Bay Area ... kingpins, bushings, alignment?

[SillyValleyF250]

Hi all,

My F250 needs kingpins, and I'm wondering the best way to go about it.

Is there a shop in the area someone would recommend to get the kingpins put in, and then to align the truck?
Someone old-school that knows how to bend the I-beams to align the truck properly?

I'd like to find some '73-up I-beams (do I need the rest of the '73-up setup? the arms that run toward the back of the truck? will the '70 spindles fit the '73 I-beams?) so I can put on a later-model antisway bar. does anyone have a setup, who would be willing to part with it for a reasonable amount?

If I can get a different set of radius arms, I can take them to a machine shop and get the pins set up, then install them at home and drive the truck down the mountain to get it aligned. Does anyone know of, and recommend, a good automotive machine shop in the area? There's other, non-Ford-truck related work I need done, too, so I'm looking for a good place.

Thanks!

--Silly

[fordman]

to use a later model sway bar you dont need different i beams or different radius arms. the sway bar comes with brackets that bolt to the i beams via the king botl under the coil springs. as far as which i beams interchange please check the gvw of both trucks and the charts on this page. http://www.fordification.com/Ibeamsspindles.htm or this page http://www.fordification.com/discbrakes01.htm if you are having the king pins replaced buy the ones with the brass bushing in the kit and not the nylon bushings. the brass will last longer than nylon. i had a tire alignment shop replace my kingpins and align my front end all in a day.

[robroy]

Hi Silly,

My favorite alignment shop in the area is in Mountain View nearby Costco; it's Custom Alignment. http://www.customalignment.com/

I don't know if they're able to bend I Beams or not, but every time I stop by there they have several classic cars in their lot that they're working on.

They did a wonderful job on my 1986 Chevy C20 about a year back. They paid lots of attention to the details and the truck drove better than ever before when they were done with it. It was only $120, which seemed like a great deal for such quality work.

By the way, I will be taking my '72 F250 there when it's done for all the alignment work, so I'll find out soon enough if they can bend I Beams!

Robroy

[robroy]

Hey Silly,

Today I stopped in at Custom Alignment since I had been shopping a block away at Costco, and I asked them about the I beams.

The guy said that they are fully set up to bend the beams, and that they have the proper equipment for a "cold bend." He said they've done twin I beam suspension tons of times.

So that's definitely where I'm taking mine!

Robroy

[NM5K]

If the front end is rebuilt, I doubt the beams would need to be bent.
Once you get all the new parts in, it's likely to be back to where it was when
new, and as long as the beams were never bent, I doubt they will need to be
touched when they do the alignment.
I think you will find with the new parts, it will be closer to spec than it is now.
Shouldn't have to worry about the I-beams.

[robroy]

Hey NM5K, I see your point! I hadn't thought of that before. Perhaps you're right.

Welp, this shop can check those specs and correct them if needed. At least it will be nice to see that they're all perfect!

Robroy