Six of our swivel hub kits include king pin bearings, the bearings each front steering knuckle pivots on when you steer: two kits each for the GU Patrol, GQ Patrol and Landcruiser 80 Series. Our two older Landcruiser 40, 60 and 70 Series kits list 4 x swivel bearings instead, and our seal kits have none.
Know your vehicle? Find it in the table below and pick the kit with or without wheel bearings.
| Vehicle (as listed) | Kit with king pin bearings and wheel bearings | Kit with king pin bearings, no wheel bearings | Seal kit (no king pin bearings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Patrol GU Y61, 1997 to 2017 | GU swivel hub and wheel bearing repair kit | GU swivel hub kit | GU swivel hub seal kit (pn441) |
| Nissan Patrol GQ Y60, 1988 to 1997, and Ford Maverick DA, 1988 to 1993 | GQ swivel hub wheel bearing repair kit | GQ swivel hub repair kit | GQ swivel hub seal kit (pn375) |
| Toyota Landcruiser 80 Series (FJ80, FZJ80, HZJ80, HDJ80) and HZJ105 | 80 Series kit with wheel bearings and king pin bearings | 80 Series swivel hub kit | 80 Series swivel hub seal kit (pn343) |
| Toyota Landcruiser 40, 60 and 70 Series, 1979 to January 1990 (codes as listed) | Kit with swivel bearings and wheel bearings (pn342) | Older Landcruiser kit with swivel bearings | Older Landcruiser seal kit (pn477) |
Source: our product listings (titles, "Kit includes" and "Fits" lists) for all 12 of our swivel hub kits, checked 12 October 2026. Our Patrol listings call them "knuckle (king pin) bearings", and our 80 Series listings "king pin (knuckle) bearings". Our older Landcruiser listings say "swivel bearings".
What a king pin bearing does
On a front driving axle with closed steering knuckles, each knuckle turns on king pin bearings at the top and bottom, fitted into the ball yoke at the end of the axle housing. That's what lets the front wheels steer while the axle stays put. On the Patrols and Landcruisers above, that closed knuckle is the swivel hub, and our Patrol listings call the bearings it turns on "knuckle (king pin) bearings".
They're a different job from the other bearings in the same corner:
- King pin (knuckle) bearings let the swivel hub turn for steering.
- Wheel bearings let the wheel spin. Only some of our kits include them (the first kit column above).
- Spindle bearings are listed separately in our GU and GQ kits. Our Landcruiser kits don't list them.
That's why the kits come at three levels: king pin bearings and wheel bearings, king pin bearings only, or seals only.
King pin bearings come in a kit, not on their own
None of our listings sells a king pin bearing on its own. They come with the seals around the swivel:
- GU and GQ Patrol kits pair them with spindle bearings, separate knuckle bearing seals, knuckle wipe seals, axle seals, hub seals and an axle washer.
- Landcruiser 80 Series kits pair them with felt seals, king pin wiper seals and gaskets, axle and hub seals and star washers.
- The older Landcruiser kit lists 4 x swivel bearings with all gaskets and wiper seals, a pack of assorted shims, 2 x star locking washers and 2 x inner axle seals.
Our listings don't give bearing numbers or, apart from the older Landcruiser kits, how many bearings are in each kit. For a full side-by-side of every item, see our GU Patrol swivel hub kits guide and our Landcruiser 80 Series and GQ Patrol swivel hub kits guide.
GU Patrol king pin bearings
Our supplier confirms all the bearings in the two GU kits with king pin bearings are now ITJ, our Japanese brand. The full repair kit with wheel bearings also comes with king pin shims and lock washer tabs, but no gaskets. GU Patrols have coil springs at the front, with no leaf spring version, so the kits suit every GU on their fit list. The GU seal kit has no bearings at all.
Landcruiser king pin bearings
Our 80 Series kits list the FJ80, FZJ80, HZJ80, HDJ80 and HZJ105, and list the FZJ78, FZJ79, HZJ78 and HZJ79 as excluded. The 80 Series seal kit says plainly that it does not include king pin bearings. None of the three 80 Series listings names shims; our older Landcruiser kits each list a pack of assorted shims.
For a 40, 60 or 70 Series up to January 1990, check your code against the list on the older kit. None of our swivel hub kits lists the 79 Series, or a 100 Series with independent front suspension. Send us your VIN or registration and our team will check.
Fitting is a workshop job
King pin bearings are steering parts. Their setup, including any shims, and every torque figure comes from the workshop manual for your vehicle, and we don't publish them. Every one of these kit listings says the parts "should be fitted by a professional and fitted to vehicle specifications", and we agree: unless you have the manual and the tools it calls for, book a 4WD mechanic.
Which Bearings Express kit fits
- Pick the GU swivel hub and wheel bearing repair kit for a GU Patrol whose wheel bearings are worn or of unknown age.
- Pick the GU swivel hub kit for a GU swivel rebuild when the wheel bearings are recent.
- Pick the GQ swivel hub wheel bearing repair kit for a GQ Patrol or Maverick that needs wheel bearings as well.
- Pick the GQ swivel hub repair kit for a GQ or Maverick swivel rebuild that keeps the wheel bearings.
- Pick the 80 Series kit with wheel bearings and king pin bearings for an 80 Series or HZJ105 that needs wheel bearings too.
- Pick the 80 Series swivel hub kit for an 80 Series or HZJ105 swivel rebuild that keeps the wheel bearings.
- Pick the older Landcruiser kit with swivel bearings for a 40, 60 or 70 Series with its code and years on the list.
Every kit is in wheel bearing kits and hub units.
Questions people also ask
Do I need a seal kit or a full kit?
A seal kit has no bearings: just the seals, washers and (in some kits) gaskets and shims its listing names. If the king pin bearings are worn, or you don't know their condition, choose a kit that lists them.
Do you sell a king pin press or do king pin replacement?
We don't list a king pin press. Our full swivel hub kits include the king pin bearings, and a 4WD mechanic can quote fitting them.
Are king pin bearings the same as wheel bearings?
No. King pin bearings let the swivel hub turn for steering; wheel bearings let the wheel spin. Our kits with wheel bearings include both.
Related reading
- Nissan Patrol GU swivel hub kits: which one you need and what's in it
- Landcruiser 80 Series and GQ Patrol swivel hub kits: which one you need
- Wheel bearing kit or hub assembly: which one does your car take?
Sources
- Dana Corporation, Spicer Axle Division, Maintenance Manual Model 44, front and rear carrier type (bulletin 5310-3), "Closed type knuckle standard version disassembly", https://dml.dana.com/assetbank-dana/assetfile/7995.pdf?store=original, read 13 October 2026.
- Our supplier, replies to Bearings Express, 30 September and 2 October 2026: ITJ bearings in the GU kits, shims and lock washer tabs, no gaskets, coil front only.
- Bearings Express product listings for our 12 swivel hub kits, read 12 October 2026.
Checked against Bearings Express product listings and our supplier's answers on 12 October 2026, and against the Dana manual above on 13 October 2026.
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