How easy are kingpins to replace?

[edc1953]

Hello,

I first noticed that 53 Manhattan driver side Wheel starts to shake (wobble) at 58-64 MPH. When the car is Jacked up and the tire is grabbed at the top and shaken it seems to move slightly back and forth. My son happened me shake the tire so I can see what what going on. It seems (lookin in the Manual) that where the Steering knuckle and the Steering support come together there seems to be a KINGPIN.

See Ref. http://kaiserfan.auto.officelive.com/images/sK53.jpg and http://kaiserfan.auto.officelive.com/images/smK53.jpg

Now questions:
How hard is this to replace?
I have a box (that came with the car) that I believe is a new King Pin set, How can I tell if it is the correct one? There is a number on the box, but just written on a white box, no other markings.

The manual said I need to take out the break shoes, Do I really need to remove the break shoes?
It said to (after taking apart the whole wheel assembly) remove the steering arm from the bottom and then remove the lock pin. Does this kingpin and bushing and bearing just fall out? do I have to press them out?

Can this be done quickly on a weekend? or Should I just find a shop to change them out for me?

I plan on getting the whole front end adjusted, when I get new tires later this summer, but I need to get rid of this large issue first.
Thanks,
*EDC*

[Gordie]

Unless you are a qualified mechanic with lots of tools I would not attempt a kingpin replacement job by myself.  It is a lot of work and will require an alignment when you are finished.  Most shops would welcome you bringing in the hard to find parts to help make the job easier for them.  Just make sure that you do have a correct and complete king pin set with all of the parts.  You could show the shop what you have and ask their opinion.  King pin sets are available if what you have doesn't work.

[HJ-ETEX]

Folks, 51-55 Kaisers are unique in that the correct kingpin kit does not require a special driver to install the bushings nor is reaming required. (That ain't true for HJ or Darrin)
Actually in addition to the upper & lower bushings and the kingpin, there is a thrust bearing and thin shims to adjust clearance. If you have the kit, it takes about 1 hour per side to install the kingpins, assuming you resist the opportunity to clear and paint components and grease the wheel bearings.
But, you may find that adding a shim between the thrust bearing and knuckle will take up the play.

[edc1953]

Thanks for the advice.
I found the correct kit (205777) $88.00 w/shipping which  I think is reasonable. Also found a local shop in Portland (in case you need them: Lineup Shop 503-234-9797) that would install them for hourly wage with a Est. of 1.5 hours per side. (A lot of shops around here will tell me they will not work on it unless they can get the parts (and they can not) then they can't warranty the work.) I think I will have them do both sides at the same time. He said " I have not done one of these Kaisers since 72, I look forward to working on it."
That works fine for me. Now for a sunny day so I can get the car over there and we will have a smooth ride again at high speeds. I can't wait Who knows, maybe I will even be able to drive it to the National next year in SD, Ca.

Thanks again for the comment -

BTW: I think this is more than a shim needed to get rid of all the play in the front wheel.
We will see, I will let you know how is goes.

[HJ-ETEX]

Kingpins are heavy steel alloy. When you get the old ones out, use your thumb to FEEL for wear. I have seen a lot of valve stems that were worn, yet the wear was not so visibly apparent as it was detectable by your fingers.

[1948 Kaiser]

Kanter Auto sells complete front end kits for Kaiser-Frazer 46-55
Here is the link to the '53 front end kit. Individual pieces can also be had.
http://www.kanter.com///productdetail.aspx?Tg=4217379&Mak=Kaiser-Frazer&Yr=53&Dv=1&Dpt=1600&Sb=0&Vdr=&Itm=&MDv=1&MDpt=0&MSb=0&Cat=39&Prc=181

[ben-tex]

Is there a listing that shows the actual components supplied by Kanter in the kit? The description just says "4 shafts".

[Fid]

I've had Kanter's past catalogs and they always broke the "Front End Kits" out into components in the catalog.

[1948 Kaiser]

We just bought a "master" kit for our '48 and this is what we received;
4 A-arm shafts with ends and seals (the shafts that mount the a-arms to the frame)
King pin kit (pins, bushings, shims, caps and bearings)
Upper spindle "eccentric" shaft with ends and seals (mounts the inner spindle to the upper a-arm)
Lower spindle shaft with ends and seals (mounts the inner spindle to the lower a-arm)
2 outer tie rod ends
We had to order the inners seperate but they are the same as the outers on '48 just swap the left outer to right inner and right outer to left inner.