Spindle Bushings
 

Has anyone had a problem with the King Pin Bushings from Brattons?
Just received a call from the machinist that is installing the ones I have and he reports that if he reams them out to fit ,that he would have to ream them out 0.015 thousands which would come very close to getting into the steel of the bushing.

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

I just installed a set of Brattons spindle bushings and used a hand reaming bit on them. There appears to be plenty of bronze material left after reaming.

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

Are you using model A king pins?

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

I should hope so as they came with my King Pins in the same box from Brattons!

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

If the spindles and king pins are both model A and the correct size there should be no problem with the bushings. Are the new pins the same diameter as the ones you are replacing?

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

Joe, let me say it this way. Let's just suppose that after he reams them, there is only 0.010" of an inch of bronze left until you encounter metal. My two questions are;
1) How long will it take to wear thru that 0.010" of remaining material if properly lubricated? Are we thinking 20k miles, 40k miles, -or 60k+ miles??

2) What are your expectations as far as longevity?? These bushings are a serviceable item much like tires, engine babbitt, oil, etc. where the is an expectation to be replaced at some point.

My personal take is if the Spindle Bolt and Bushings are kept lubricated with a quality grease, then the bushings will last a long, long time.

On a side note, the biggest issue that causes a bushing failure (-outside of lack of lubrication) is a poor job of fitting the pin. Hand Reamers, -especially dull ones, tend to chatter when they are rotated intermittently leaving a surface much akin to a saw tooth. This gives a false sense of fitment as the pin is being supported only by the microscopic high points of the bushing. Because of the lack of support, the pressure wears those high spots which allows for increased clearance. This is why honing to size is much superior to reaming.

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

Thank you for your idea, I could have chosen reaming over honing but chose the hone. We are just giving our advise and both ideas are correct. We probably need to know if Cape Codder got any thing from our answers and thoughts.

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

I assume the average restorer would have to purchase such a tool, rather than detaching the entire front axle and taking it somewhere, which would be a lot of work, wouldn't it?

Re: Spindle Bushings
 

Typically the front Spindles are easily removed from the front axle beam by removing the Spindle Bolts (King Pins). Inside each Spindle are two bushings. The old ones are removed, and new bushings pressed into the Spindle. Since the Spindles are no longer located on the vehicle, they can be easily taken to a machine shop that has pin-fitting capabilities. The vendor supplied reamers are not used on the axle beam itself, so no need to remove the axle from the vehicle to replace the bushings or pins unless the axle has damage in the locking pin area.