Starting tearing apart my 51 Chevy panel (1st project since moving to NY) I need to get some VERY frozen kingpins out and new ones in and bushings reamed, also have some head work I'd like to get done. Been doing google searches but every shop I get a hold of either has no idea what king pins are or can't get an english speaker on the other end. I'm from Cali and don't know too many shops here but there must be some local guys around Bushwick area who have the gear to get this stuff done and know old cars. Much appreciated, Gabe
you can try the Rumblers they are in Brooklyn and meet at the Union Pool hall. Also you can try and send an e-mail to Paul Cox through his web site PaulCoxleather.com he's in the club and might have a good idea. Best I can think Of off the top of my head Good Luck FRITZ
I got a friend in long island that you could try http://www.machineworldny.com/index.html the site is just for there head service but john has a full sevice machine shop there tell him chris(drfreeze) sent you
Awesome, thanks guys I'll try both contacts, must be too expensive to have space in New York to do old school machining.
There is a place on coney island avenue,bet avenue u and t called mcgreadys auto(might not be the right spelling).If you remember Lou's auto, that was a legendary engine builder, that was around for a few generations. They closed shop a few years ago and Mcgreadys baught all the equipment and the owner came along to get them started on the use of the machines,well he never left Mcgreadys and is still there doing motors. He is the nicest and most straight shooter I have ever dealt with and he is real cheap compared to most. He is also real familiar with old engines. He's done 2 motors for me so far and they are perfect. go there and ask for anthony
You shouldn't need a machine shop for a kingpin job. All you need is the reamer. There used to be an old front-end and spring shop called "Long Life" at the intersection of 39th street and Fort Hamilton Parkway (Park Slope area).
Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Thought I'd update you on how it all went down. First of all I know a machine shop wasn't required but these kingpins were in a truck that's been sitting out on shelter island since 1984. Got one oldie out with a ton of perspiration and perservation but destroyed a couple cheap 1/2" drive extensions trying to get the other out. I ended up going to Power Brake Service in Greenpoint. These guys do commercial truck work and work with a lot of beefy kingpin axles. I assumed they had a press that would get my old pin out and would put the new bushings in with a perfect aligned fit on them. $130 later I got two spindles with incredibly dirty bushings freshly installed and over reamed and not perfectly aligned. The axle had obviously been torched and hammered to get the stubborn pin out as the metal was actually discolored and had some fresh hammer marks where someone's aim wasn't too good. Had a hell of a time fitting my thrust bearing in on that side and after an exhausting search for a custom size bearing ended up having to shave a mm off the axle with my grinder to get it to fit. First lesson I learned with building custom cars at the age of 15 was "if you want something done right..." anyway, I don't have the time or the space these days to keep a hydraulic press around. SO...all in all the kingpins will work the way they should and maybe not as tight as I like them and in the end the truck is going to handle like a truck. But I gotta say it pisses me off to spend money on service expecting a professional job and seemingly always get the grease monkey service. I can do that myself for free...Anyway thanks for the word on those other shops...and reading my rant...that coney island ave. spot sounds sweet. Maybe see them for an overbore.
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