![]() The equipment stays in operation and overall downtime is reduced. By identifying the trailers that have wear rates at your target repair range you can then schedule kingpin refurbishment for a specific time that does not impact your daily operations. Kingpin refurbishment requires less logistical support and the overall cost is inexpensive compared to replacement. Kingpin Refurbishment Requires Less Logistical Support Proactive repairs also save revenue in other ways. Refurbishing the kingpin proactively not only saves on future maintenance to the fifth wheel but makes the rig safer to operate. Ideally, kingpins should be refurbished before the wear rate reaches the operational threshold of. These kingpins should be repaired or replaced immediately.īut which method is best? Kingpin Refurbishment and Canada would not meet current standards for acceptable tolerances. It’s estimated that, if inspected, about 30% of all kingpins currently in use on trailers in the U.S. These are NORS king pin sets.Does doing a kingpin refurbishment make more sense than doing a replacement? Commercial fleets are focused on reducing the total cost of operation, so this is an important connection management issue.Įventually, the kingpin refurbishment or replacement will become necessary on all working rigs. If you need king pins for your 31 Chevy, I believe i have standard. This has now been illegal to do for a number of years because of a safety issue. Then use an adjustable reamer to fit the new king pin. We would heat the axle eye up red hot with a torch and then hammer it down to shrink it and then let it cool slowly. Usually you try putting shims in until they are just snug and then leave one out.īack in the 80s when I first started working on heavy trucks, it was common for an axle with a single wedge pin to slightly wobble out. ![]() Do not get too tight or the grease caps will blow off when greasing the assembly after it is assembled. Shim the area between the top axle eye face and lower spindle eye face to get the correct thrust. This will simulate the load on the thrust bearing. Apply enough pressure to just barely lift the axle off the jack stand. Then place a small bottle just or floor jack under the bottom end of the spindle with a block of wood. When assembling the spindle back on the axle, installed the king pin and thrust bearing dry. Before installing the spindle on the axle eye, touch up the thrust surfaces with a file to get rid of any nicks or uneven areas that will give you a false reading when checking the thickness of the thrust washers to be installed. Using a piloted reamer will work but a better fit is the outcome of line honing. If possible, have your kingpins fitted in the new bushings at a machine shop that can line hone them. This will let you know what to possibly expect when you take it all apart. Before taking the front axle apart, check for wheel bearing play by tightening the wheel bearings to see if your play goes away, tighten up the wedge bolt in the axle eye to see if the king pin is actually loose in the axle eye and with the axle on jack stands, use a heavy prey bar and block of wood to see how much up and down play you have. If excessive were is noted in these areas, then a special hardened thicker shim may be need to be installed to control the up and down play of the spindle. Most kingpin kits only come with up to 4 thrust washers. Beside getting everything apart, the main thing to check is kingpin fit in the axle eye and excessive wear on the thrust areas between the face inside the spindle and the face of the axle eye where the shims washers and thrust bearing are supported. ![]() As retired heavy truck technician, I replaced a fair amount of kingpins in my time.
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