That axle actually came from DO-LAH so thats what 4 years of sitting out side does i suppose, there was not much play when i did the rebuild so they were just greased. They lasted been driven to cz and thrashed around for +6000 miles

I did the kingpins on DO-LAH today one side went well but the other had me sweating, it was a right ball ache! The pin did not want to move, it had no top cap so that explains why i couldn't get any grease in it and probably why it would not come out. I had to get the oxy-acet out and warm the axle (not sure if this was a good thing, will it have weakened it?) anyway done now and handling much improved

Pic of kingpin is pitted due to water

Harry a bit of heat is fine to get a stuck pin moving

however there is very real risk that the eye will loose its interferance fit due to the stuck pin dragging out some of the metal

the eye can be shrunk back to a working tolerance and of course you have the option of oversized pins from the continent

sean

I did my kingpins (well, my car's ) last week. When I think of all the money I spent paying someone else to do them in the 1990s ... it's easy, especially with the drift set and a 4lb hammer.

Brilliant write up. Can I add a photo to make it explicitly clear that the king pins are handed? If the king pin is put in upside down you end up greasing the eye in the swing arm, not the bush.

The photo below is of the king pin the wrong way round, neither of the grease holes should be visible with the pin fitted the right way round.

Everything is spot on, both pins are tapped in to the arm. When the new pin ''hits'' the old, just hold the old pin so it doesn't drop out.

I mentioned this briefly on the 2cvgb forum the other week, but next time I have to change my own kingpins (hopefully not for a while!) I'm going to try plugging the top of the pin. Hopefully this will mean the grease is forced into the bushes and the thrust washer assembly, rather than straight into the area that should be sealed by the Welch plug. Ideally something should be used which could eventually be knocked out upwards with the plug.

I suppose I could be all scientific and do one side as usual, to see if there's any difference at all in wear.

The secret is to prepare the seat properly for the grease/dust cap by grinding the seat completely round. When the cap is flattened it should seal but reality is that some grease is ''allowed'' to pass. I don't worry about it, the top push will be greased properly. The grease is forced out between the hub and arm anyway. Main thing is to feel some pressure when pumping grease through the grease nipple

Yep, I clean up the old peening with a punch, and dish the plug a bit more with a socket and an old wheel bearing. But there is still a bit of a weep, and as you say, I think that's probably the best that can easily be achieved. Considering the fairly small clearances which we want to maintain, I quite fancy trying to make it as grease-tight as possible!

The ones holding the grease back are sealed with dirt and rust over a period of 20+ years. Small amount of grease coming out is OK. Seen many attempts to seal the cap like welding the cap, blocking the top inside of the pin and peening the whole edge and so on, pointless really.

The tools are getting around
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=&hl=fr&v=GJh-iProspc

Ecas is the supplier

http://www.ecas2cvparts.co.uk/tool-drif ... p-633.html