Bigvtwin996
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- Jul 19, 2011
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Well there has been much talk about Kingpins and the whys and wherefores of doing them or paying for exchange ones..
Personally I like to DIM (do it Myself) not for saving time or money simply because If i do something and it's done by the book I know it's done right, and if it isn't there is only me to blame... 12 months or 12,000 miles warranty sound great, but then there is the proving something was fitted correctly blaa blahh so most just accept it and replace..
One of the problems we have is the "old school" repair/recondition shops are dying out, and I like to see the threads where people have done stuff themselves and given all the pitfalls of the "replacements that we have to deal with, and seeing those pitfalls makes me wonder do the people who most likely use the same "kits" to do reconditioning actually re engineer them so they are correct if faulty.
So, there has been much talk about the kits and how to put them together, but going back a stage how were the bushes replaced/reamed originally done... I have spent some time looking at the general reaming of king pins for other cars and the possibilities for a 500.. so what tools did the factory supply to dealers?
Well if you have Factory supplied Workshop manuals they usually show an array of amazing devices for doing all sorts of things from undoing a steering wheel center nut to checking the chassis alignment.. I am not sure Haynes show these things as they would most likely not had access to the tools... my own experience of using the 8mm spanner to undo the "bypass flange nut" is not the same as Mr Haynes, and the "offset rotary displacement pump" is actually still in the general mechanical device and not sitting on a work bench which would mean removing 27 other components so I can't get the spanner in...
So bear in mind my books are for the Prototype version of the 500 the "N"uvoa
here are the pics of the tools in use for refurbishing kingpins..
Well
1) Suspension Bush removal
2) King pin Bush removal
3) check stub-axle/Kingpin top/bottom alignment to see it is not twisted
4) Insert new bushes
(have missed out pic insert bushes as the same tool is used to remove them)
5) Ream Bushes
This answers the questions of what sort of reamer was used.. a single pilot reamer, two reamers... Well a big long one!!!!
ohh but what if you don't ream them straight?????
6) Check bush alignment and ... take measurements... WHAT!!!! (note Arrow)
I love the special cloth used in the Vice obviously to prevent damage...
After reassembly...... (I may cover that in another thread.... or add it on here when my brain recovered from translating..)
7) Take your Castor/Camber measuring Factory tool - Not going onto all the pics here
8) do lots of reading twisting to various positions and apply to the formula...
9) Insert the appropriate shims - hands up who has done this???
to correct any changes to the defined settings, caused by any changes in the angles of the steering created when re bushing the kingpins
Isn't that a nice little eye opener!!!
the tools for cylinder head work are simply ingenious works of mechanical art
10) congratulate yourself on a job well done as you know that no garage would have done the last part! Have a sit down and a drink as you deserve it.
Requests for more pictures of such wonders are open for discussion...
If there is a particular thing anyone would like.... let me know I'll see if I have the stuff here to upload...
Personally I like to DIM (do it Myself) not for saving time or money simply because If i do something and it's done by the book I know it's done right, and if it isn't there is only me to blame... 12 months or 12,000 miles warranty sound great, but then there is the proving something was fitted correctly blaa blahh so most just accept it and replace..
One of the problems we have is the "old school" repair/recondition shops are dying out, and I like to see the threads where people have done stuff themselves and given all the pitfalls of the "replacements that we have to deal with, and seeing those pitfalls makes me wonder do the people who most likely use the same "kits" to do reconditioning actually re engineer them so they are correct if faulty.
So, there has been much talk about the kits and how to put them together, but going back a stage how were the bushes replaced/reamed originally done... I have spent some time looking at the general reaming of king pins for other cars and the possibilities for a 500.. so what tools did the factory supply to dealers?
Well if you have Factory supplied Workshop manuals they usually show an array of amazing devices for doing all sorts of things from undoing a steering wheel center nut to checking the chassis alignment.. I am not sure Haynes show these things as they would most likely not had access to the tools... my own experience of using the 8mm spanner to undo the "bypass flange nut" is not the same as Mr Haynes, and the "offset rotary displacement pump" is actually still in the general mechanical device and not sitting on a work bench which would mean removing 27 other components so I can't get the spanner in...
So bear in mind my books are for the Prototype version of the 500 the "N"uvoa
here are the pics of the tools in use for refurbishing kingpins..
Well
1) Suspension Bush removal
2) King pin Bush removal
3) check stub-axle/Kingpin top/bottom alignment to see it is not twisted
4) Insert new bushes
(have missed out pic insert bushes as the same tool is used to remove them)
5) Ream Bushes
This answers the questions of what sort of reamer was used.. a single pilot reamer, two reamers... Well a big long one!!!!
ohh but what if you don't ream them straight?????
6) Check bush alignment and ... take measurements... WHAT!!!! (note Arrow)
I love the special cloth used in the Vice obviously to prevent damage...
After reassembly...... (I may cover that in another thread.... or add it on here when my brain recovered from translating..)
7) Take your Castor/Camber measuring Factory tool - Not going onto all the pics here
8) do lots of reading twisting to various positions and apply to the formula...
9) Insert the appropriate shims - hands up who has done this???
to correct any changes to the defined settings, caused by any changes in the angles of the steering created when re bushing the kingpins
Isn't that a nice little eye opener!!!
the tools for cylinder head work are simply ingenious works of mechanical art
10) congratulate yourself on a job well done as you know that no garage would have done the last part! Have a sit down and a drink as you deserve it.
Requests for more pictures of such wonders are open for discussion...
If there is a particular thing anyone would like.... let me know I'll see if I have the stuff here to upload...
; but I digress. They had an actual "cut-and-shut" sporty '80's Escort impounded by the Police. The story was that it was at least three bodyshells stitched together with "shoddy" welding. TBH, a lot of the welding that could be seen was better than I have seen in a lot of restorations. It had poor shut-lines etc, but ditto with many restorations. 
