1953 Chevy Truck Frontend Suspension Rebuild - Straight-Axle Straighten-Up

It's also a good idea to do a pre-run with the new king pins in your axle...just in case. With old dropped axles, it's not uncommon to find egg-shaped holes, but you also want to check excess play, which isn't a good thing.

Make sure and load the sealed kingpin bearing with grease before installing, and remember to put the rotating side against the axle, not the spindle. Make a test run without the kingpin to see how much play there is, which will help determine the amount of shims needed.

The spacer shims go on top of the axle and beneath the spindle. With the kingpin installed, the shims should eliminate any slop between the spindle and the axle.

Before attempting to drive the stops in place (which go in from the front of the axle), make certain the machined slots in the kingpins are aligned appropriately-you may even need to rotate slightly in order to avoid getting the locks wedged in.

With an awl or small punch, set the upper and lower grease caps securely in place. If the old ones were pinged in, you may need to carefully deburr the holes for the new ones to go in easier.

If your axle used the little L-shaped steering stop tabs, don't forget to install those on the back of the lock pins as shown. Now the axle can be reinstalled under the truck.

With the rather heavy I-beam supported on a tranny jack and lifted in place, a tie-down strap was used to help align the axle perches with the leaf spring pins.

Once the axle has been snugged tight with the U-bolts and the shocks reinstalled, the suspension is good to go. Now we can set our sights on rebuilding the brakes and installing the new steering components.