OT need to talk with a heavy truck mechanic fast

im working on my kenworth w900b, it has a eaton 12,000 lb front steer axle and it destroyed the bearing and shims that go under the axle, but on top of the spindle where the kingpin goes thru, ive got a new set of kinpins and all the associated parts, bearings, shims ect, the problem is the kingpin is stuck in the axle,[ yes i took the horizonal locking stud out] i dont really want to heat this up as i dont have access to a reamer for the new bushings, the kingpins are tight not worn, i just need to install the new bearing ans shims is there any other way to get it to come out [ a 12 pound sledge wont move it neither will jacking the truck up so its weight rests on the kingpin from the bottom] ive tried to find a online repair manuel for the axle but cant find anuthing usefull

Hello! Been there...done that! I"ve replaced a LOT of king pins over the years. You are going to need a king pin press. Snap-on sells them (mine cost $2,000). Or, you can build a simple one from heavy-wall 2" or 3" square tube, and use a bottle jack as a hydraulic press. I did this until I could afford to buy a press. It works well. As a last resort, you may have to apply a little heat (not too much). Be safe, and good luck!
Merlin

yup exactly as merlin said, gota build yourself a fast kingpin press, i have one thats just a rectangle with 2x3 tubing up the sides and 3 inch channel welded across the top and bottom, front and back kinda like a h frame shop press. just put a bottle jack in there and have at it, often jack pressure then shock the eye with a hammer helps. also if ya try the hammer method again, make sure the axle is blocked up as close to the end as possible to get the least shock absorbed by the axle, and make sure ya dont bugger up those fine thread that the kingpin cap screw into on most of the kw axles, been there done that! also ya shouldnt need a reamer with most of the newer kits, the kenworth kits are usualy some type of dimpled plastic bushings that are no ream type, just did a set last week, and the kaiser kits are spiraled steel that also dont need reaming. dont be affraid to throw a little heat on the eye, obviously not red hot, but warm often helps, like just enought to start to burn the paint and stop, this also helps to draw the penetrating oil into it too. dont wanna get it too hot or the temper of the eye could be affected, altho thats unlikely a worry unless ya get way too crazy with the torch which some guys do. now worst case scenario is that ya have to cut the pin above and below the eye, easy to do once ya cut the thrust bearing outa the way, then ya gota burn out the remaining pin in the eye of the axle, not fun, alot of molten metal rolling around, but did have to do that once! one more thing, not sure about all kw axles, but one time i beat my brains out on a IH kingpin only to realize it had two keeper wedges and i had only removed one!

thanks guys, i'll try some heat tommorrow, but i wont go crazy with that i may have to build a press, the gravel pit i haul for has a big shop press but its several miles away and short of removing the entire axle from the truck and trying to sling it from a crane while i work on it which isnt real praticle ill just have to hope one of these ways will work, thanks again, eric

They always freeze in the axle.

Put the hot wrench to 'er; biggest rosebud you can find. Don't jack around with it; get 'er good and hot; I mean cherry, red, HOT and that pin will come right outta there.

Take the spindle and the new bushings/king pin to the nearest machine shop. They can size 'em for ya in just a few minutes.

Allan

A little trick I learned years ago.If you have to cut the pin out of the axle,drill a hole down the center of the pin to let the slag from the cut get out.It does help if you need to go that route.Good Luck

Yup, I second Merlin from Rushford. My Snap-on
King pin press cost about $200 in 1974, 35 years
ago, but i"ve never been sorry that I bought it.
Todays price reflects the cost of inflation, but
I was making $4 per hour then, minimum wage was
$1.25
You can probably go to snap-on.com, and do a
search, to see what one looks like.

You dont need a press,or even a rosebud.You need a BFH and some sort of big punch,preferably made out of brass and a brave helper.You take the brass,put a handle on it of some sort,Snap On makes a handle for a punch that a big piece of brass will fit in.Craftsman probably does too or you can make one,or even a big pair of Vise Grips.Then you put the brass on top,hit it with the big hammer as hard as possible.You might want to remove any brake lines or fittings a wild hit would break.The last resort is the rosebud.That is the way big truck king pins are,stuck.If you use lots of penetrating oil and a piece of brass and hit it hard,it will come out.I used to do it every day.Also before you heat it up real hot you can cut the bearing out if you are good with a torch(dont nick the spindle or axle)then cut the king pin off under the bearing,knock that bottom piece out(it usually falls out)jack spindle up,cut betweem spindle and axle on top,pull spindle off out of the way,then hit piece thats left in the axle using brass drift so you dont brad the end of it.If you dont have a piece of brass leave as much above the axle as you can,remove spindle,beat with big sledge hammer until piece in axle moves,cut braded piece off of king pin,use big punch and knock out rest of pin.They usually dont take all of that before they come out,sometimes a jack under the pin will push the pin up and you can drench it in penetrating oil then knock it right out without even getting mean with it.Of course you would have the tire and wheel off to do all of this.

I don't know how it is over your way, but 2 of the shops in this area will RENT you a king pin press, OR some shops can send a service truck out to press them out. If you reuse the pins (if they're that tight, no grease has been to them foe a while, and will score the bushings)run a reamer through to remove score marks and allow easy installation.

this method always worked for us.

ERIC,YOU SAY DROVE OUT 1 LOCK WEDGE?THERE SHOULD BE 2.ON LARGER AXLES LIKE YOURS THEY HAVE A NUT ON 1 SIDE;ON SMALLER AXLES THEY DON'T.BUT ANYWAY MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BOTH OUT.AND THEN BEAT IT OUT.IT WILL TAKE A 12 LB SLEDGE HAMMER AND A BRAVE HELPER TO HOLD THE PUNCH.MARK