Bent Front Spindle

SmokinBBC

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Mar 25, 2008
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Oak Ridge, NC
I have a little more than 1/4" difference in ride height from pasenger side front to driver side right. Dirver's side is lower. Finally got serious today to try to figure out where my issue is.

After a long time of measuring, I finally found the problem. The drivers front spindle measures 1/4 shorter than the passenger side measuring from the inside top to bottom and the outside top to bottom.

I'm guessing that it is the one that is the shorter measurement that is bad(driver's side) since that is the side that sits lower. I'm guessing that this cannot be repaired...correct?

Anyone have a good one off the car that they can measure the inside and outside from top to bottom?

Thanks.
 
wow, thats hard to believe. Does the spindle look square? You'd think the wheel would be leaning bigtime.

can you give us the dimensions?
 
I'm getting 9.85 (on a sample of 2).

Edit: I guess I don't understand your measurement but to the inside (to the center of the car) top of the upper flat surface of the spindle to the inside (to the center of the car) top of the lower flat surface, I get 10.60 inches.
 
wow, thats hard to believe. Does the spindle look square? You'd think the wheel would be leaning bigtime.

can you give us the dimensions?

The wheel is not leaning. Both wheels have the same camber.

All measure points frame to floor are within 1/16 left to right side.

The measure from the lower control arm pivot bolt to the floor is the same on both sides

The inside measure of the spindle from top to bottom is 10" on the driver and 10 1/4" on the passenger. The drivers side measurement from a fixed point on the top control arm to the bottom control arm is 1/4 inch less than the same measurement on the passenger side...Ie; the drivers side spring is compressed 1/4" more than the passenger side.
 
U damn sure your car is setting dead level?? in the rear also?? most garages like mine have about 2" of drop to the rear, then my driver's rear tire is another 3/4 inch lower than the pass side....check that first....

I don't think a 1/4 inch ride height diff is to worrry over....

and I measure from the frame, not the body....

:crutches:
 
U damn sure your car is setting dead level?? in the rear also?? most garages like mine have about 2" of drop to the rear, then my driver's rear tire is another 3/4 inch lower than the pass side....check that first....

I don't think a 1/4 inch ride height diff is to worrry over....

and I measure from the frame, not the body....

:crutches:

My garage floor is not entirely level. It does have slope, from front to back. Not too much side to side. I measured it in the driveway as well...same results. Rear ride height is fine. I am going to move it to a different spot in the garage tomorrow and measure again.

I measured from the frame and from points on the control arms/ball joints, etc. The frame to the floor measures about the same on both sides.

1/4" ride height diff doesn't bother me too much.

I wonder if it is the springs. They are difinitely compressed 1/4" tighter on the drivers side. They sit correctly in the pockets. They are 550 from VBP. Couple of years old. Maybe I should swap sides with them? That way if I have the same problem, I know it's not the springs?
 
Hi

I can't see the spindle being bent without creating bad bearing problems that bad, that you couldn't drive anymore. The inner bearing sits against the back side of the spindle and would be twisted with a bent spindle.

Springs or other problems, like bent chassis etc should be the culprit.

Rgds. Günther
 
IMG_4723.jpg
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IMG_4737.jpg

Maybe one of the two spindles was replaced and the spindle is located 1/4" too high or too low ? I doesn't have to be bent, it could be straight but in the wrong location....
 
In the accident cars that I had to adjust in the past, I've found numerous spindles that were bent on impact, but usually it was accompagnied with some other kind of damage to the suspension. Maybe the other damage was repaired except for the spindle.
 
If you bend the spindle (let's say 1/4") downwards and then adjust the upper control arm by adding more shims you won't see a difference in tire to fender gap. That wheel will be further inward but that's about it.
Same applies if the spindle is bent towards the front or rear of the car, you can mask it by adjusting the steering rod.

I'd compare the height of the left and right spindle, maybe one is oem, the other aftermarket ?? Are there any differences in spindles between the years ??
 
If you bend the spindle (let's say 1/4") downwards and then adjust the upper control arm by adding more shims you won't see a difference in tire to fender gap. That wheel will be further inward but that's about it.
Same applies if the spindle is bent towards the front or rear of the car, you can mask it by adjusting the steering rod.

I'd compare the height of the left and right spindle, maybe one is oem, the other aftermarket ?? Are there any differences in spindles between the years ??

It is a no hit car. The frame measurements are very close.

I haven't had the spindles off since I changed the ball joints a couple of years ago.

The difference in measurement is between the 2 ball joint mounts. The spring is compressed 1/4 inch more. Since the bottom of the spindle to the ground measured from the ball joint mount is the same on both sides, then isn't safe to say that the top is 1/4" lower to the ground...at least that is the way it measures out.

The alignment is good. 1/8 neg. camber and 3 degrees castor both sides with 1/32" toe in(or close to it!).

I suspect either the springs or a bent spindle. I plan on putting on Moog joints over the winter in place of the stuff I got from VBP. At that time I will also pull the spindle and put in new bearings if needed...then I can get a more accurate measurement.

The springs are 550's from VBP.
 
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If the lower ball joint position is the same on both sides, the springs should be bearing the same load. The upper ball joint is not loaded by the cars weight, so the dimensional discrepancy that you see (at the upper joint)should not have any influence on the spring compression.
 
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