TheSamba.com :: View topic - Link pin question

Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:40 pm

I am pulling my spindles and arms to install a beam and the link pins have flat spots at the ends and im guessing they are for adjusting.. Can I just tap them out without hurting anything or do they need to be in a certain position?

Thanks

Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:43 pm

therealfrogman wrote: I am pulling my spindles and arms to install a beam and the link pins have flat spots at the ends and im guessing they are for adjusting.. Can I just tap them out without hurting anything or do they need to be in a certain position?

Thanks did you remove the bolts that ride in the groove to adjust the link pins? yes the flats are for adjustment of link pins.

Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:00 pm

Yes I did remove the two bolts. I was able to tap the assembly off but it took alot of patience. This front end stuff is all new to me so do I just clean everything up and put it back together or do I replace link pins ?

Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:08 pm

Just lay under the front of the caron your back facing the link pins and grad the bumper and push the car side to side and if you see alot of play go ahead and replace the king pins and link pins. Do you notice the front end feeling loose when you hit big bumps in the road? If you do replace them. :)

Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:53 am

If you are putting in a new beam and it was difficult to remove the link pins, then it probably hasn't been cared for and greased properly. It sounds as if it is all dry.

So logic would say that the king & link pin bushings are probably worn.

And you are going through this work to replace the beam. I would also guess you want it to ride well and feel good when it is done and not be wandering all over the road.

This is the right time to get a good GERMAN king & link pin set and carry your spindles and new parts to your local machine shop. Have the new bushings pressed in and REAMED and the spindles assembled.

Then go home and install your newly rebuilt spindles on your new beam. It should ride like a new car.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:02 pm

Thank you all. Now I am looking at this sway bar and thinking that it needs to be cut off..

Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:36 pm

NO! Don't cut it. there are clips that slide on to keep the bands tight. Then the tab on the end of the clip is bent over so it can't come off.

Bend the tab back out and then use a punch and hammer to drive the clip off.

you may want this stuff latter!

Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:27 pm

Okay, I see what you mean about the clips. Can you give me some guidance on how to get the arms off? I have the nuts and screws off the end of them and I cant see anything else holding them in. Do I just pound on it? Hell this is some serious work! I was gonna just drop the beam and deal with it on the ground but now I need to figure out how to get in there and bend the tabs holding the bolts tight.... :shock:

OMG I still love it and im pumped, I aint scared! :P

Any advice you got just keep it coming, I appreciate the help.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:15 am

Its a lot easier doing this part with the beam in the car, unless you have a stand set up to hold the beam once it's out.

Out of the car, its difficult to hold it. And it gets heavy.

You already have the spindles off right?

Now go get a new roll of paper towells and have an open trash can ready right where you are working. Cause you are going to be putting grease covered paper towells in there as you go. If you plan for this before getting started, it will keep you from having a big mess latter.

Next step is to get a few large card board boxes cause when you pull the torsion leaves, they are covered in grease. It makes things a little easier if you don't get the leaves mixed up. Not a big deal if one stack gets mixed up, but you don't want to put both stacks together and have them get mixed up. And you need to keep them clean. You don't want to set them down in the gravel drive way.

Since you are transferring from one beam to another, you just need to pull the arms off one side.

At the base of the arm near the beam, there is an allan screw with a big nut around it. This is called the GRUB screw and lock nut. First, clean ALL the dirt out of that allan screw. Then loosen the big nut and turn the allan screw out - since you are having trouble, take it ALL the way out.

The top arm should now pull off the end of the torsion bar stack. If its stuck, use a big soft hammer to give it a few wams and it should move. Sometimes they have been in place so long, they are scared to go somewhere else.

You will have to get the sway bar off before you try to remove the lower arm. Also the shock. But then, it is the same proceedure as the top one.

Once both arms are off one side, then go to the center of the beam. Here you will find another grub screw on each tube of the beam. Remove them.

Now go to the other side where the arms are still on. Leave these grub screws and lock nuts in place. Pull, or hammer the arms and they will slide out bringing the torsion bar leaf stacks with them.

Put each arm into a clean cardboard box and try your hardest to keep dirt and sand from getting on them. They will be covered with grease and so will you!

There is no reason to clean this old grease away unless it has grit or water in it. If its clean, just leave it.

Keeping the torsion leaves in the arms saves you some work and also makes transferring them to the new beam a little easier.

Once you have this done, then you can deal with getting the beam out.

If you still have the steering box in place, you may want to pull it off now. Again, it just makes things lighter.

Then in the front of the beam, you will find 2 uprights that each have 2 bolts holding the beam to the frame head.

Under these bolts is a lock tab. You need to use a small chisle and hammer and pry the lock tab away from the heads of the bolts so you can get a socket on the bolts.

Then remove the 4 bolts and let the beam drop. Keep your head out of the way!

Now,

Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:37 pm

I have the steering box left to pull and a question. Do I split the column by removing the two bolts on the round plate, or do I do it somewhere else? I have the tie rod ends off and the nuts holding the bracket to the beam but it looks like if I split the steering column I can drop the steering box with the beam. Am I correct ?

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:14 pm

Yes - disconnect the box from the coupler (2 bolts) - the column can be slid back out of your way and away you go. If you are planning to use stock spindles and don't want to hassle with reaming, etc. So-Cal Imports sells complete rebuilt spindle/steering knuckle assemblies. They run about $130 a pair complete and include the new link pins. There is a $100 core charge. You do need the spacers and new bearings. I put a set on my 65 bug about a month ago and love em.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:30 pm

Thanks, I got the SOB out and im happy about it. I was just planning on putting the spindles on the new beam without doing anything to them. I am new to front ends so I dont really know what you mean by reaming. What will need to be reamed? This is a project car so I have time to do it right... I think..

Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:22 pm

Wolfgang also sells exchange rebuilt spindles, I bought a set for my 62 a couple of months back now.

http://www.wolfgangint.com/Parts/Reconditioned+King+Pin+Spindles/Type+1/

What they mean by reamed, is the bushings for the kingpin are not supplied cut to their final size. After they are installed you have to run a proper size reamer through them to get them to their final diameter, then put the pins in / assemble the steering knuckle. As mentioned, this is a machine shop job.

-Andy

Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:04 am

glutamodo wrote: Wolfgang also sells exchange rebuilt spindles, I bought a set for my 62 a couple of months back now.

http://www.wolfgangint.com/Parts/Reconditioned+King+Pin+Spindles/Type+1/

What they mean by reamed, is the bushings for the kingpin are not supplied cut to their final size. After they are installed you have to run a proper size reamer through them to get them to their final diameter, then put the pins in / assemble the steering knuckle. As mentioned, this is a machine shop job.

-Andy

They don't supply the bushings to the proper size because the pressing operation will distort the bushing. This changes the ID of the bushing hole. There is no way to know what that ID will be after pressing them in. So when they are pressed, they need to be reamed to size.

You can't drill them because a drill bit is NOT accurate and it leaves a nasty burred up finish. The reamer leaves a nice, smooth, proper size hole.

Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:26 am

If your kingpins are tight (and not tight because of rust) you are OK. If you are installing new link pins, the set usually comes with new linkpin bushings and these can just be pressed in with a vice and socket without reaming or anything. Look up the proper shim set up in your manual. Not rocket science, but keep in mind that if yours call for using 8 shims, make sure that you have the O-rings and retainers......If not you have to use 10 shims. ask me how I know :oops: