Technical To ream or not to ream

First model A hotrod build. Confused. When i swap my 1929 A tudor spindles for a spindle disc brake conversion. Will i have to ream the axle ends for the new kingpins??

 

All the regular old Ford spindles from p***enger cars up through 48 will fit directly on your A axle. Just use the kingpins that match the spindle year.

 

To maybe add to the above, if the bushings are worn (***ume they have bushings) and you replace the bushings, you’ll need to ream them with a piloted reamer, or take things into a shop that will do it. But if all is tight and well, then no worries.

 

If you are reaming the axle ends you have problems. The spindles are where the bushings are.

 

The bushings are in the spindles and require being reamed to size after installation, this is not optional. Do not run a reamer through the axle, it is already sized correctly, just be sure that the bore is clean, round and that the king pin does not have any play in the axle bore, if it does then the bore is egg shaped but can be fixed by a machine shop. The pictured reamer cuts both bushings at the same time so that they are in line. The king pin will drop in on its own with a slight drag and have no play at all. If you have to force it all together then something is wrong.

 

Or if u know someone with a pin fitting machine they can be honed .

 

My first driving test was taken with a 53 Ford ( yes king pins ).
My pops and a buddy had just installed king pins without fitting them.
I had to pretend thar I was just carefully using hand over hand steering.
The wheel would not return to center on its own without help.
Talk about nervous.
A few weeks after they had to redo it, and get them fitted because it was getting unsafe.

 

I would suggest that when replacing king pin bushings that you use a wrist pin hone rather than a reamer. Reamer can leave small chatter marks that are high spots. They wear away quickly and leave a slight sloppy fit. I started using a Sunnen pin hone many years ago and found much longer bushing life. This was well over 40 years ago and I still have a machine shop hone new bushings, both for my personal cars and customers.

 

Another vote for having them honed. A good correct size reamer isn't cheap plus in the wrong hands you can do more damage than good. Most good automotive machine shops have a pin hone and are set up to do it.