Bonney54 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Hello everyone, I am wet behind the ears to the this forum thing and looking for some help on finding parts. I apologize now if I posted this in the wrong place. We are in the middle of restoring a 57 b model and have been coming up high and dry on alot of parts. Watts mack pointed me in this direction, saying that some of you fine folks might be able to help me out. Right at this moment we are looking for kingpins, tie rod ends, and a solid drag link for a FA-522 steering axle. For the king pins I need a set that is around 7.97 in length and has bronze bushings in the top and bottom. My local mack dealer crossed a number to a stemco kit k533m but the pins are too wide at the top and wont fit through it the axle. Also the top bushing is a needle bearing instead of bronze. The new bottom bushing is a spiral screw in so thats ok. The pin is also about a half inch shy due to it coming with a thrust bearing that will not fit into my king pin nut. I'm about out of resources here. Everyone I talk to says they cant help. For the tie rod ends this truck has the early style that are female ends with a male tie bar. I was told they are rebuildable but can not find parts anywhere. Seems to be a pattern here. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehummell Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Why can't a person look to a machine shop that does shaft grinding make the pins for you they should be able to find the right grade of steel and have it hardened ? Bushings should be cake for most shops. you could find tie rods that are close and have machine shop open the taper to fit, then go to a good truck junk yard and match up a tie rod to fit the ends. When I put a 292 chevy engine in my fj45 pickup I put a chevy power steering setup on it and I had to scrounge around to make things work. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-412980 Share on other sites More sharing options...
h67st Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I have an FA512 axle on my H model, I kept a search on ebay for quite a while and an NOS set of king pins came up. Your specific parts may or may not come up, but old Mack parts come up pretty regularly on ebay. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-412995 Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryS Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 I had the same problem with tie rod ends for my '60 B but was lucky enough to find a new pair. Fortunately the king pins are OK. I have a new set of king pins Mack part #301SQ 45A. I'm not sure what they fit. The pin is a little over 6 1/2" and has bushings for upper and lower. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413003 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 (edited) Here is the Axle and King Pin dimensions MODEL TONS LBS INNER SPINDLE OUTER SPINDLE DIA KING PIN TOP KING PIN BOTTOM BEAM HEIGHT BEAM WIDTH BEAM WEB FA 522 5.4 12000 2 5/8 inch 1 ¾ 1 3/8 1 5/8 3 11/16 3 1/4 5/8 Edited January 12, 2019 by 41chevy Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413008 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonney54 Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 Having a machine shop start making parts is our next step. But I was told to ask around here to see if anyone had what we were looking for out there or knew where to look. This whole thing became alot more of a project than we anticipated mostly on the parts end. Everyday we need something else. Half the battle is just finding the correct part number. If I find the right part number we have been slightly successful at getting parts from the dealer. Whatever isn't discontinued should I say. I'll just keep soldiering on for now with the search.....Thanks for all the info so far. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413011 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 You have the old style FA-522 steering axle. There was a change for the 1962 model year, (IIRC) that went to upper needle bearings. My 1964 B-61 w/FA-522 steering axle has needle bearings. Your king pins should measure 1.3510-1.3515" diameter at the top, 1.6215-1.6220" diameter at the bottom. You should have a threaded adjuster plug in the bottom and the style is known as "Type 3 w/o needle bearings" according to a B model service manual from the 1960's I have. 1 Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413012 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonney54 Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 Rob you are correct. So the stemco kit k533m should fit the newer style FA-522 axle then. Now I just need to find the part number for the kit I need that has both bronze. The build sheet gives me a number but for some reason it crosses over to this stemco kit that will not work. Which doesn't surprise me due to the fact the build sheet says this trucks has 58k pound rears in it but after research it has 44ks in it with 58k pound springs. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413021 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 The replacement style pins are larger than the original types you have. The new style pins measure 1.3750-1.3755, (upper) and 1.6250-1.6255", (lower). There is a difference in the upper bearing surface of .0240", and the lower of .0035". Citing both of these dimensions are larger and the taper to the pin is the same, have custom bushings manufactured by a machine shop for the spindles. Hone these bushings to the correct dimension allowing for no more than a .005" clearance. IIRC the spindle bores are slightly different sizes from the old style to the new style so it's not just press new bushings into the old bores. You will require custom bushings which won't take long to manufacture. Not a hard job for a machine shop and in the grand scheme not out of reach in a restoration. Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413030 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonney54 Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 I understand how to do it that way being that I have templates for all the parts I need. And you are correct its not a huge huge problem to have them made.. I just dont want to go through all of that if I dont have to. Just looking into the wealth of knowledge here to see what guys have come up with over the years. We are already tight on a deadline and just looking to see if we can find parts that will fit without jumping through hoops. Through research on the forum so far I believe I have found replacement tie rod ends and tie bar that will fit. I will know Monday. If not we will send the spindles out to have the tapers honed to fit. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413035 Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve s. Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 You might try contacting John Chalmers in Cashtown PA. I purchased tie rod rebuild kits from him a couple years ago. I think he has been downsizing, but he may be able to help. His number is 717-334-8709. Good luck. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413311 Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryS Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 1 hour ago, steve s. said: You might try contacting John Chalmers in Cashtown PA. I purchased tie rod rebuild kits from him a couple years ago. I think he has been downsizing, but he may be able to help. His number is 717-334-8709. Good luck. I got a pair of new tie rod ends from him. Saved the day. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413321 Share on other sites More sharing options...
h67st Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Make sure to let the phone ring about 12 times before giving up...it takes him a while to get to it. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413362 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bonney54 Posted January 18, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 18, 2019 I was able to get a modern day set of tie rod ends made by meritor and a bar to match that fit the FA-522 spindles. Part numbers are as follows.... Meritor #R230024 left Meritor #R230025 right Meritor #A-3102-S-3451 tie bar King pin bushings are being machined at this point along with the nut to accept a thrust bearing. Just have to find a solid drag link now due to the owner wanting to do away with the air assist steering. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/55260-1957-b-63-full-restoration-parts-search-help/#findComment-413525 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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