Trailer Kingpin Refurbishing

There have been quite a few articles written recently about kingpin refurbishing, and the benefits compared to that of kingpin replacement, but there have been very few articles which provide information as to the actual process…

The process of kingpin replacement is relatively self explanatory on the surface. One removes the kingpin and replaces it with a factory new one. Unfortunately, that fails to take into account the difficulties that arise with that simple sounding operation. To remove the kingpin, the most often used tool is an oxy-accetalyn torch. This does remove the kingpin, but it also subjects the bolster plate (which the kingpin is anchored to) to oxidation which ultimately weakens the entire structure and could precipitate a crack forming in the bolster plate.

Following this, the cross-members which the kingpin is attached to is replaced. This is usually done through a small opening in the floor of the trailer, and involves welding replacement material to the corroded and oxy-accetalyn compromised pieces. As is all too common with working in cramped situations, the welds are often (through no fault of the mechanic) not as solid, which also contributes to later problems.

One could likely avoid both of these potential pitfalls by replacing the entirety of the bolster plate, which causes its own problems, primarily due to the prohibitive costs. Such a replacement costs a minimum of $3,000, and can cost anywhere up to $5,000, and involves the trailer in question being taken out of circulation for quite a while as an entirely new bolster plate assembly is ordered.

The refurbishing process, on the other hand, neatly avoids several of these pitfalls. Starting with a thorough inspection to ensure that the bolster plate is in good condition, the refurbishing continues by welding material evenly around the still in place kingpin, neatly avoiding the aforementioned oxidization difficulties. After the material is in place, the technician then utilizes a Portable Orbital, Vertical Operating Lathe (POVOL) to remove excess material from the kingpin until it reaches the proper dimensions. This is verified by testing to ensure that the kingpin is the proper size and shape, and also that it conforms to manufacturer hardness standards.

In fact, the kingpins refurbished by this process actually matched or outperformed factory-new kingpins in fatigue and chip-resistance testing. Paying Your Tax Return in 2011 on Your Automobile . This process provides kingpins which match all DOT, SAE, AAMVA, and CCMTA regulations, and last much longer than replaced kingpins. purchase an iphone. In fact, whether one is looking into kingpin repair in Chicago or New Orleans, they would be remiss if they did not consider the Kingpin Repair Specialists for their kingpin maintenance requirements.