King Pin Reamers

Is there anyone in the DFW area that can ream king pin bushings? I have called many places and got all no's or what do you mean. I would even rent a reamer if anyone has one to loan. I have a milling maching to hold the spindles correctly. I would bore them but my machine doesn't have power downfeed.

 

I found reamers on ebay for sale before. I looked up FOrd king pin reamers and had good results.

 

Have you tried a heavy duty truck spring and alignment shop? There's bound to be several of thos in DFW. They know about reaming K.P.bushings because the big trucks still have them. Beyond that, someone with a Sunnen Hone should be able to do it.

 

This is too funny................
I just did my first set of pins YESTERDAY of all things.
A 1989 c-60 Chevy 25000 truck.

After several failed machine shop attempts, I got 2 brake cylinder 3-stone hones and did em myself!

It was fun, doing something new.

1) line up the bushing holes with the zerks
2) tap in place
3) hone with ATF to fit well.
4) lube zerks and drive.

Good luck with yours!

 

try an automotive machine shop , they should be able to do them on the hone machine for wrist pins. keep in mind that both bushings must be of the correct size and also must be in alignment with each other..something hard to do with a wheel cylinder hone

 

Tried truck places but they all have reamers too big, nothing that small.

50ChevySuburban, I would rather have the piloted reamer, that way I know the bushings are in line.

 

NAPA machine shop does mine. But I'm gonna buy a reamer from McMaster-Carr and do the next set myslef. I think you can also get reamers pretty cheap from Enco.

 

Try msc.
They have reamers in just about every size imaginable.

 

You can try NAPA they do it or 4wheel parts they are doing my kingpins now for my car.

 

36-3Window is correct, a good machine shop should have a Sunin connecting rod small end hone. The finish with a hone is far better than that you'll get with a reamer.

 

The adjustable reamer you need, from Enco, around 20.00. You can make new friends.

 

I do them for my buddies in the area. If you don't mind paying all the shipping I will ream them for you.

 

a real king pin reamer has a pilot to line up the top with the bottom. So tell me how are you guys doing this with adjustable reamers and hones.. ??? Im a tool maker so no bull **** here .. I wanna know how your doing it.
Dave

 

Mine has the pilot to keep the bushings completely aligned.

 

Ok you win the first round. You have the proper reamer and it only took about 10 minutes for a reply..
Dave

 

Why do I think of Robert Williams' Coochy Cooty every time this topic comes up?

 

Tried my local NAPA. They don't do them anymore.
To all other responses:

Don't think a small end rod hone will have long enough stones to get both bushings at once.

Don't want to use an adjustable reamer for same reason, not long enough cutting length.

I will try MSC and McMaster if I decide to buy one. See no need to buy one for one use.

Another HAMBER offered to loan me his. He is in New Jersey, I'm in Dallas area, but if all else fails I am taking him up on his offer.

 

I have had best luck taking them to a machine shop that has a a "line bore hone" thats long enough to hit both bushings at once.

This ensures that they are inline with one another. The finished hone is nicer than you will achieve with a reamer. Although less "traditional", since that seems to be all that some people care about anymore.

 

Use a 7/8 ball hone..drive it with a vari speed hand drill and some shop oil.
I bought one off of ebay for 12 bucks. Honed my king pin holes in about 1/2 an hour. They fit perfect.

 

Napa will send them to their machine shop and charge you $34.00 apiece. Buy a reamer from MSC or Mcmaster-carr, remember to aim small. When I did my first set last week, we honed them and they came out slightly out of alignment, but when we honed out the last .008 or so it all worked out. Just ***embled them yesterday and they have no slop and just a touch of resistance when turning the spindles, just as I was told they should.

 

I once saw a fella take a regular adjustable reamer and machine a bolt on pilot that once installed simulates the "right" kingpin reamer. Oh wait - that was me. It worked fine, but admittedly not as good as a having it properly honed.

 

Oldspert, We had another thread here last week about this, there was a picture of a guy doing the adjustable reamer. It would be easier to find that picture than explain the process of doing one side and fliping over to do the other side, and the tapered guide keeps the allignment. here it is:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=239133&highlight=king+pins


But , I did the "third arm" bushings on my 54 Chevy, which is just like a king pin only a different size, in my bridgeport, and I got a manual feed one, too.

Frank

 

It isn't my need to know how to ream the bushings, I know how, I am looking for someone in the DFW area that does this or will loan me a reamer to do mine.

 

I think for $20 i would just buy one. Damn cheap enough. If money is a issue buy it, use it, sell it on Ebay and get your money back.

 

Haven't found where a $20 reamer is available. If it was available it probably wouldn't have the pilot. If I found one for $20 with the pilot and the correct size, I would buy it. The adjustables with the guide (pilot) are around $80 from suppliers. Money is not an issue, I'm just a cheap old *******.

 

I must have gotten lucky, I replaced the KP's in my '57 Chevy PU long, long time ago and just used a bushing driver to knock the new ones in, never reamed them...and sasme thing on a '49 F1 I used to own...my understanding (at the time) was only the larger 3/4 ton-up) trucks needed to have the KP bushings fitted to the pins.

I'm not saying what I did was correct, but I didn't have any issues with what I did.

 

If at all possible get them honed on a Sunnen. You can't duplicate the finish OR hold the size as accurately with a reamer. Sunnen makes mandrels that are long enough to do both bushings at the same time and don't use one that won't do it that way.
Back in the day, reaming was just about the only method available but like most things there have been improvments. Sunnen hones regularly hold piston pin tolerances in .0001 in. range with experienced operators and I doubt there are many who can do that with a reamer.

Frank

 

hi everybody my name is neil adams. some guys are talking about reaming kin pins....so you junked the new bushing!!! i have, a**** other machinery, a sunnen pin hone, with king pin manderals. like one other guy said....."want .0001 clearance....no problem. have your king pins done right. 4023631491...lincoln, ne. i am 63 years old and have been doing engines for forty years. rod pin bushings, like the 56 olds 324 that i just finished....piece of cake

 

The Sunnen Rod Hone with the correct mandrel is an excellent way to ream the bushings. Now, you DONT use a mandrel for the small ends of connectiong rods, you can use the mandrel for honing piston pin bores. The mandrel is much longer. With the correct mandrel, the rest is left up to the operator. Correct honing to size to .0001", taper, and out of round also to .0001", is operator skill or lack there of. BDM

 

i have my dads old .812 king pin reamer. he had it since the 1950's. i used it to ream my new king pin bushings. i turned it with a visegrips and it worked well. i would recommend using a mill to use the king pin reamer.