Drop Spindle Fitment Issue

[hoog]

Some background info first...

I have a '65 short fleet that someone up the chain of ownership had changed over to disc brakes. I have no clue what he did, other than it has 1 inch rotors. I believe the donor truck might be mid '80's based on the tranny, tilt column and bench seat...but who knows.

I'm mid install of DJM 3" drop spindles and ran into an interference problem. Both ball joints are new and sure looked identical to the ones I replaced. The bottom is fine, but after tightening the top nut there is a lip on the DJM spindle that hits the upper control arm before even squaring up. In other words.. it don't turn to the left. See..



It also looks to hit before reaching full travel to the right. The DJMs also have a prominent lip that you can see here.



The spindles are the same height, same UBJ hole diameter, but the DJMs are obviously much thicker castings.



So my question(s) before I start grinding on these things... Has anybody else run into this? Is there possibly another UBJ with a different taper I should be using? Any guesses? Been a loooooong time since I did any of this kinda thing, so there is the distinct possibility of severe brain fade on my part.

[Captainfab]

I don't know anything about DJM spindles, but unless you have them upside down, they appear to be the wrong spindles. If they were upside down they would no longer be drop spindles, but lift spindles. Don't quite know what to say other than something's definitely not right. I'm not aware of any different upper balljoints available either.

[hoog]

I'm operating under the assumption that everything was the same through '87...joints, control arms. Bought these to keep from having to replace the brakes. The "in place" pictures were taken with the weight on the suspension (jacked up under the LCA). The UBJ nut is finger tight, enough to draw the UBJ taper down to the top of the spindle. Removing the nut allows the UBJ boot to support the UCA and there is clearance to fully rotate.

Originally Posted by Captainfab

I don't know anything about DJM spindles, but unless you have them upside down, they appear to be the wrong spindles.

That did occur to me (and wouldn't have been the first time ), but the spindles are marked C-10 RH. The other one is marked C-10 LH; both have the L in the circle. Here's the side shot.

[63sbssbbw]

Hoog
I am using mid '70s half ton truck spindles and they dont look like that.
my upper ball joint doesn't look like that either,mine are almost flat across the top.
I know photos can play tricks on the eyes,but it looks to me that those two will require different grease seals.
I'd be inclined to make sure of what you've got,your existing setup and your drop spindles(i don't think it would be the first time they shipped the wrong ones,or a customer ordered the wrong ones).
Also the C-10 that's cast into your drop spindle is quite a broad term,all it tells me is that it's for 1/2 ton gm truck,pretty vague to say the least.
T

[hoog]

I bought two UBJs...the one that you see and the other is like you describe. Same stud size, different base. :shrug:

I don't have them in front of me right now, but I don't remember seeing the part # on the spindle. The box has the right number; pretty sure DJM only sells two light duty p/n's...2 in and 3 in drop. I didn't try to slide the rotor on but the shafts look the same size (that was next after I checked the clearance...before torquing). I would figure the 1 1/4 rotor spindles are larger.

[creep]

What year are the spindles and ball joints for?

[barry h.]

I had the sam problrm whith the wheel of thr ground,but when i set it down the problem was solved

[hoog]

Originally Posted by creep

What year are the spindles and ball joints for?

Ball joints are apparently all the same through '87. The spindles are for 1" rotors which from what I understand is only '73 - '87(?). Looks like the only pieces the PO moved to this truck were the stock spindles and of course, the brakes. Stock spindles work....DJM don't. So the next question is...will the '73 - '87 UCA bolt into the '65 so I don't have to change over to 1.25" brakes.

All of the spindles specific to '65 conversions (that I found) require the bigger brakes. The current brakes work fine and since I don't haul anything with this truck, I'm trying not to incur the added cost. Looking like I'm going to be SOL on that idea.

Originally Posted by barry h.

I had the sam problrm whith the wheel of thr ground,but when i set it down the problem was solved

The jack is under the LCA, so the suspension should be sitting the same as if the wheel was on the ground.

[aggie91]

Originally Posted by hoog

So the next question is...will the '73 - '87 UCA bolt into the '65 so I don't have to change over to 1.25" brakes..

Yes, they will bolt up. But remember that the bushings are different on the 73-87 UCA, they use a rubber bushing vs. the steel bushing in the '65. Otherwise they should work.

IMO, grinding on the lip of the uca should not hurt anything as long as you only take off just enought to clear...or call DJM and ask about grinding on the spots of the spindle that hit...

[creep]

I didn't think balljoints were the same through the years. I thought they were different in 73-87 trucks. When I ordered my front air ride set up I had to tell them which year of truck I was going to use spindles from so they could put the appropriate balljoints in the tubular A-arms.

[hoog]

Originally Posted by aggie91

Yes, they will bolt up. But remember that the bushings are different on the 73-87 UCA, they use a rubber bushing vs. the steel bushing in the '65. Otherwise they should work.

IMO, grinding on the lip of the uca should not hurt anything as long as you only take off just enought to clear...or call DJM and ask about grinding on the spots of the spindle that hit...

Originally Posted by creep

I didn't think balljoints were the same through the years. I thought they were different in 73-87 trucks. When I ordered my front air ride set up I had to tell them which year of truck I was going to use spindles from so they could put the appropriate balljoints in the tubular A-arms.

The tech responded from DJM, says my UCAs should work without mods, with the proper UBJ. He says there are three different joints so I stand corrected.

Thanks for the input everybody. Looks like I need to look in the parts store's catalog myself...

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by creep

I didn't think balljoints were the same through the years. I thought they were different in 73-87 trucks. When I ordered my front air ride set up I had to tell them which year of truck I was going to use spindles from so they could put the appropriate balljoints in the tubular A-arms.

The different BJ p/n's should be for the specific year spindles (ex: 67-70 drum; 71-72; 73-80; 81-87 lt.duty or HD (these are not exact.... just examples).

The upper control arm in his pic looks like one from a post-73 because it has rubber bushings in a shell. I would grind the extra material off the spindle before grinding the a-arm if that's an option.

[1restorick]

You may want to consider a tubular upper control arm. It will give you additional clearance without grinding. Air Ride makes a really nice upper contol arm for your truck. They aren't cheap but the quality is there!! Check it out:

http://www.ridetech.com/shop/suspens...ont-upper.html

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 1restorick

You may want to consider a tubular upper control arm. It will give you additional clearance without grinding. Air Ride makes a really nice upper contol arm for your truck. They aren't cheap but the quality is there!! Check it out:

http://www.ridetech.com/shop/suspens...ont-upper.html

Doesn't require different arms..... The combination you have will work.

[lonestarluck]

I just finished a swap just like this and the way I made it work was installing new upper and lower ball joints into the original control arms I bought the BJ's for an 85 c10 they go into the control arms exactly as the originals but have a different size stud the only problem I ran into was wheel clearance with the right spindle so I ended up doing a very small amount of grinding

[hoog]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Doesn't require different arms..... The combination you have will work.

Originally Posted by lonestarluck

the only problem I ran into was wheel clearance with the right spindle so I ended up doing a very small amount of grinding

I think it is going to work. The UBJ I have now is for '73 - '86 as recommended from DJM. I still have a tiny bit of interference with the lip in the resting position, compression isn't a problem but she locks down pretty solid at full extension. Basically the truck would have to be airborne before I couldn't steer it.

Anyway it is much closer than before.