Best parts truck for a 68 520

[boxboy]

My 520 needs new kingpins and bearings and other front end stuff. The engine runs great and clean but has oil coming out everywhere. I am pondering what the best parts truck would be. i am not going for a built machine, just a more or less original equipment truck. Would it be wiser to buy a truck with a J13 with an engine in better shape, or buy a 521 with an L16 in it and have a motor for a swap someday? Either way, I need the parts truck to have a good front end to make it worthwhile to me. Opinions? I know everyone has them.

[wayno]

My 520 needs new kingpins and bearings and other front end stuff. The engine runs great and clean but has oil coming out everywhere. I am pondering what the best parts truck would be. i am not going for a built machine, just a more or less original equipment truck. Would it be wiser to buy a truck with a J13 with an engine in better shape, or buy a 521 with an L16 in it and have a motor for a swap someday? Either way, I need the parts truck to have a good front end to make it worthwhile to me. Opinions? I know everyone has them.

 

What frontend parts do you need? Let me know what your going to do, I can use cab parts off a 520 or 521. wayno

[boxboy]

I am contemplating. I need new kingpins and a wheel bearing. The King pin job is around $400. If I can get a running parts truck for a few hundred more that had a decent front end that I could rob the knuckles off of, and a spare engine or a possible upgrade engine, then I figure in the long run I will have gotten more for my money. I could make a trailer out of the back end to match my truck too! My sheet metal is in excellent condition as are my bumpers, so the body parts would get sold off to make up a little of the principle. Plus, I wouldn't have to run to the parts store for every little thing. This is all assuming I can find a truck that has a decent front end and running.

[wayno]

I am baffled about how much everyone says it costs to do the kingpins, is that if someone else does it? I did it myself and it only cost the price of the kingpins, how much are they these days? Anyways, I have a 1970 datsun 521 that is mostly complete that maybe we can work something out, I have not checked the kingpins, that is something you would have to determine, it has a L16 that runs, I have seen it run myself. I want the cab and box. wayno

[datzenmike]

Generally if you were able to do youself then they didn't need doing! Just kidding of course. They are usually seized and outside the ability of the home mechanic. The Nissan kit has everything needed: pins top and bottom grease plugs, grease nipples, cotter bolts, thrust bearings, shims and bushings. I think the bushings must be reamed to size once installed. I had them done twice in my 521 and they were worn out and just as bad in 6 months, so get a good shop or Nissan to do them.

[wayno]

Hi there Datzenmike, It wasn't easy doing them myself, I had to do them twice because the first time they were to tight and the wheel would not return, so the second time(same parts) I reamed for a while and they worked fine. So I assume then, he means that $400.00 is for a shop to do it. I really don't know how long they would of lasted(I drove to florida and back) because I switched over to ball joints and disc. brakes in the 71 521. Boxboy, I lifted the front up of the truck and torked(pulled and pushed) on the wheel and there was a little play, not a lot. Whats to much? Any? wayno

[boxboy]

I don't know how much play is too much? This is my first kingpin truck that I have had them bad on. Mine flop around something awful. I jacked her up to check bearings and thought my wheel would fall off. Turned out to be all or most of the movement was coming from the pins. I greased them, but it all just came out the seems.

 

Mike, my other plan was to take apart he knuckles and bang out the pins and bushings and then take the parts I bought from Nissanparts.cc to a shop with experience and have them press in new ones and ream them for me. Is that too much for a rookie like me? Can I really screw something up? I thought it might save me a couple hundred bucks.

 

Wayno, if I would go through with this I would be happy to give up the sheet metal. I need a new gauge cluster, the front end and I would like a spare engine and tranny. There is one on CL out at Seaside with a "rebuilt" J13 in it. It looks good to me because I would like to stay pretty original with my truck, and there aren't a lot of J13's in great shape. The 521 rear end might be nice too. I could use the drive line, but I may have to break down and take mine in for service because I am out of ideas to fix it myself. Anyway, that is where I stand. Still thinking. I hope the ship doesn't sale while I think. But if it does, what can you do?

[wayno]

Is it the one with 77000 mi. that your thinking about? I lifted the front off the ground on mine and it had very little play. I have extra guages with green turn indicators, thats not a problem. I also have extra 3rd members. If you want to come and look at the truck you will have to send me a personal message, because I am unable to send you one. wayno

 

 

[boxboy]

PM sent wayno. Wondering if you will just sell me the whole knuckle, spindle and hub if they are decent. I am not building a hotrod here. I just would like to be able to drive it without worrying that the front wheels will fall off. Why can't you pm me?

[wayno]

PM sent wayno. Wondering if you will just sell me the whole knuckle, spindle and hub if they are decent. I am not building a hotrod here. I just would like to be able to drive it without worrying that the front wheels will fall off. Why can't you pm me?

 

I can PM you now, but before you PMed me I coudn't because; if you go to datzenmikes profile, at the bottom left it says "click here to email", yours says "private", sorry I didn't get back sooner, busy day. I don't want a lot of money for the parts, I just needed to decide if I was going to try to sell it whole and running or keep the cab and part it out. wayno