✅ How to change the king pin on a gazelle

The Gazelle car from the AvtoGAZ plant belongs to a class of cars that are used, as a rule, with maximum intensity. Its technical characteristics, in particular the pivot suspension, provide the Gazelle with a wide range of applications, both for production needs and for personal purposes.

This is what Gazelle looks like

The kingpin, as elements of the chassis, initially have a limited resource, and when used under load, it naturally decreases. Replacing the kingpins on a gazelle with your own hands will significantly reduce the cost of repairs, and will also allow the owner to restore the functionality of his car in the shortest possible time.

Replacing kingpins on a Gazelle with your own hands. Let's learn and do

Anyone who has studied their native roads well will eventually need to replace the king pins on their Gazelle.
The majority of people prefer to carry it out with their own hands - anyone who has a similar domestic car has probably managed to know it inside and out and is unlikely to have the desire and money to entrust the car to some, albeit good, foreign masters from car service centers. A hint that the kingpins require replacement is a knocking sound and characteristic shaking in the suspension. To make sure that this is the case, you need to hang out the suspected wheel, grab it from above and below and try to swing the ramp in a position towards you/away from you. There is play, which means that either the king pins or the wheel bearing are damaged. A further check will be to turn the wheel outward and inspect the movements of the fist as it continues to swing. The frequency of changing pivots is affected not only by the roads, but also by the driving style (the more aggressive it is, the faster the suspension breaks), the degree of wheel wear, and the regularity of injections.

Replacing the kingpins on a Gazelle with your own hands is not a very complicated process. When you are used to servicing your car yourself, it won’t take too much time. Read more about how to do the work in our next article.

When to think seriously about renovations

As practice shows, replacing the pins is required when there is significant play that occurs on the steering knuckle. Determining the malfunction is quite simple - we hang the front wheel and, holding it at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions, make sharp jerks up and down. If play is felt, it means that the kingpin has exhausted its service life and needs to be replaced. A visual confirmation of the problem can be obtained by turning the wheel outward and shaking it - it is very problematic not to notice the excessive movement of the fist in relation to the front beam.
A number of factors can underlie such a problem, but most often the root cause is the following:

Aggressively overcoming problem areas of the road;
Malfunctions of wheels and steering tips;
Lack of timely maintenance, including injecting;
Incorrect tightening torque of the bearings on the front wheels.

Work order

Since you will need to disassemble the entire assembly, it is worth checking the accompanying elements at the same time.

First of all, the oil is drained from the bridge, unless you want to go to the bathhouse for a long time and wash off everything that will be filled with it;
The front end is hung out, reliable supports are placed under it (in the form of special metal spacers, wooden blocks) and the chassis is dismantled;

Subtleties of the process

If you have not worked on the kingpins of your Gazelle before, we will share the work of more experienced craftsmen. Firstly, when purchasing a repair kit you need to be extra vigilant: from time to time you come across kingpins with a smaller cross-section than needed. It is better to go shopping with a micrometer so as not to return for a replacement (which, by the way, may be refused). Secondly, when purchasing kingpins, pay attention to the bearings - they should be in a thick lubricating composition and rotate without the slightest crunch.

And so that replacing the pins on a Gazelle with your own hands is needed less often and proceeds without difficulty, do not forget to clean the screw groove on the bushings and introduce lubricant into it. It is precisely because of the clogging of this channel and the lack of oil on the bushings that removing the kingpin often takes more time than all other procedures - it turns sour from water and dirt so that it has to be knocked out by soaking, heating and swinging a sledgehammer.

Useful tips and tricks

There have been cases when a person forgot to knock out the locking pin or did not notice it and began to rivet the kingpin. This happens due to inattention, as well as ignorance of the node itself. If you carefully examine the beam in the area of the rod seat, you will notice a small iron pin. So this is the pin. It keeps the pin from rotation, as well as from axial displacement; therefore, before knocking out, you must first pull out this pin, and then carry out further manipulations.

King pin locking pin

diesel fuel, kerosene or modern WD-40

Penetrating lubricants such as WD-40 make it easier to remove lubricated parts

If all else fails, you can try heating the beam to dislodge the kingpin. However, this must be done as carefully as possible so as not to damage it.

In fact, you can come up with a bunch of different devices that will help knock out the rod. Some of them will be effective, and some will not. The only thing you need to remember is accuracy. It often happens that during repairs some other mechanism is damaged, adding even more trouble to the owner.

Kingpins for Gazelle

The pivot joint has been used in mobile equipment for a very long time - it was used in carts and horse-drawn carriages. The pivot suspension is installed on Volga and UAZ cars, on GAZ 53/3307, KAMAZ, ZIL trucks.

Repair kits are sold for suspension repairs on Gazelle cars; the standard set includes four bronze bushings and two kingpins. The industry is also producing repair kits of a new type, in which the bushings are replaced with needle bearings. The price of a repair kit with bronze bushings is in the region of 900-1700 rubles; there are no problems with the spare parts themselves - they can be bought at almost any specialized auto store.

Auto stores also sell complete sets, which include:

wedges (2 pcs.);
spherical bushings (2 pcs.);
kingpins (2 pcs.);
rubber seals (2 pcs.);
plug gaskets (2 pcs.);
bronze bushings (4 pcs.);
washers;
nuts

Often, car owners of GAZ commercial vehicles are interested in how much it costs to repair king pins on a Gazelle. It should be noted that the work itself of replacing the pins (PS) is quite labor-intensive and requires considerable physical effort and time. Prices for repair work in car repair shops are different; the price depends on the level of the service station, region (location), and degree of complexity of the replacement. The point here is that in advanced cases (when the suspension has not been lubricated for a long time), the pins practically do not come out of their seats, and then you have to completely remove the front beam assembly and use a gas torch during disassembly. The cost of a ZSh for a Gazelle car on average starts from 2-2.5 thousand rubles for one side, the replacement price can reach up to 10-12 thousand rubles.

Replacing kingpins on a Gazelle with your own hands

Due to the fact that ZSh is not cheap, many commercial vehicle owners do such work with their own hands. Here we will look at how to change the king pins yourself with or without removing the suspension itself. First, let's look at how to do the job without removing the beam.

We disassemble and perform it in the following sequence:

We place the car on a flat area; it is not necessary to use a pit or a car lift, but it is very desirable to have a concrete floor. In any case, the base must be rigid, otherwise the machine will simply fall through and be pressed into the ground;
loosen the bolts of the front wheels, jack up each side, place supports (traces) on both sides. In a word, we hang out the “front” of the Gazelle;
unscrew the two caliper bolts, which are located on the inside of the brake disc, and use a screwdriver to press the brake cylinder to release the pads;
fold the caliper on the brake hose to the side;
disconnect the caliper bracket;
unscrew the bolts securing the plugs of the pivot joint (top and bottom);
knock out the wedge;
We take a piece of iron rod of suitable thickness and use a sledgehammer to knock out the kingpin from top to bottom. Very often the kingpin boils tightly in the body of the front beam, so it is sometimes simply impossible to knock it out in place. When the front suspension is not removed, the wheel arch prevents you from swinging a sledgehammer normally; the distance for swinging is not enough.

If you have a gas burner, you can warm up the connection properly, and perhaps the kingpin will move out of place. Having removed the steering knuckle from one side, we perform exactly the same operation with the other fist.

The steering axle (knuckle) can be disassembled after dismantling, but this is not at all necessary.

We clamp the removed trunnion in a vice, and knock out the upper and lower bronze bushings from the body one by one. Since the bushings are not needed, they can be knocked out in any way, the main thing is not to damage the seat under them. You can take an iron flat screwdriver or a bit, flatten the sleeve from one edge, and then it will fall out of your fist on its own.

Having knocked out both old bushings, we install new parts in place, hammering them into the seats of the steering axle using a sledgehammer. It is not recommended to beat as in the picture below; it is better to push the bushings into place through a spacer.

Having installed the bushings in place, we use a round file to approach them from above,

then we unfold them with a 25 mm reamer.

Here it is very important not to loosen the bushing - after passing the reamer once from top to bottom, you need to try on the kingpin in place. Ideally, the kingpin should fit into its seat very tightly, with a hammer (lightly tapping). It is normal that the pivot pin fits tightly; it will wear out very quickly as the vehicle operates. But loosening here is unacceptable, in this case play will quickly appear, and soon the suspension will again need repairs.

Instead of a simple reamer, you can use an adjustable reamer or a ball; keep in mind that the diameter of the ball should be 24.7 mm, no more. If the bushing is pierced with a ball with a diameter of exactly 25 mm, play will appear in the pivot joint almost immediately.

Before turning the hole with a reamer or ball, the bushing must be lubricated (motor oil, lithol can also be used). Having installed the bushings, we put the steering knuckles in their places. There are usually no problems with assembly; the most important thing in the ZSh is to disconnect the steering knuckles from the beam.

GAZ 31 “BRIGANTINE”™ › Logbook › Punching pins, good and bad news.

Good day to all!
Aunts and uncles, be patient, now there will be a post without photos... but there will be many, many letters ;))!

It all started a very long time ago, about a year or two ago, one guy on Drive 2 advised me to punch the pins using a medical syringe, at that time I still had little understanding of what was what and naturally even such petty work seemed impossible to me... I have a mess in my head and a lot of questions! And then just the other day I was researching on the Internet the replacement of king pins and threaded ones, and came across a video with similar punching... everything became clear as day! What's what and why, please take a look for yourself:

Everything is very simple and looking ahead I will say that the method works, I recommend it to everyone! Now more details.

07/15/2015 - around 13.00 Moscow time...

I just arrived at the parking lot and rushed under the car with medical syringes... I took off the wheels one by one, and didn’t hang them up as expected, since time is running out and I’m not in a work suit, but in a suit)))! On the left, driver's side, we managed to pierce the upper and lower king pin bearings well, but the threaded one didn't work... hmm, no wonder, I rode for almost a year without an oil can... there was something wrong with the thread along the way, so it fell off... On the right, passenger side, the upper bearing of the kingpin and the threaded one broke through... the lower one, alas, did not work... Plus, in addition to all these troubles, I found good wear on the outer tip on the left side, everything was the same as what I had on the right... but the changed rod also showed a torn boot, blah, that was just 5 months ago! The mileage was at most 3-4 thousand during this entire period... or maybe it was torn apart due to excess graphite lubricant? Another plus is the front tires with the cords coming out, something I did when replacing the traction... that's a hundred pounds)))! You can’t drive on these, you have to look for a spare option... I don’t mind the tires, I’ve already explained why... I bought it specifically from the position that it’s enough for my speed limit and if anything 250 RUR for a tire won’t make me choke myself from a toad)))!

Before the train in the morning I climbed into the attic to remove a couple of tires from the donor, here they are

Honestly, the tires are complete g! So we got caught)))! Well, what else can we do with them... we’ll get to the bottom of it, right now, with my finances, I won’t be able to solve the problem with the suspension at once... Since the car is in the city, along with the tires I also carried a syringe and a liter of trans. oils... now only trans, that's it, I swore off putting all sorts of grease in there... but the sh1 syringe will be very useful for me in this

Yesterday I got it checked by a medical doctor, but sh1, as well as the tires and oil, were at home... well, I had to carry it myself ;))! In the city, next to the platform, there is a wheel repair shop, so I threw my new/old tires there, and lightly followed the Brigantine to the parking lot. Next, the car was filled up and new oil nipples were purchased, M6 for 10 rubles each. While my wheels were being trimmed, I managed to screw in new oil nipples and sprayed all the points that went... To remove and install 2 front tires cost me 280 rubles, there was no talk of balancing! Then I dropped into the nearest service station where they assembled my internal combustion engine after the timing work to find out if they could do an alignment for me if I changed the traction on the left. At a couple of other service stations I knew, I received a refusal for this work, since I have a Volga, and even with king pins! The short answer is that we do wheel alignment for 1500, this is the minimum price! If you want, we’ll just do the alignment, but the price naturally won’t change! Come at one o'clock and then we'll see what's wrong with your corners... well, at one o'clock, let them take a look... And at one o'clock in the afternoon it all started... I got on the lift, raised the car, shook the wheels... blah, look, it's threaded The left side is not screwed in at all! I look... the real thing is dangling... blah, look to the right, what's wrong with the kingpin? Well, yes, I see that he’s “playing”... I understand that he’s screwed... I ask, how much for the money? The answer is that we don’t deal with Volgas at all, or rather with kingpins... so for you a complete overhaul will cost 15-20,000... Oh... blah, are you crazy? Well, go to the Volgarians - gazellists, it will be 3 times cheaper... One dick comes out to less than a tenner... but I just gave the entire ball suspension for 2500! Should I now look for something like this myself? I may be able to do it myself, but there are so many mandrels there... where can I find them? Yes, and the car should be on the move in the shortest possible time, but with my “experience” this will clearly not be fast... In short, I’m now at a crossroads... look for the ball joint, change it myself (interesting, but you can do one side and then the other , huh?) or take it to a service station with all the consequences...

For now I’ll drive like this, although it’s scary... but I have no other choice... if the car stops, the family will have nothing to eat...

Source: www.drive2.com

Removing the Gazelle front beam

If you can’t knock out the pins in place, you have to remove the entire beam. We do it this way:

in the same way as in the option considered above, remove the wheels and hang up the front axle of the car;
Disconnect the brake hoses from the calipers on both sides;
remove the brake calipers;
dismantle the front shock absorbers;
disconnect the steering rod along with the lever from the long beam;
on each of the two sides we disconnect the four nuts securing the beam to the springs;
roll out the beam and remove the steering knuckles from it.

Next we produce ZSh. With the suspension removed, it is very convenient to knock out the kingpins even with a heavy hammer, and with a very sharp strong blow and a large sledgehammer, almost any “dead” kingpin can be moved from its place.

Why does the king pin turn sour?

So, you have already removed the wheel and hub and got to the king pin. Now the main thing is not to damage the steering knuckle itself. Why does this rod turn sour in the beam seat? There can be many reasons, but the main one is lack of lubrication.

The rotating mechanism has a cover with a plug, with which it must be periodically lubricated. The plug is unscrewed, a high-pressure syringe is connected and the pin is doused with nigrol. So, many people forget to do this procedure and the rod sticks to the beam. Another reason may be worn-out sealing elements (rubber rings) installed in special grooves on the rotating mechanism. In their absence, dirt gets under the axle and water gets in, causing it to rust and, accordingly, sour.

How to check play in Gazelle king pins

There are certain signs by which you can understand that play has appeared in the king pins on the Gazelle:

uneven premature wear of the tire tread occurs;
a knock appeared in the suspension;
The car doesn't listen well to the steering wheel.

Checking the suspension for play is quite simple; to do this, you need to hang the car on a jack and rock each wheel from top to bottom. If play is felt (more than 2-3 mm), it is necessary to get up without repairs.

The Gazelle is a very durable car, and even with play in the suspension it can drive for quite a long time. But it is extremely undesirable to operate a car with broken bushings; there may be bad consequences:

if the seat for the bushings in the front beam breaks, then the beam itself will have to be replaced, but it is not cheap;
the tires will wear out quickly and you will have to change the wheels;
Riding a Gazelle with large gaps is dangerous, you can get into an accident.

How to care for your Gazelle pendant

The factory instructions specify the frequency of lubrication of the suspension on the Gazelle - after 15 thousand km, but experienced drivers advise filling the pin joints with lubricant approximately every 5-8 thousand km. Lubrication significantly extends the service life of the pins; with regular injection, parts can last up to 150 thousand kilometers without repair. It is not difficult to lubricate the connections; the main thing is not to be lazy about doing it.

We perform injection as follows:

install the car on a pit or lift;
prepare a syringe - fill it with lithol;
we find the upper grease fitting and use a syringe to finish lubricating it;
then fill the lower grease nipple with lubricant; first, the grease nipples should be cleaned from dirt with an iron brush;

Such grease nipples are located on each side of the front axle of the car. But there is one nuance here - even new grease nipples sometimes do not break through with lithol. It is safer to inject using a flexible hose. We proceed as follows:

unscrew the oil nipple from the plug and screw in a flexible hose instead;
install the other end of the hose on the syringe;
Use a syringe to pump lithol into the kingpin.

It is necessary to pump in grease until it begins to protrude from the connections. Dirt will come out first, but you need to wait until clean lithol begins to appear from the connections. Having coated the king pin, unscrew the hose and replace the grease fitting. So we lubricate all four points on the suspension.

Hoses for the syringe are sold in car dealerships; they are standard and must fit the thread.

Car owners have different opinions about lubrication; some Gazelle owners believe that such pivot joints must be lubricated with thick transmission oil, for example, TAD-17. Still, it is more reliable to inject Gazelle with lithol or other grease - the “transmission” is too liquid, it quickly flows out of the pins. But on the Volga they mainly inject with nigrol (TAD-17), for this you can use even not too dirty mining.

Repair and replacement of kingpins on a Gazelle car

This is what Gazelle looks like

Functional purpose of kingpins in a car

The rod that provides the turning properties of the wheel in a car is usually called a kingpin, and a suspension using axle rods is called a kingpin.

This is what the kingpin looks like when disassembled

The prototype for car suspension using pins was the device of a conventional wheeled cart, which was used back in the 19th century and used an axial hinge mechanism.

The principle of a king pin suspension is also based on the properties of a spherical joint, which allows the wheel to freely move and the hub to be secured, thereby allowing the vehicle to turn within the steering constraints.

Gazelle front suspension components

The main indicator of machine stability during maneuvers is the established transverse and longitudinal angles of inclination of each kingpin, which ensure comfortable movement.

The material for making the pins is durable hardened steel, and all cavities that come into contact with it are filled with lubricant.

Watch the video: replacing king pins on a Gazelle.

The scope of application of kingpins in suspension extends mainly to trucks and medium-duty vehicles, such as the Gazelle, as well as to off-road vehicles designed for off-road driving. This is due to the combination of simplicity, reliability and maintainability in this design.

Proper operation and timely maintenance will guarantee long and reliable operation of the kingpins in the car.

Signs of wear on the pivot suspension on the Gazelle

Before you begin repairing the suspension, you need to make sure that replacing the kingpins on the Gazelle is really necessary.

The first signs of a faulty king pin may include the following symptoms:

The appearance of a metallic sound when hitting the wheel.
Vibration in the steering wheel at speed.
Difficulty turning the steering wheel.
Pronounced wear on the outer or inner part of the tire.

We recommend watching: how to check for faulty pins on a Gazelle.

However, the presence of these manifestations can also be caused by other malfunctions of the chassis, so it is necessary to carry out further diagnostics to localize and clarify the degree of wear of suspension parts.

To be completely sure that the kingpin in the Gazelle requires replacement, you need to:

lift the car with a jack, ensuring the wheel is suspended;
fix the hub mechanism with the brake pedal;
swing the wheel in a vertical plane.

This is what a worn king pin looks like

The presence of play in the wheel when swinging indicates a malfunction of the kingpin, which must be replaced.

Technology for replacing kingpins on Gazelle

To repair the pivot suspension on a Gazelle, you need to prepare the following parts and tools:

Repair kit containing all necessary parts, including new king pins.
Reamer for Gazelle 25 mm, as well as a holder.
Set of sockets and keys.
Wheel bearing puller.
CV joint lubricant, carburetor cleaner and VD-40 fluid.
Kingpin lubricant and thread locker.

Watch the video: replacing the pivot on a Gazelle.

It is recommended to replace both kingpins on the axle as part of one repair to ensure identical operation of the steering mechanism when driving.

The front part of the car must be suspended using a jack and supports that are placed under the beam, and the wheels must be removed, thereby ensuring the possibility of carrying out repair work.

External view of the pivot suspension

The replacement technology is as follows.

Initially, it is necessary to remove the oil from the bridge.
Remove the brake caliper and disc.
Having unscrewed the brake shield, the entire drive must be removed as an assembly together with the bearing in the housing.
Next, the steering tip and the oiler located below are dismantled.
After which the pivot cap, lubrication valve and plug are removed.

Removing the pivot suspension

When disassembling the assembly, it is advisable to process the parts with VD-40, as well as use the appropriate tool. It is recommended to heat parts that are difficult to remove with a torch or soak them in kerosene. The kingpin itself is usually knocked out with a hammer from the bottom up. The second part on the other wheel is dismantled in a similar way.

The dismantled parts must be cleaned of dust and dirt by pre-treating them with cleaning liquids, and a visual inspection of their condition must be carried out. All parts with cracks or significant wear must be replaced.
The installation process is performed in reverse order using new components.

Disassembled parts of the pivot suspension

In this case, you need to take into account some features:

The steering knuckle bushings are pressed in using a mandrel; the installed parts are lubricated with CV joint grease;
when developing new bushings, the technological tolerance ranges from 0.02 to 0.053 mm, and alignment must be strictly observed;
it is recommended to perform the reaming through the old bushing, which is not dismantled, but remains in the steering knuckle;
When installing a support bearing with a boot, it is important to observe the assembly directions, and it is installed so that the boot is on top;

Watch the video: how to replace the kingpin and install bushings in the axles.

Upon assembly, it is necessary to completely lubricate and check the assembly. After this, all parts are installed on the car in the reverse order, oil is poured into the axle and the wheels are installed.

If you follow the rules and use this technology, repair work can be done on your own.

Thus, replacing the kingpins on a Gazelle is a periodic procedure that ensures the car’s controllability and maneuverability on the road. The presence of a special tool and knowledge of technology will allow each owner to repair their car independently.

How to remove the kingpin

There are several ways to remove the kingpin from the fist. You can squeeze it out with a press or simply knock it out, or you can use your imagination and come up with your own method. But for now it’s worth considering two main options.

Knocking out the kingpin

The first and most common way to remove a rod that has soured in a beam is to simply knock it out with a hammer or a heavy hammer. This must be done carefully, without fanaticism, so as not to damage the steering knuckle.

Knocking out the king pin using a hammer and a jig

The process may take a long time, since first it will need to be torn from its place. If you managed to do this, we can assume that the matter is in the bag. At this point, it is important to consider the hardness of the adapter, because if the metal is softer than the rod, it will flatten and get stuck in the steering knuckle. If, on the contrary, the attachment is harder, then the pin can be riveted, as a result of which it will increase in diameter and will not fit into the beam socket. Then you won't be able to get it out of there at all. According to mechanics, the best attachment is an old axle machined on a lathe. Its hardness and dimensions will be suitable and the rod can be easily removed without any problems.

You can watch the video for more details about knocking out pins:

Pressing out the kingpin

The second method is a little simpler, although it requires a special tool. It is often used when removing the king pin on trucks, but it can also be used for passenger cars. First, you need to make your own (or buy, but the cost of such a device will be from 70,000 rubles and more) a certain puller, which is a rectangular structure. Take a small thick plate and two studs, which must be welded to it at a certain distance (about 30 cm). Then a second plate is used, with holes made for them. The entire structure is placed coaxially under the kingpin, and the plate with holes is screwed on top with nuts. In this way, a closed frame is obtained, which will serve as a stop when squeezing out the soured rod.

Half the battle done! Now all that remains is to install a hydraulic jack (preferably with a lifting capacity of at least 50 tons), select an adapter for the kingpin and begin the process itself. It turns out that from above the steering knuckle rests against the upper plate, screwed with nuts to the studs, and from below the jack presses. It, in turn, collides with the main, lower plate, which creates a lot of force. At a certain pressure, the rod itself will begin to climb out of the beam.

Pressing out the kingpin using a special puller and a hydraulic jack

You can do without a jack, but it takes longer and is a little more difficult to implement. You will have to make or order a puller, which is shown in the figure below. It is attached to the wheel hub so that the bolt from above fits into the hole in the kingpin. The bolt is then manually screwed into this hole, thereby pressing out the king pin.

Pressing out the king pin using a puller

You can watch the video for more details about the process of pressing out the pins:

These are the two main ways in which you can remove even a tightly stuck king pin. They were invented by car owners who once faced this problem. Of course, this is not entirely technologically advanced, but it is effective and masculine. Moreover, if you oiled your fist in a timely manner, then knocking out the rod will not be difficult, and brute force may not be needed. True, this rarely happens.

King pin function

The detail was known back in the days when carts and carriages drove along the roads. The axle for the front wheels was attached to their front part using a special bolt or rod. It was called the shkvornya.

The main purpose of the element is to connect the ball joints to the wishbones. It follows from this that the king pin on the Gazelle is a steel rod that secures the swivel joint located on the steered wheel.

There are two types of pivots:

rotary - installed on Gazelle;
trailed - most often used in the design of trucks.

The fastening of the pins directly depends on their appearance (shape) and location. Usually it is a cylinder or a cone.

How to knock out a kingpin: instructions with photos and videos

The kingpin is the pivot rod of the steering knuckle, or rather the axis of the steering wheel of the car. Some machines may not have it. It depends on the steering design. When driving fast on a bad road, it experiences serious stress and gradually wears out. In order not to let the condition of parts deteriorate, it is necessary to eliminate malfunctions as soon as possible.

In a pivot suspension, the bronze bushings of the knuckle most often wear out, which causes play to appear. In this case, they need to be removed and replaced. But to do this, you first need to remove the fist itself from the front beam. This is where the problems begin. They are connected to a tightly lodged core that does not want to come out. Only those who have already encountered this problem know how to knock out the kingpin. But, if you approach the situation with a cool head, then even a beginner can cope. It is important that during disassembly the remaining suspension parts are not damaged.

Table of contents:

When is it necessary to change king pins?

Replacing these elements is necessary in several cases:

If you hit the wheel, a metallic sound will appear.
At high speeds you can feel a vibration in the steering wheel.
Turning the steering wheel is difficult.
Signs of wear are clearly visible on the inside or outside of the tire.

The listed conditions of the car do not prove the need to replace the kingpins on the Gazelle. They can also be caused by other breakdowns. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a number of clarifying procedures:

Using a jack, raise the car so that its wheels are in a suspended position.
Secure the hub mechanism using the brake pedal.
Rock the wheel slightly vertically.

Detection of play when swinging is a signal that these parts still need to be replaced.

Required tools and materials

During the work process you may need:

reamer and special holder;
bushings for the kingpins and the kingpins themselves;
sealing rings;
gaskets;
seal for axle shafts;
bearing and wedge;
adjusting washer;
corner oiler;
cotter pins;
devices that help replace silent blocks and bearings;
locksmith tools;
gas stove;
rolling board;
several heads;
lubricant;
sealant;
CV joint lubrication;
VD-40 (corrosion protection);
carburetor cleaner.

After the preparatory work, you can begin replacing the kingpins on the Gazelle with your own hands.

Let's start replacing - sequence of actions

After everything necessary for work has been prepared, you can proceed directly to replacing the unit, carrying out the work in this order:

We drain the oil from the axle, then hang it up, install the clamps and dismantle the wheels;
Unscrew the fasteners from the brake disc and caliper;
We remove the fasteners from the brake shield and remove the bearing housing at the same time as the drive;
We dismantle the steering wheel tip and turn out the lower oil nipple;
Remove the lubrication valve and the kingpin cover;
We unscrew the plug from the lower king pin, then soak the disassembled device and move on to disassembling the second side, carrying out similar actions in the same sequence;
We carry out a visual inspection of the removed elements and if there are defects or damage, we replace them with new parts;
We coat the bushings with CV joints and repress them, installing the upper element flush with the body. Here we check the visibility of the lubricant outlet;
We mount the bushings strictly vertically, pouring oil on them for greater convenience;
We clean the reamer - finger pressure should be enough to install the pins;
We inspect the axle shaft seals and coat their edges with oil;
We assemble the mechanism and check the quality of the existing threaded connections. All elements should move easily, without any effort;
Lubricate the contact points of the individual parts with oil, and then put the oil can in place;
We reassemble the dismantled units in reverse order.

Afterword

That's all, the pins have been replaced. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this operation and absolutely everyone can do it. Don't be afraid to try and you will succeed.

Correct replacement of kingpin bushings, review of the kingpin for the Gazelle.

Work order

Replacing kingpins on a Gazelle is carried out in several stages:

First, you need to thoroughly drain all the oil, otherwise you will then have to wash the objects around and wash your clothes.
Raise the bridge, install metal or wooden stops and remove the chassis.
Remove the brake disc and caliper. Remove the brake shield and bearing.
Remove the tip, unscrew the oiler located below, remove the steering tip and open the part. You also need to remove the valve.
The kingpins have a plug at the bottom. It should be unscrewed.
Using a bolt or metal rod and a hammer, knock out the part. If it does not give in, heat the mounting area with a torch.
First soak all removed elements and then thoroughly clean them of dirt and oil. It is also necessary to check whether they are damaged or deformed.
Lubricate the bushings and install them so that they are flush with the body. Once the pressing is completed, it is necessary to check whether the hole in the lubrication channel is visible. If not, clean it. Apply oil to the bushings.
Now the actual replacement of the king pins begins. If everything is done correctly, it will be installed without difficulty. It is important that the backlash disappears. Experts do not recommend installing the part using great force. This will speed up its wear. In addition, the system will have to be developed over a long period of time.
Check the condition of the seals. If necessary, replace severely worn ones.
Reassemble the structure in reverse order: plug, valve, tie rod ends, oiler, brake disc and caliper, chassis.

All elements must be thoroughly lubricated. If necessary, replace parts on the other side.

Nuances when carrying out replacement

The work process has several nuances:

When purchasing new parts, you need to pay special attention to their cross-section. Often it is much less than needed. This is why it is recommended to take a micrometer with you.
Don't forget about bearings. They should turn without effort or extraneous sounds. It is important that they have a sufficient amount of lubricant.

In order for the kingpins to last as long as possible, it is necessary to lubricate the bushings (inside and outside) more often.

So, replacing the kingpins is not that difficult. It is enough to prepare all the necessary tools and materials in advance. And in order to avoid replacement and repair, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive technical inspection of the car.

Important points during assembly

After you have done what you wanted, you need to assemble everything correctly. If the steering knuckle bushings have been changed, they must be turned out. This is done with a special tool - a reamer, in order to adjust the desired diameter. When installing, the kingpin should fit snugly into the ears of the fist and not have any play. Naturally, everything needs to be generously lubricated. It is better to do this with nigrol, as it retains its properties for a long time. Regular oil will leak out, and thick solid oil will begin to coke, as a result of which the rod may sour again.

It is recommended to lubricate new pivots with nigrol during installation.

Don't forget to install the support bearing in the boot , as well as rubber seals that will trap all the dirt that gets under the king pin. If after assembly the steering knuckle moves in the axial direction, you can use washers of this thickness to eliminate this play. You can adjust them directly under the bearing. An ideally working mechanism should turn tightly and at the same time have no axial or radial clearances. After checking, at the very end the pin is inserted and tightened.

Ball joint device

If you drive carefully, you won’t have to do such things so often.

Source: avtoskill.ru