Model B front end question

[JSeery]

The main springs I have had made cost around $20. A truck spring shop is what I have used.

[Kraton]

Never a dull moment I said. I have now discovered the reason for the bend in the left perch. As you all know the brake actuator is bolted to the perch. If the bolt hole is not in exactly the right place the actuator does not fit properly in the king pin. I know this now because I straigthed the perch, fitted the front spring again and noticed the bolt hole was about the bolt thickness more inside. Not good. Upon further inspection I found that the left perch sat strangely in the conical hole in the wishbone. It leaned a bit to the center of the axle and that made the fitting of the actuator problematic. So I am now doing what a previous owner has done before. I am bending the perch again to get the actuator in the right place. Farmers fix it is called if I am correct and I am doing it because I would like to drive a bit again this year. Full repair/restoration will happen some time in the future.

Full repair means that I will have to repair the wishbone holes and maybe even the axle holes, fitting new (better) perches, repair the cross member, fit a new spring and whatever I find else. Once I have the axle off the car I might as well overhaul the brakes too.

All good fun. I am really enjoying the puzzle.

[Kraton]

And again it took some time to take the next step. Although the Netherlands is not totally locked down, my engine is in Belgium and they are totally locked down. I could not drive anyway so I had plenty of time to look at the front axle again. I thought you would appreciate what I found.

I have removed the axle and stripped it bare and there is plenty wrong with about everything.

The axle holes for the perches are severely worn which cause the perches to lean inward.

The bosses that the wishbone mount to are deeply indented at the upper side of the axle. The wishbone itself, were it mounts to the axle, is not 2 inches wide but a bit more. One of the comments mentioned that there was a gap between the nut of the perch and the axle. The indentation at the top let the wishbone sit lower and with the bigger width of the wishbone this caused indeed a gap at the bottom.

I will have the axle repaired by having bushes for the perches pressed in and the topside welded flush again. It is possible the axle is not completely straight either. I will have the angles of the perch holes and the king pin holes checked too and if necessary have the axle straightened. This shows that all had to be disassembled to accurately assess what was wrong. Thanks for your replies.

Checking the removed king pins showed that they were from a Model A because the slot for the king pin bolt was in the same plane as the cup at the upper end. Not only worn but also wrong parts.

I ordered new 1932 kinpins and test fitted them.
I have attached a picture of the right side of the axle with a test fit.


I have a question about that. I would like to know if I did this correctly. The reason I ask is because the king pin with an R on it is now fitted to the left side and the king pin with the L on it is now fitted to the right side. I could not get i to fit the other way round. Do I have the right king pins? Why the switch up?



Can anybody please help me out. Greetings, Dick

[DavidG]

That is the correct orientation of the king pins. What you have must have been marked L and R incorrectly.

[Kraton]

Thanks a lot, David. Much appreciated.

[DavidG]

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