1975 ford f100 supercab-360cu in
well I got my cab supports installed. got the floor pans in, good brakes all the way around, fix a flat in my front tires, clean oil and a filter!
she rides much better. and stops even!
nice to feel safe in the old beast again.
well kinda safe. that steering damper ain t quite right. I know, I installed it a couple of months ago…
…and I wonder if kingpins are important? I need to check those things…
…anyone know anything about kingpins?
Good to hear your truck is rolling down the road again. Have all the suspension and steering grease fittings been lubed recently? Sometimes my Ford truck will steer a little weird, balky, shake a little during turns, if those have lost their lubrication & stiffened up.
yeah I greased her up last spring
probably only 100 miles on it since then…
I remember Ray talking about replacing king pins on the show. I’ve never had to do it, but I expect replacing them isn’t an uncommon thing on vehicles which have them. Why do you think there’s a problem with the kingpins? Do you observe some play in them?
oh, I don t know. I ve never had a problem with one, so I m due I guess. the wheel doesn’t seem quite plumb to me. it moves a bit when you jack it up. the bottom kinda slips inboard. both sides really. I don t really have a good idea how it all works yet. I ll read my manual, if those pages aren t too greasy…
it rides straight if I let go of the wheel
Went for a decade at least in my f100 without power steering, high pressure hose @$450 fix, Power steering is for sissies!
If you need to replace the kingpins, it’s a bit of work
The new bushings need to be reamed to fit the new kingpins. Plus there are upper and lower shims. It needs a certain amount of clearance, not too much, not too little
If you have kept them greased regularly, they might just be okay
Kingpins are just like any other front end component, If they let the wheel move and you see movement at that component , you have to replace it. The kingpins job is to let the spindle that holds the wheel rotate around a vertical axis without letting the spindle move in any other direction. I remember them as being difficult to remove and usually requiring a torch.
Just a warning, fix-a-flat has a lot of water in it and if left in the tire, it will rust the rims from the inside.
yeah, rusty rims are why I need the fix a flat… 
I do label them with a paint stick on the inside so the tire guys will be aware. I got cursed once for not telling a guy at a junkyard in Plymouth MA. that I had added fix a flat. not cursed in a bad way, just for educational purposes…
plan is to clean up the old wagon wheel rims and paint them black. I m using the hubcaps from a 76 parts truck I had right now. in a perfect world I d powder coat them, but NAPA engine enamel is more likely…
Besides from the misinformation you received from someone on this board, Fix-A-Flat is temporary repair for a tire. It’s used to get you to a place to get the tire repaired/replaced
Repair or replace the tires the Fix-A-Flat was used.
Tester
yes tester I m aware. the fix a flat is my own idea and responsibility.
next month i hope to be able to afford two good used tires for the front. i ll sand and paint the rims before they are mounted. until then i m tired of dragging the compressor out every few days, depending on how i park. if they hold air for 28 more days i m golden.
the rims are rusty, that s why i m losing air. the tires are crap in front anyway, it s time for new ones.
Some Ford king pins use plastic bushings and can be replaced fairly easily but if put off too long the pin will wear through the bushing and damage the spindle.
http://www.theautopartsshop.com/auto+car-usa+parts+year/ford+f_100+steering-king-pin-set+1975.html
thanks rod. its 40 yrs old now and was used in the woods, hauling firewood before i got it. i m concerned about the kingpins. praying for spring in January and February this year. when my daughter gets out of school in 5yrs, i m heading south a little. coastal north Carolina and Virginia have most of the same flora and fauna, and less cold weather.
i ve pretty much decided to keep old blue forever. my son told me that a fellow rebuilding a 73 was interested in buying it, but i said no. heck, the grill alone is worth a bit of cash and that old 360 may outlast the frame…
@wesw
About the kingpins . . .
Does the truck squeak when making slow turns?
Does the steering feel loose?
Any odd noises from the front end?
no, its ok in that regard.