I have been looking at a front end off of a 1940 Ford everything is there minus the king pins and spindles. Is there a place to get after market spindles and king pins and also what are my brake options? What should I be looking for as far as wear?
Check out FATMANS I believe they have dropped spindles, and kingpins come with the kit. Long as its not bent or twisted I guess there fine? FED
You can buy a king pin kit from most old Ford parts houses for about $35-40. Original 37-41 "roundback" spindles sell for around $125 on eBay. Why don't you try a HAMB want ad? With roundbacks you an use any Ford hydraulic brake set up from 39 to 48. Vaphead sells Wilson Welding reproduction 39 Lincoln backing plates for a good price and they are superior to the Ford units. Both set up require Ford hubs and brake drums. Or you can adapt finned Buick drums. And there are a number of disc brake conversions available as well. Speedway, Ch***is Engineering, Super Bell, Magnum Axle all offer disc brake conversion kits. They also sell reproduction roundback spindles. Original spindles have integral steering arms. Aftermarket spindles use bolt on steering arms. All things being equal, aftermarket spindles with steering arms will cost more than a set of rebushed and reamed original roundbacks. If you run the stock 40 axle on your rod original spindles will work just fine. If you run a dropped axle you my have to heat and bend the steering arms for clearance or cut them off and use bolt on aftermarket arms. In general, Ford axles do not wear out. The bronze bushings in the spindles wear and need to be replaced at regular intervals. The king pin kits contain all of the necessary bushings, bearings, and shims to rebuild and install a set of used spindles.
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