One advantage to building a rod or custom from a late-'40s or early '50s vehicle is that most American automakers had developed and fitted their cars with independent front suspensions by this time. The downside is that many of those early IFS arrangements were somewhat rudimentary by today's standards, with handling and steering characteristics that often leave much to be desired. Heck, most still employed at least one significant holdover from the beam-axle days: kingpins.
While some enthusiasts are inclined to simply rip out such technology and start fresh with something newer, there are plenty of folks who simply can't afford an aftermarket IFS and don't have the welding savvy and chassis-building skills to perform a subframe swap. Fortunately, a growing number of aftermarket components are available to help upgrade early IFS setups. Parts like disc brakes, dropped spindles, custom springs, modern steering setups, and new shocks can vastly improve the safety, performance, and stance of many mid-century rides.
Amidst all those products, though, the kingpins are often overlooked, which is why we'd like to let you in on a little-known offering from Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation: the Royal King Pin Kit. These kits offer several improvements over OEM kingpins. First, they replace the brass kingpin bushings with precision needle bearings, which provide improved lubrication, longevity, and steering response (we've heard enthusiasts refer to the kit as "poor man's power steering"). Additionally, the kingpins are made from heat-treated stainless steel for durability and long life. In fact, virtually everything in the kit is either stainless or chrome plated for quality and appearance.
The SSBC kingpin kits are designed to fit stock spindles and come complete with an installation tool that makes the job a straightforward affair. Currently, kits are available for '39-56 Oldsmobile, '49-51 Mercury, and '50-53 Ford independent suspensions, as well as beam-axle applications for '37-48 Fords and Mercs, '37-52 Ford trucks, and '41-54 Chevy trucks. The installation shown here is on a '50 Olds 88, and was ably handled by Jason Scudellari at the Primedia Tech Center. All in all, it was a pretty simple way to get improved handling and steering response from an old Olds suspension.
The Royal King Pin Kit comes...
The Royal King Pin Kit comes with virtually everything needed for installation, including kingpins, needle bearings, thrust bearings, shims, grease fittings, and a bearing installation tool.
With the spindle removed from...
With the spindle removed from the car, we got a better look at the original brass kingpin bushings...
...Jason used an appropriate-sized...
...Jason used an appropriate-sized socket to drive out the old bushings. Once out, he made sure to thoroughly clean the spindles and check the bores for burrs or gouges.
Here you can see one of the...
Here you can see one of the old brass bushings, and the new needle bearings that will replace it. The needle bearings minimize kingpin wear and can provide smoother, easier steering.
Jason drove in the new needle...
Jason drove in the new needle bearings using the supplied tool. For this application, the bearings were driven into the upper spindle boss first...
...A small gap was left between...
...A small gap was left between the two bearings, and the specified 1/16-inch gap was left between the upper bearing and the top edge of the spindle boss.
At that point, the spindle...
At that point, the spindle was put back on the upright, the new thrust washer placed on the lower spindle boss, and the kingpin slid up into place. The kingpin's lock pin notch is offset to one side, so Jason made sure to orient the kingpin so it would line up with the lock pin hole on the upright.
After checking the spindle...
After checking the spindle for up-and-down movement and shimming the thrust bearings as needed, Jason drove in the new lock pin, securing the kingpin in place.
Next, the needle bearings...
Next, the needle bearings had to be driven into the lower spindle boss. Again, the upper bearing was driven in flush with the boss, and the lower bearing was driven in until there was a 1/16-inch gap between the bearing and spindle edge.
After rotating the spindle...
After rotating the spindle a few times to make sure it turned freely and didn't have any excessive free play, Jason finished things off by installing the rubber end seals, stainless end caps, and grease fittings...
...Then it was time to break...
...Then it was time to break out the lube gun, pump some grease into the kingpins, and reinstall the car's brakes and wheels so we could enjoy the fruits of our labor.