TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Apr 18, 2025 12:11 am

Hello all!

I am new to building beetles, my two boys and I have been working on a 1957 beetle for the last 6 months or so.

So I was installing a king pin on our 15 ton shop press and I went a mm or two too far. So I flipped over the carrier and I pressed it the other direction and POP! The socket I was using split and broke! I was like well dangit! So I switched to a impact socket and extension and I heard another Pop! Not as loud but I noticed it jammed the socket into the extension. I managed to move the king pin back the couple mm but at the expense of a nice socket from Harbor Freight that will probably cost me a buck or two to replace! Anyhow, I thought everything was ok and then I turned the carrier back and forth on the spindle and it was very tight! I loosened it up a little by turning it back and forth a few times but prior to this, it moved fairly easily.

My thoughts are maybe I should have reamed the king pin bushings more than once to get good clearance.

If anyone can help me:

1. Understand why turning the carrier or spindle is tighter now that I moved the king pin a couple mm

2. Is there a danger that I could have broken a king pin inside the carrier? Im most worried about this because I dont want it coming apart.

3. Everything looks and feels ok besides the carrier and spindle being tight. Is there any way to tell of damage without driving the car?

Using a shop press was great but I have a feeling these king pins are extremely tight in there. I couldnt tell because the press just pushes them in like nothing.

Anyway, just strange that the press had to push that hard from the other side to break a socket! I don't understand it all, maybe someone on here can help and give advice on what to do? Roll with how they are? Start over? I just dont want the car to be dangerous above all else. I have kids, 3 of them.

Alright, thanks!

Fri Apr 18, 2025 7:08 am

They should push in by hand. Ream just a tiny bit at a time until you get to that point. The number was .710”, but nothing seems to be made 100% anymore. So, a caliper, and an adjustable reamer are mandatory tools! But if you get lucky maybe tools like this would work. BTW you turn these by hand, with a handle like you would use for threading.

Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:15 pm

I would say it's close to impossible to break a king pin, unless it was defective to begin with..
And, I would press the king pin straight through, in the direction you started from, not the way that made hot tighter. Inspect everything, and reassemble.
I've seen the brass bushings crack, and I've seen a chunk of cheap spindle get peeled out and get stuck in the brass bushing.. anythings possible
SD

Sun Apr 20, 2025 4:12 pm

Thank you guys!

Mon Apr 21, 2025 8:42 am

I would push that pin back out entirely and check for damage on the bushing like a dimple that squeezed down on it.

The problem boils down to only a few items.
1. The reaming was not inline between the bushings. Or the reaming was not up to the correct size.
2. The extra push on the pin or the socket put a dent or dimple in the bronze
3. The bushing got pushed through slightly and now pinches on the spindle.
4. The carrier somehow got bent so the bushings do not align any more or it pinches too tight on the thrust washer.

Push it apart and see if the pin alone slides into position and rotates freely. That will tell you most of what could be wrong. Use a solid bar to push rather than a socket.