How to Replace a Broken Kingpin

• A good hammer
• A wrench, preferably vice grips

• Kingpins are notorious for being difficult to remove or replace, but with the proper technique it can be done with ease. If you have a local skate shop near you, you might want to try them out first. Most shops will have replacement kingpins and will be able to replace them for you.

• First, take the baseplate off the board and remove any bushings or washers that are left on both pieces of the kingpin. Do not throw the top piece of the kingpin away; this is what you're going to use to hammer out the end that is stuck in the baseplate. Make sure that you have a sturdy surface to work on before you start hammering (concrete or a good workbench work best). Getting the kingpin out of the baseplate can be a lot of work, some people like to use one end of their truck axel but that can damage the threads on your axel. It's best to use the other piece of the kingpin, or a good metal punch rod to hammer on.
• Take the wrench and get a good clamp on the piece of kingpin that is not in the baseplate (using a wrench to hold the kingpin will save you some bruised knuckles). The thredded end of the kingpin is your hammer side and the broken side will be used to punch out the other piece that's in the baseplate. Rest the broken ends against each other and start hammering. Sometimes the kingpin will not get punched out all the way because it ends up hitting the ground before it can pop all the way out. You might need to hang the end of the baseplate off a ledge in order to get the kingpin all the way out.
• Once the kingpin is out, the rest is pretty simple. Hammer the new kingpin in just how the old one was, throw on your bushings and hanger, tighten your trucks just how you like them and you're ready to shred.