1941 spindles, kingpins, and steering arms

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by Ggmac

I’ve got a set that came with the 41 coupe . Speedway round spindles , bolt on arms and new king pins . Previous owner just threw money at it and never got it moving .
I just rebuilt the original. You can do it . Just ask alot of questions and take pictures. Speedway does sell a set of bearings that replace the bushings and require no reaming . I never tried them so I cant comment on them.

Keep your Ford spindles and save headaches with the bolt on steering arms.
Stick with the regular bushings, the needle bearing king pin sets are not needed for any application. And as others have said get the bushing fitted to a hand press fit on a Sunnen hone.

[Ggmac]

Originally Posted by Fordors

Keep your Ford spindles and save headaches with the bolt on steering arms.
Stick with the regular bushings, the needle bearing king pin sets are not needed for any application. And as others have said get the bushing fitted to a hand press fit on a Sunnen hone.

Thats what I said ! Have you actually used the needle bearing sets ? Its only upside is that a person with no capability of honing the regular bushings can get his car on the road .

[hueyhoolihan]

Originally Posted by TJ

Along with others you just need to rebuild the existing spindles if they are the problem. Then check all the other components. A little wear in all the steering components can multiply into some bad steering symptoms. I have no idea where you live in California, but we have a shop in Napa that has experience in old Ford suspension and steering.

i wouldn't mind a pleasant drive to and from Napa (i'm only about 40 miles away) to drop off and pick up a set of spindles and kingpins to be replaced. what's the shop's name?

[hueyhoolihan]

Originally Posted by Ggmac

I’ve got a set that came with the 41 coupe . Speedway round spindles , bolt on arms and new king pins . Previous owner just threw money at it and never got it moving .
I just rebuilt the original. You can do it . Just ask alot of questions and take pictures. Speedway does sell a set of bearings that replace the bushings and require no reaming . I never tried them so I cant comment on them.

thanks,

i know the spindles that came with the car have the bushings already in the spindles and they are reamed to fit the kingpins. all i need are steering arms...i think.

and it looks like i may need a "Y" shaped arm of some sort, in addition to the two steering arms, that fits on one of the steering arms. something like these maybe: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ford-...gnid=199249975

the consigner said the car was lowered a little, but i can't tell. it's possible i guess, but i don't think it's got a dropped front axle. as it was most likely shown in a car show class focusing on originality.

but what do i know? i'm not a car show attendee nor do i hang with car enthusiasts. this is my first american made vintage car. my focus is on multi-day solo trips with a bit of camping...the car is in excellent cosmetic condition, it just needs a bit of mechanical work to make a reliable long distance tourer...i hope.

[Bruce of MN]

FWIW, I rebuilt the front spindles on my very similar Model A with my vise for pressing in the bushings and a borrowed adjustable piloted reamer. It isn't magic.

[hueyhoolihan]

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Originally Posted by Ggmac

I’ve got a set that came with the 41 coupe . Speedway round spindles , bolt on arms and new king pins . Previous owner just threw money at it and never got it moving .
I just rebuilt the original. You can do it . Just ask alot of questions and take pictures. Speedway does sell a set of bearings that replace the bushings and require no reaming . I never tried them so I cant comment on them.

the new speedway spindles and kingpins that were in the trunk when i bought the car are the simple brass bushing ones and the standard kingpins. they're special only in the sense that Speedway had already pressed in the brass bushings and reamed them to fit the kingpins.

[alchemy]

Do you know which bolt on arms you would need? Do you know how to determine which? Every manufacturer makes them slightly different. I doubt any make them intended for use on a stock axle. Maybe you get lucky and the first set fit fine. Or maybe you get to buy another set.

Or maybe you eliminate the headache and a local guy can hone some new bushings in your original spindles.

[kartrae7]

Can you get the spindles off the axle to begin with? It really doesn't matter which pair spindles you use but in the end the originals will be cheaper in my opinion better for you application. You already have the king pin set. The speedway ones will fit the ford spindles. Any machine shop the does engine work can and most likely will, and has done plenty of bushings. Sell the speedway spindles for $150.

[Ggmac]

Well , I wouldn’t have used the original spindles if the new speedway stuff was better . If you still have the original, use them . Theres so much more possible complication coming your way if you decide to use the aftermarket spindles. For instance , camber angle , ackerman , having the correct bolt on arms , that will probably need heating and bending .
There is a reason my set , like yours is sitting in a box with the disc brake kit .
I have used speedway spindles on a light T bucket build . The problems that arose I’ve already brought up .

[hueyhoolihan]

Originally Posted by kartrae7

Can you get the spindles off the axle to begin with? It really doesn't matter which pair spindles you use but in the end the originals will be cheaper in my opinion better for you application. You already have the king pin set. The speedway ones will fit the ford spindles. Any machine shop the does engine work can and most likely will, and has done plenty of bushings. Sell the speedway spindles for $150.

thanks for the response...

although i've never done it, i don't know why i wouldn't be able to get them off the axle, the undercarriage is clean and neat. is there some difficulty i should expect?

[Ggmac]

Support the front axle , use good jack stands . Remove wheel and drums . Remove tie rods ( look up on line ) remove brake flex line , remove king pin retainer bolt . Take a few pictures but not too many parts to reassemble. King pin should slide out , may need a little nudge with a hammer using a BRASS punch . The bearing should pull out and the spindle will drop . Be careful, The backing plates should be removed before removing the king pin retainer bolt. I forgot to get that in sequence. Many old shop manuals on ebay that will guide you better than my post can , but you can do it . Pictures and questions will surely help .

[hueyhoolihan]

Originally Posted by Ggmac

Support the front axle , use good jack stands . Remove wheel and drums . Remove tie rods ( look up on line ) remove brake flex line , remove king pin retainer bolt . Take a few pictures but not too many parts to reassemble. King pin should slide out , may need a little nudge with a hammer using a BRASS punch . The bearing should pull out and the spindle will drop . Be careful, The backing plates should be removed before removing the king pin retainer bolt. I forgot to get that in sequence. Many old shop manuals on ebay that will guide you better than my post can , but you can do it . Pictures and questions will surely help .

i installed a reproduction steering rack in my '53 MG a year or two ago so have a rough idea of what i'm getting into. but nothing specific.

[NealinCA]

Where on the Central Coast are you located? I am in Atascadero and can press in new bushings and hone the new king pins to fit using a Sunnen pin hone. I've probably done over 100 pairs of early Ford spindles, so something I can knock out pretty quickly.

I agree with everyone else. Re-use the original spindles!

[Ggmac]

Go Neal . Very nice .

[rich b]

Originally Posted by Ggmac

King pin should slide out, may need a little nudge with a hammer using a BRASS punch.

Wow!

[hueyhoolihan]

Originally Posted by NealinCA

Where on the Central Coast are you located? I am in Atascadero and can press in new bushings and hone the new king pins to fit using a Sunnen pin hone. I've probably done over 100 pairs of early Ford spindles, so something I can knock out pretty quickly.

I agree with everyone else. Re-use the original spindles!

thanks for the offer! i'm up in the East Bay area (San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland).

anyway...i think i have the answer to my question of whether or not i would need to purchase steering arms, at least, with the spindles i found in my trunk (see Post #1). so that's settled.

i may or may not have to replace the spindles in the car, but as of yet not verified that i need them. that has yet to be determined.

there's a gentleman, now retired, that i've been in contact with up in Santa Rosa (Vern Tardel) that has offered his services WRT to the engine and he may or may not be of service if and when i need suspension work.

[itslow]

Originally Posted by hueyhoolihan

and it looks like i may need a "Y" shaped arm of some sort, in addition to the two steering arms, that fits on one of the steering arms. something like these maybe: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ford-...gnid=199249975

As I stated in a previous reply, that type is for a side steer steering box as found on an earlier model year. You need the type that is for a cross steer steering box.

Something like this, although I can't tell you if the this drop will be appropriate or not.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/1937-...rop,25525.html

[deuce lover]

To eliminate all the guess work my suggestion is to remove your original spindles and inspect them. Obtain a new kingpin set and have your original spindles refitted .Then sell that set that came with your car.

[nickthebandit]

With all of the jaw-jacking you have done since the start of your questions you could have had the work done by now.

[fortyonerag]

Mr Tardel has published a series of small repair manual that I have found immensely useful.


I think there are 11 or 12 in the set. Saved me a lot of hassle.


Well worth getting!