I am putting new king pins in a '30 roadster that I bought recently. I didn't notice it when I took them out but the tapered pins install from the rear and the nut installs at the front of the axle. This spindle stop nut should normally go towards the rear if I'm not mistaken which tells me that my axle is turned around backwards. I'll probably flip it around but it makes me wonder if there is any difference in geometry with the axle turned around.
Front axle direction
- Thread starter JunkyJud
- Start date
Keith True
Well-known member
The axle has no front or rear.Those holes are drilled straight,if they are tapered then they are egged out.You drive the bolts in from the front.The nuts on the rear are the spindle stops.
chrs1961815
Well-known member
The tapered part of the pin is caught by the groove in the king pin. I do recall that the axle was supposed to go a specific way due to geometry but I cannot remember at the moment.
Thanks for the replies. Why would the lock bolt not go in one way but will go in the other? I have a spare axle and it is the same way. If I try to put the bolt in on the one side, at the point where the threads end and the shaft starts, it will not pass through the hole at all and is slightly larger than the axle hole. I even tried doing this with the old lock bolts that I took out and they are the same way, they only start into one side. Would it be possible that the stop nut side of the hole got closed up somewhat due to the tightening of it?
Synchro909
Well-known member
As has been said, The nut on the cotter pin goes to the rear and acts as the steering stop. Don't drive it in - just pull it in with the nut or you are likely to stretch the hole. That's one of the first things I look at when inspecting a Model A.
