85 F250 - 2wd kingpin replacement?

Sorry it this shows up twice, I misspelled "kingpin" on the first post, didn't want it to get lost in Google's search engine.

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Vehicle: 1985 F250 w/460 2WD - 106K miles Symptoms:

The truck does not want to track straight. I'm always having to correct one way or the other, with somewhat of a "delayed" action on steering input. This is similar to what I once experienced when I put

3/4 ton of manure/compost in a 1/2 ton truck, always chasing the steering. What I have now is not nearly as pronounced as when I grossly overloaded the old F100, but much the same action. My main use of this truck is to tow my 5,500 lb travel trailer, the bad handling is even more pronounced while towing and has made for some exciting times.

I've raised the front end and get about 1/4" vertical play in each wheel when prying from underneath. To my knowledge this is a symptom of worn ball joints. Correct? According to mechanics I've contacted, and my (POS) Haynes manual, the 85 F250 has "kingpins" and not "ball joints".

I got a quote of about $550 to replace both sides, half of which is the parts, half labor.

Has anyone done this themselves before? Is this within the realm of an accomplished home mechanic? I've always done my own maintenance/repairs if some special tool or machine is not needed. The procedure, as outlined in the Haynes manual, does not mention any pullers or presses needed.

David Jones djonesLSidaho.com

Reply to
IdaSpode
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Sure enough, do it yourself! :)

Buy the kit from someone that has a machine shop setup to ream after pressing in the new bushings. I took mine in and picked them up expecting to pay $10 a side to have then press-in and ream the bushings. They only charged me $10 total. "hey what's going on here, it was supposed to be $20 ;)" He went back to ask about it and came back... "the knuckles were so clean they didn't have to clean them so they didn't charge for cleaning so it's $5 per side"

I cleaned them real good because I figure they'll do a better job on clean parts, that was my original plan anyway. :)

Yeah but. Is there any play anywhere else in the system?

Have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth while you feel for play in all the moving parts. Like the steering column, tie rod ends, drag link and the steering gear's sector shaft? Wheel bearings are a separate test/check.

The sector shaft should not move to the side before twisting, it should simply and immediately begin twisting. If you have play there I have a fix for that one. :) The factory fix sucks too.

LOL! :)

Man, that's pretty bad, you been having shimmy at about 45mph too?

Holy cow! No stinkin way. :/

You can do it! :)

Alvin in AZ (hammer mechanic)

Reply to
alvinj

Can you explain more? How can one determine the sector shaft movement? Whats the factory fix?

Reply to
Wayne Makowicki

Kingpins ain't hard to change - You'll probably need some shop help pushing in the new bushing though. The good thing is I've never seen a kingpin come apart on the road like balljoints - they just keep getting looser and looser.

As for the towing the 5500 lb travel trailer... can you say "load distributing hitch"????

At 1/4" I hope you aren't on the same road as me!

They saw you coming.

See above.

PS: Also check the play in your gearbox. At 106k, there has to be some. Loosen the lock nut and with the engine running, have someone gently rock the steering wheel back and forth and tighten the inner nut to take out the play. Note, don't overdue it, or you will find it will bind when you turn the steering wheel to its limits. Then re-tighten the locknut.

Good luck

Reply to
Don

Yep, thats the best way. I did mine in June. Forget trying to pound or press them out on the truck. Thats the hard way. Do yourself a favor and just take off the axles and take them to the machine shop to have them pressed out and in. Do the axle pivot bushings while you are at it. Removing the axles is not as hard as it looks. Heck, once you get the program down, you can actually do them fairly fast. The good thing about letting the machine shop do them is their press saves all that $@#$%^& work, and you get to use the superior bronze bushings which must be reamed to fit. These are better than the nylon bushings. They last longer, and fit tighter with less slop, IF reamed properly. How to tell a proper ream? A good ream is where the kingpin will not easily fall out of the spindle when inserted, yet is easy to twist and remove. I wouldn't want it much looser than that. Heck, might as well rebuild everything while you are at it. I did everything on mine. Kingpins, all bushings, all new steering parts, etc, the whole mess...BTW, the "wander" steer on a ford truck is usually from the toe being off a bit. Get a good alignment after you are done. BTW...$550??? dang...I was quoted about $200 to do that job from one shop. But I still ended up doing it myself. All that labor I saved, paid for all my new front end parts...:) MK

Reply to
Mark Keith

Got one...

Get me on a narrow road with ruts and a decent cross wind and it gets pretty exciting...

Thanks to all for the replies, looks like something for a after-camping-season project.

David Jones djonesLSidaho.com

Reply to
IdaSpode

Indeed, point taken. I have a trip planned for next week and not enough free time to tackle it in between.

Alvin, if you leave now you could be up here and done by Monday evening. I'll be dirtbiking on Sunday, what kind of refreshments should I stock the 'fridge with?

David '03 KTM 200EXC djonesLSidaho.com

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Reply to
IdaSpode

The factory fix is to take some of the seal's space and put in a hard steel ring so the bearing surface is now the thinner portion of the housing and a very narrow portion at that. :/ And, it doesn't do anything about the loosness of the upper bearing surface either. It sucks. ;)

Anyway from what I've been told the steering gears for my year range of pickups had no bushings installed, Ford relied on the cast iron for a bearing surface. So when it wears, it's shot. :/ They came up with that steel ring idea is all but it's not a good fix by a long shot.

The way to check for play is easy, get someone to rock the steering wheel back and forth for you and put your fingers around each and every moving joint in the system.

I don't know how to describe the feel exactly maybe it's just something you learn. If you're not sure get under a few other vehicles (new and old?) and do the same thing and just learn? I need help here on that question. :/

What my sector shaft (splined and bolted to the pitman arm, 1+5/16" hex size nut) did without leaking (which is kind of weird) was first move to the side a full 1/8" and this is after 10,000 miles after the factory fix. It was worse before! The sucker would steer nice while taking a long sweeping curve on the freeway because all the play was taken up already. :) That was the one thing that made the steering feel good. :)

I had eliminated all the play in the rest of the system even in the steering column and the steering gear had me messed up because a "rebuilt one" from AutoZone was almost as bad, about 3/32" side play. I called and talked quite a while to the main tech in Phx where it was re-built and discussed the problem, he was well aware of it but couldn't do anything about it since it would require machining the steering gears. Not only the cost but the part would no longer be "stock" and all the liability that comes with that can of worms.

I called then drove around town and went in a bunch of machine shops and all wanted big bucks to bore out my steering gear and install bushings or needle bearings. Finally at Kent's Used Tools I asked about it and they sent me to a machine shop that had a line-boring tool they made for the job. But they couldn't get bearings anymore so they were out of business on that. I found some bearings on the internet (Emerson Bearing Co) and took the whole works to them including my invoice, they were happy as anything. :) I'd had the thing apart and cleaned up and in plastic bags for a couple years while I used the AutoZone one. A "rebuild kit" for the things is cheap.

So I have a machine shop in AZ but you could prob'ly find one closer now that you know what to call and ask for and where the machine shops' stumbling block might be too with Ford no longer supplying bearings. Hey, Ford can tell you the exact day they sold their last one, isn't that reassuring? ;)

About $85 for a line bore and bearing reaming.

I swear my pickup drives and steers better than new! And gets better gas milage too. If I can do it you can too.

Also toe-in is something a guy needs to do himself, the alighners always put in too much toe-in in my experience. I've tried different amounts and test drove it and found about 1/64" (almost straight) toe-in to be the best for me. '75 F150 235/85-16's on 16"x7" wheels and extra heavy springs (.740" diameter wire) both sides. My radius arm bushings are under higher than stock tension so that might have an effect. It's not rocket science it just takes time to figure out. With the internet it's so cool... you get it for free! :)

And fast!

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

Somehow I don't think it soaked in worth a hoot...

And that didn't work for either so, how about this...

Hey, old busted up dirt biker here, there's plenty of time to dirt bike later because you won't be dead from your stupid-ass trailer taking you for a ride. :) I know you are about as capible of a driver as there is on the road but sometimes shit happens. For example if you haven't been busted up on your dirt bike yet you aren't much of a rider... am I right? Also there's the liability thing and all that business if you kill or maim someone else, especially now that this thread exists and you have prior warning and knowledge, it'll be really fun for the prosecuting attorney. :)

It's not... "you don't have time for the fix" it's... "you don't have time for anything -else-" See it now? :/

Picture a sanctioned 4 wheeler race, you see how they loose control and there ain't shit the rider can do about it? ...except wait for the ground to come up and meet them? ;) You really think you can control that truck and trailer after it's too late to do anything about it? That's how it'll start, "oh shit...." Later, if or when you're conscience it'll be "oh f*ck". For what? One day of dirt bike riding?

"get your priorities straight while they are still straightenable"

-alvin

It's fun to work on 'em and yep, even your pickup but if you think I'm going to while you play... that ain't going to happen, I don't even do that for my own children, let alone someone else's. ;)

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

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