follows is that chapter in condensed form. The steering box seems OK, and the shock absorbers work normally. It seems to smooth out somewhat when I go beyond that speed, but when I slow back down it shakes again.Īll I’ve been able to do is try to control it while driving. Graco automatic lubrication systems can help you properly lubricate kingpin bushings, resulting in a much greater reduction in kingpin failures caused by improper lubrication.My all-original 1956 Chevrolet Cameo pickup starts shaking and wobbling and the steering wheel jerks around at about 40 miles per hour, and if I hit the brakes it gets worse. The cost for a kit containing bushings and kingpins can range from $500 to $1,500 and replacing them is very time consuming. However, the kingpins and tie rods can wear out extremely fast if they’re not greased on a regular basis. Nothing lasts forever, even if these parts have been greased every day. “Kingpins and bushing replacement are rarely covered under warranty, because it always relates to lack of preventive maintenance.” The good news is the kingpins have a life of 750,000 miles, so with good maintenance they would only need to be replaced once during a truck’s lifetime,” said Duane Rasmussen, Instructor, Medium/Heavy Truck Technology, Hennepin Technical College. “It’s an 8-hour job to ream the bushing and replace the kingpin. Use a dial indicator to measure, axial and lateral movement should not exceed 1/8 or. If the wheel has any play you may have an issue likely caused by a worn kingpin. Try moving the wheel left to right and top to bottom and up and down. Another way is to have a helper apply the service brake to differentiate between wheel bearing and kingpin bushing wear. Tighten the wheel bearing to eliminate any play that may be related to a loose wheel bearing.

1956 CHEVT KING PINS BUSHINGS MANUAL
Follow truck-lifting procedures in your vehicle’s operating manual to properly lift the truck.Īfter the truck is lifted and no weight is on the axle, remove the wheels and tires. Kingpin wear inspection requires that no weight be on the axle so jacking up the front of the truck is required. An easy way to help determine a worn kingpin is to conduct a kingpin wear inspection.īefore beginning, make sure to always review and follow the axle manufacture and company maintenance and procedure manuals. Because of the potential for further damage and operator safety risks, properly diagnosing and repairing worn kingpins, bushings and tie rods needs to be addressed promptly.Īfter experiencing symptoms of a kingpin and bushing failure, additional diagnoses must be done to rule out other wheel assembly issues that may also cause similar symptoms. Experiencing these symptoms while driving may result in a shaking cab or steering wheel. You will notice signs of kingpin and bushing failure from incorrect vehicle alignment, premature and uneven front tire wear, and rough handling. Improper lubrication of kingpin bushings can cause kingpin contact points to begin to wear at the steering knuckle.
