Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Hints and tips whilst replacing kingpins/bearings

Firstly Morton is a 2018 Roadster with 28,000 miles from new fitted with the SSL RS front suspension kit, Wolf Performance rebound spring gaiters and integrated lower steering bearings. Being a later model it also has adjustable camber plates. Much of the advice below relates to this spec although hopefully some will help with earlier models. These are only tips based mainly on observations and in no way form a full guide to doing the job yourself.

Highly recommend Wolf Performance (Cain's) shouldered kingpin bolts. These interface with the washer(s) (concave/convex combo on adjustable camber models) over a greater surface area. OE ones only allow contact at bolt hex corners!

If SSL RS kit is fitted note gap between upper and lower collars each side then release lock ring and wind off tension fully using supplied C spanners. This greatly aids spring removal and replacement.

Fit or replace Cain's lower rebound spring covers (unless you have home made ones) and consider his lower steering bearings as well as covers have a dedicated inner lip for same - they do work in lightening steering.

With kingpin bolt loosely screwed in and new (hard chromed) kingpin in soft jawed vice, use grease gun to push in some grease until it appears through tiny holes in groove. This flushes out the channels and pre-charges grease.

Use 8mm studding trimmed to length (about 5-6 inches) to release/regain spring tension. If you have access to Cain's tensioning tool which replaces shock absorber, a hybrid method can be used to re-tention springs. It also saves damaging new rebound spring covers which can be pre-loaded with steering bearing and spacer for RS kit (if used) before inserting from above lower support arm hoop, allowing rebound spring insertion into cover from underneath. The stub axle/kingpin assembly can then be lowered onto plastic cover followed by sliding unloaded main spring into place - just possible by hand. With the kingpin lower still loose you should able to engage kingpin bolt thread by hand with a few turns, saving hassles with engagement later.

Note the kingpin bolt washer, either combo (convex upper) or plain, should be fitted immediately below kingpin bolt irrespective of whether brake reaction bars are employed or not. Fully grease combo washer halves if fitted, on replacement.

After tensioning when kingpin lower thread appears fit a new nut (Cain supplies all metal Stover type). On adjustable camber models there is a tendency for kingpin lower thread to lie outboard of final position. Releasing camber adjuster outer locknut allows the captive washer to become free enough to engage with lower kingpin thread such that when nut is added it can be wound back into place by camber adjuster locknut without loosing camber setting. I add a washer under kingpin nut. Remember to wind back on measured main spring tension with RS kit as a starting point to final setting.

I found noticeable pre-load both sides on wheel bearings when released such that a firm action was required on socket rachet! Although bearing races didn't look too bad there were some signs of overheating marks on stub axles. I was advised to replace. New Timken bearing sets were supplied by Cain. The race for the large inner is held captive by a grease seal. This is easily pulled out with a claw tool which will destroy it though. Since bearing outers are shrunk in, requiring ovens and freezers to replace I left this to Cain. The taper rollers inner and outer, are supplied as matching sets so must be kept as such.

After using most of 100gm tubes of Penrite Sports grease, one each side, new inner grease seals were tapped in flush with hub. Note that taper races need to be filled with grease whilst rotating. There are dedicated dispensers available but careful cramming of grease with a knife whilst turning until no more will go in seems to work as well. Timken produce a leaflet on fitting their taper rollers giving following advice: "Tighten bearing nut gradually to 50ftlbs whilst continually turning (this is just possible with a clean rag gripping the disc). Back off one full turn then re-torque to 10ftlbs before backing off a quarter turn and fitting split pin to castellated nut". Unfortunately this didn't fully work on my Morgan. During the initial torquing to fully seat bearings the tab on washer will break off - don't ask. Also you will be left with some bearing play.

I found this worked. Use an old plain similar washer during the first torquing sequence, as recommended by Cain. Holding hubs in place remove nut to replace washer with a new tabbed one. After second torquing sequence just back off by the very minimum until no load on nut. Tighten using little more than hand pressure until split pin hole aligns with nut castellation. Just push in split pin then spin disc to check no great resistance and grasping upper and lower edges check for play. If no play felt secure split pin but check again with wheel fitted and tightened. If any play is noticed before or after fitting wheel remove split pin and tighten to next castellation and fix with new split pin if necessary. This will still leave bearings with considerably less pre-load than they have endured for 28,000 miles on my car.

Only documents half the job though!

Nothing about pressing out the old bushes and pressing in the new ones?

Nothing about reaming the bushes and the fit required

Arwyn

I believe Cain did the reaming etc for Richard

Sorry about that Arwyn but I did say in the first paragraph that these observations, discoveries and shortcuts did not form in any way a full guide to the job, which has been well documented elsewhere anyway.

Regarding the bearing cones, Cain replaced for me which did involve heating the hubs in an oven and freezing bearings overnight. As well as not having a press I didn't have the custom drifts so it was a no brainer for me.

He also pressed In/out the stub axle bushes (in very short order) and reamed them. Seems his Mulfab supplied hard chrome kingpins have fairly constant diameter so he just uses reamer pre-set to last bushes. First set he did were spot on but the reamer had been in his cold garage for a while before he was ready for second set. They came out just a tiny bit tighter so he put reamer on top of small radiator for a few minutes then gave them a second pass. Made me realise how critical this work is.

Timken matching taper roller set numbers if needed.



BTW I was looking at an old TM bearing adjustment thread involving a 2009 4/4 with stub axles being found to have two split pin holes at right angles to give better adjustment options. I cleaned my axles in a bath prior to painting and only found the one horizontal hole in each. Unlikely I would have missed one so wonder if later axles differed in this respect

Yep later axle's have only the one drilling!

As a follow up and with 1500 miles since fitting the new kingpins and bushes, they are loosening up nicely with the most supple ride I can recall now. The tight clearances were immediately apparent when first greasing requiring quite an effort with my MINI wanner grease gun.
With a birthday imminent a generous has provided me with an electric gun.



A little OTT maybe but it takes grease cartridges allowing cleaner less frequent re-fills. A recent greasing session took barely a one second squirt on each nipple on minimum flow setting. Just added one of those clip on q/r heads as well.

I'm now concentrating on a small re-engineer of the SSL top shock mounts using slightly longer rubber bush metal spacers and rubber grease. Hopefully this will ease the strain on top mount plates which have broken in the past.