Good to know, thanks!I must admit I paid the local Fiat people ridiculous money to do this job. I did however weld fittings onto the cast iron uprights for coil overs and there was not a problem.
Interested in selling the ream? Or are you setting up a side businessAfter receiving no replies from several shops I contacted to install and ream new kingpin bushings, I decided to remove the old bushings, install new ones and ream them myself. I bought the 15.02mm (0.5913”) reamer from Rotagrip in the UK (~£100 shipped to the USA). Worked really well, I took my time and the pin is tight & in-line. Very pleased with the results.
I haven’t thought that far ahead, hmmm.Interested in selling the ream? Or are you setting up a side business
Sorry, just saw this. Other than dismantling the knuckle/spindle and removing the kingpin for cleaning, inspection and new lubrication, I don’t know how you’d get the old grease out to force the new lube in. Of course you’d be destroying the upper knuckle bushing and the grease retainers in the process.I had my Fiat 850 kingpins rebuilt in the mid-2000s by a local automotive machine shop (machine work was all they did), using a rebuild kit from Art Bayless. Thereafter, any time I attempt to grease them, the grease gushes out the top. I fear the grease is not working its way down the internal grooves. Any suggestions?
Thanks Mike. I periodically try to grease them, and figure worst case scenario, they'll have to be rebuilt again at some point.Sorry, just saw this. Other than dismantling the knuckle/spindle and removing the kingpin for cleaning, inspection and new lubrication, I don’t know how you’d get the old grease out to force the new lube in. Of course you’d be destroying the upper knuckle bushing and the grease retainers in the process.
After receiving no replies from several shops I contacted to install and ream new kingpin bushings, I decided to remove the old bushings, install new ones and ream them myself. I bought the 15.02mm (0.5913”) reamer from Rotagrip in the UK (~£100 shipped to the USA). Worked really well, I took my time and the pin is tight & in-line. Very pleased with the results.
This is awesome, but take your time and think about your setup before you start reaming. The UK reamer is shorter than the factory piloted, self-centering reamer. And getting the vertical end play of the spindle in the knuckle takes patience to get the lower spacer-shim within the required spec. The first side I completed was a little on the “tight” side. The second one was perfect. As this is my car I don’t mind the minimal variation. Good luck and be patient, figure out all your specs first.Great post. Thanks for giving me the confidence to do it myself. I just ordered a reamer from the UK. I'll post the results when I get it.
Good to know someone is doing this. I wonder which reamer he is using. I’ll have to read up.In a post on Facebook from Trent Liles aka Ditchdigger on Retrorides mentioned he does these rebuilds at Vintage Underground in Eugene OR
Might be worth contacting them. It won’t be cheap but it will be done well.
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