Cheap Kingpin Reamer for Early Ford Spindles It’s getting harder and harder to find a shop that will even ream out your kingpin bushings for you, much less do it cheap or right then and there. So, some guys buy the kingpin reamers made specially for that spindle, well, I’m a poor boy so those are a bit out of my price range. So, I came up with a MUCH cheaper solution. The reamer used in this set up is available at http://www1.mscdirect.com part number 02310522 for just under $35. You can find it cheaper from Enco (like $25 I think) or Travers, I just deal a lot with MSC and so there you go. This set up is easiest to make on a lathe, but once it is done, you will be able to fit your kingpins using a lathe or a drill press. Ok, lets get going. Picture #1: This is what the reamer looks like if you didn’t go look on that link. The link has all the specs, but here is the basics: Chucking - Reamer Size: 0.8125 In., 13/16 Material: HSS Flute Type: Straight Shank Type: Straight. Pic #2: Start out with a 2.250“ long, 1” thick solid bar stock, or what I use is the 7/8” X .156” dom tubing I make radius rods out of. Solid bar stock is what more people would have on hand. Ok, drill out the inside with a 5/8” bit. Take your piece like the bottom one and put a taper on one end, like the top one. Pic #3: It should be able to slide over the shaft like in the pic. It needs to slide, but not be sloppy. If your reamer has a different shaft size, then drill to that size rather then the 5/8” that fits this one. Pic #4: You need to weld some type of handle Like in this pic. A long bolt will do, but anything will work. You will need to be able to hold on to stabilize when you use it. Pic #5: Lets start reaming. Chuck it up in your lathe (or drill press) like this pic shows. If you notice the tapered end on the part you made goes into the other side of the spindle. The reason it is there is the taper, when held up tight in the spindle keeps your bushings in line while you machine out the other end. Without it, you might be reaming it off angle and then you get to buy more bushings, lol. Pic #6: As you make sure you keep your taper in the spindle TIGHT, you simply pull the spindle onto the reamer as shown. Once you are done with one end, Pull it apart, chuck it up for the other bushing the same way, and you are done. Then do the other 1. WATCH YOUR FINGERS NEAR THE SPINNING LATHE. Pic #7: There you go. This set up has given me a nice and tight fit on over 50 pairs of spindles with the same reamer. They all came out fitting really nice. IF, you needed to hone them for a little looser fit, you could always use a small brake cylinder hone to do so, but so far, I have never needed to. Although this was shown to do early ford spindles, if you got a different reamer, you could do whatever one you needed to. If you have any questions, fire away.
Nice peice of engineering,I like it.I used to do a lot of front end work in the 60's and reaming out king pin bushings was one of the things we did.I moved to Phx.and got into rebuilding transmissions.One day I was at the big flea market in downtown Phx. and under a table of old tools was a complete set of Kingpin reamers(prolly about 7or8 reamers).I said to the guy hey how much you want for the kingpin reamers and his eyes got real big and he said I was the first person in over a year that even knew what they were.I still kick myself he said 20 bucks and I thought I'll never use them and didn't buy them,damn what a tard.Anyway I like what you made I do appreciate it
Just saved this to my favorites. Used to be a designated reamer/bushing driver ya' could buy from JC Whitney for a couple of bucks. I screwed them all up over the years. This is the next best thing. One king pin job and ya' pay for the tool. I'm in on this deal, 'cause the machine shop REAMED ME for $55 to do a pair for me.
Couple of years ago I went to an auction at an old time garage that went out of business when the owner died, some 20 years earlier. I picked up a whole box of reamers from 3/8" to 1-1/4". The 3/4" - 1-1/4" were expansion reamers. The auctioneer started out at $35.00 and nobody bid against me! Most of them were in their original boxes and all were sharp. One of the best deals I ever got and I've used them quite a bit.
Nice simple tech. Thanks. So you can use a reamer backwards like that by pulling it through from the other side? I never thought about reaming something that way before. Learn something new every day. So basically the purpose of that tool is just to keep the reamer aimed in the right direction, on the same axis as the hole on the other end of the spindle? I wonder if you could mount the spindle on some sort of homemade fixture on a mill where you could use a dial indicator to make sure the holes are straight up and down and centered, and then use an ordinary reamer in the mill to ream both holes out coming straight down. Might be hard to set up though.
Ah,I just spent $80 to get a set reamed in ny.I didnt ask how much first! I felt like I got reamed.I had done a set last year by myself with an adjustable ream,didnt like how they came out.Oh well,at least its done.
Gotta love it. Nice and simple. Here is the link to the 13/16 inch reamer shown above http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVSM?PACACHE=000000078747711
Hi choppintops, May I ask one further favor? Could you repost the images? I went to try this and came back here for a refresher on what to make and the images are no longer there. I tried to check them out on your photobucket account, however, the site states I need your p***word. I guess the images aren't open to the public. Thanks, Jon T
Also, I hope I have it right, here's a link to the reamer: http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=18302837&PMT4NO=56870107 Thanks Again, Jon
I found a cheaper way to obtain the tools. You can buy the adjustable reamer from Enco.com (http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=334-1112) for $20.95. Then buy the pilot from McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/#3004a18/=stlm5) for $31.57. That's the cheapest I've been able to find the tools. Actually I couldn't fine the pilot anywhere but McMaster-Carr. Mark
The kingpins are the same OD for Ford P***enger cars from 1928-48 AND Ford 1/4-1/2 ton pickups/panels from 1928-52.
I was taught many years ago by an old German machinist, to only hand ream with light oil, never under power. Also only turn the reamer in one direction both when reaming and withdrawing., It's always worked for me.
It's not but without the pictures on how to make your pilot the only other alternative that I found was in another spindle reaming thread on the HAMB and the tools were $80+. Thanks for uploading the pictures again. For the record, I would have rather used your tooling.
thank you ! now look at your set up in picture 5 & 6 see how your reamer is hanging out there in mid air not being supported by anything. is there a center hole on the edge of the reamer? if so and you have a small center for your tailstock, then support the reamer with a center in your tailstock. good luck and you got a great money saving idea here
As for speed, you could probably run it pretty fast, HOWEVER because you are holding the pieces by hand, I keep it under 1000 rpm, just in case something "grabs". that's why I would support the reamer with a center if I could and run it slow not fast my.02 cents later
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