US Dollars
Worn King Pins, a Bent Spindle, and One Big Decision: Mr. Whiteside's Story
Posted by Pete Skiba on Jul 8th 2026
Every classic VW owner eventually faces the moment. The steering gets sloppy, the front end wanders, and you finally get under the car and confirm what you suspected: the king pins are worn out. For Mr. Whiteside of Merced, California, it was worse than that. Along with worn king pins, his 1949–1965 Type 1 Beetle had a slightly bent passenger-side spindle.
Mr. Whiteside is a capable wrench. He wasn't afraid of the work. But before diving in, he did what every smart builder does — he weighed his options.
Option 1: Source Parts and Do It All Himself
Finding replacement spindles was the first hurdle. He had three routes: roll the dice at a junkyard, gamble on Facebook Marketplace, or go with a company he found on Google — Airkewld.
Then he mapped out the actual scope of the job:
- Disassemble the front end and identify the condition of every component
- Order the right parts to remedy what he found
- Press out the link pin bushings
- Press out the king pins and bushings
- Replace the bent passenger-side spindle
And that's just teardown. Going back together, he'd need to press in new king pin bushings, ream them to the correct size, press the pin back into the carrier and spindle, press in the link pin bushings, and reassemble everything to Chilton manual specs.
The tool list grew beyond the jack and jack stands: a press, a reamer, a grease gun, and a set of dial calipers to measure everything along the way.
Here's the honest truth — if you're mechanically inclined, this is a doable project. If your measurements are accurate and nothing fights you, it's a Saturday job. More realistically, it's a full weekend if you want to drive the car Monday morning.
Option 2: Buy It Done Right
Mr. Whiteside asked himself a different question: what if he could knock this out in a few hours instead — and know it was done right? He wasn't just after speed. He wanted 20–50 years of confidence in his front end, backed by a simple scheduled maintenance routine.
Airkewld gave him two ways to get there.
The ECObuilt Spindle Set — a quality-controlled, audited set of OEM VW spindles and carriers, completely rebuilt with German king pins and link pins, ready to install less finish. $457.40 with zero shipping cost.
The PRObuilt Spindle Set — the same professional build, fully powder coated, with new German king pins and link pins gun-blued for lasting protection.
He opted for the ECObuilt set. It fit his budget, and it turned a weekend of pressing, reaming, and measuring into a few hours of bolt-on work.
Airkewld had them in stock, and they arrived in a few days — complete with an install guide and a recommended grease schedule to keep them serviced for 50 years of confidence.
The Moral of the Story
You can absolutely save money and do the work yourself. But your level of work will determine the confidence in your driving experience. Mr. Whiteside chose to spend a little more, save his weekend, and drive away knowing his front end was built right.
Whichever route fits your build and your budget, we've got you covered: