Kingpins

[Taff]

Ok; I'm in the process of rebuilding a WT front diff for my LWB. Halfway through my brother moved back in and we had to reorganize the shed. All my kingpins and shims got mixed up .

Now obviously kingpins are meant to go back in the same spot. I have 4 kingpins and 2 shims. I have pretty much tried every combination but i cant seem to get it right. The preload is correct but the knuckle isn't aligning properly. This makes it impossible to put the CV in, or if i put the CV in before the knuckle the stub axle wont line up with the bolt holes



Getting fairly frustrated with this as I just want to get them back together and on the zook but I don't want to cut any corners.

I'm after some steps / do / don't on setting up kingpins from scratch. I obviously have all the pieces to the puzzle.... they just don't want to fit together.

[want33s]

Mitch,
I can come over tomorrow arvo and give you a hand if you need it.
Jas.

[Dee]

Did you clean the kingpins? If not look at the outsides of them, the cleaner, browner looking one should be top, the blacker/grimy one should go to the bottom... this is how i easily determined between mine if i lost track of the two. i didnt get the sides (passenger/drivers) mixed up though...

Once you figure out top & bottom it shouldn't be too hard to swap between sides or rotate them 180deg to see if you can get it to line up...

im doing the same thing at the moment..
cant find a hub nut socket
are they 50mm?

also anyone know where to buy some swivel hub seal lock-ring bolts? im missing a few...

[Gwagensteve]

Yep, Hub sockets are 50mm, but tube sockets (more common for hub nuts) don't seem to be available in this size.

I bought a 3/4" drive 50mm socket from repco - wasn't too dear. $26 ro something + 1/2" to 3/4 adapter.

It can be hard to get the inner nut done up though- the socket is a little bit too shallow to reach past the axle end.

I normally pull the spindles off and do my bearings with the spindle in the vice though.

Steve.

[Taff]

Mitch,
I can come over tomorrow arvo and give you a hand if you need it.
Jas.

Appreciate the offer. I decided it can wait til my chromos get here from locktup. Got the shits with it... managed to drop the whole diff off my workbench onto my socket set which was full of sockets and the lid was full of screws / nuts / bolts / washers. It was raining sockets and bolts for a few seconds then i spent about 25 min walking around my garage finding them all, sorting them out and putting them back

Bent the socket set case too.

Did a bit more searching and found its a common problem (the misalignment, not socket rain). so I guess once I get the CVs i will put them in, line it up as best I can and get the preload right. Just doesn't seem right not having the stub axle perfectly inline with the diff center surely this causes extra wear on the CV and splines?

The CV should be able to slide in and out without loosening the kingpins, and yet plenty of people on here mention they have to, or the CV wont go in. Would love to hear other peoples opinions on that.

[CairnsZook]

Taff, I installed my chromo axles a couple of weeks ago. They definitely would not fit through the steering knuckle.

Better to wait until they arrive so you can check, before bolting everything together.