Cadillac spindles?????????

[BarryB]

I was told that you can put spindles from a full size Cadillac, or a Caprice. Bigger GM cars on our style trucks. And the benefit would be there would be factory drop spindles.
I looked at a 69 chevy truck and the guy selling it told me that is what he had put on his to get disc brakes, and a drop.
Well I figured I would come to ask the "wizards of oz" if this is true and if anybody has tried or know of somebody doing this swap?????? If this is true that would be a cheaper way of dropped spindles.

[Longhorn Man]

very interesting... first I've heard of it

[qksilver]

I agree, ah the benifits of new blood

[BarryB]

I would be willing to try it but would hate to go boneyard hunting and find out it wouldn't work.

[cajundragger]

Well if thats true then s-10 spindles will bolt up since s-10's and caprices have the same BJ's. But Im almost positive that the 67-72 trucks have different bj's than s-10's, so I have to say myth busted...

[67 cst swb]

technically... the Ball Joint doesn't have to be the same... just the taper of the Ball Joint and Tie Rod End...I'd be willing to try it...

[trkklr77]

but isnt s10 stuff 5 x 4.75" ??? whats caddy/caprice???



or is it that truck rotors and stuff will fit the car spindles?

[extd56]

I believe the Caprice and the big Cads used 555 like on the trucks. I have a 19 Seville rear end in my 56 with the disc brakes on the rear and it is the truck bolt pattern of 5x5

[67 cst swb]

So, I'm thinking of taking both upper & lower 73-80 C-10 ball joint's to a salvage yard, just for taper fit purposes. So I can check the fit on some early & mid 70's cadillac's and fullsize Chevy's... I'm interested in the possiblity of a stock lowering spindle. I don't greatly care if it's 5 on 5 or a 5 on 4-3/4 bolt pattern. I'm having my rear axle's built (ford 9"). I have access to some parts catalogs so, I can research more, once the taper is determined.
Boy,... does this have my wheels turning...

[aaronfab]

When I was getting ready to do my 88-98 spindle swap, I did my research by going to the local parts store and had them pull ball joints for the vehicles in question, so I could take measurments. Example: Pull a lower Caprice BJ and a 67-72 truck BJ and measure the part that presses into the A-arm or compare tapers. Ditto the bolt-in top BJ. One problem might be the difference in overall height of the spindles.

Aaron

[woodridge]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that the spindles in Question are 70's era big GM car. 77 up do use the smaller ball joints.

[el curioso]

ttt

[corn]

I wish I could find something like this for drum 6 bolt front. Id like to have drop spindles but dont really want to swap to discs...

[centsless]

I do know that one of the tricks for lowering is the s-10 spindle and the monte carlo spindle supposedly will interchange and give a different ride height. I cannot remember which one is lower. I think if you put the monte spindles on an s-10 it lowers it.Dont know if that helps anyone, but there it is anyway.

[trkklr77]

putting the s10 spindles on the caprice/ monte carlos gives you the DORKS err im i meant dunks cars.

so the car ones are lower

[Musclerodz]

G body (monte, malibu, regal) spindles are the same as S-10, caprice are b body spindles. The thought has crossed my mind and I will be working on this project over the winter. The bigger issue is the location of the steering arm. Caprice spindles are 5x5.

Mike

[68C15]

so, if B body spindles would fit, what about dropped spindles for one? how much drop would that come out as for a truck?
the steering arm issue is a valid concern. at worst it would hit the rims if curved wrong. or make for a faster/slower turn.
very interesting. I'll have to call a guy I know at a local yard. where ya at BBA?

[sick69]

just out of curiousity,,, any updates on this?

I personally have a camero subframe (so this wouldn't help me) but am curious if this is possible or not. and I am sure alot of the guys on the board would love to be able to buy factory spindles instead of aftermarket drop spindles



Frank

[Musclerodz]

Originally Posted by 68C15

so, if B body spindles would fit, what about dropped spindles for one? how much drop would that come out as for a truck?
the steering arm issue is a valid concern. at worst it would hit the rims if curved wrong. or make for a faster/slower turn.
very interesting. I'll have to call a guy I know at a local yard. where ya at BBA?

Drop spindles usually screw the geometry of a stock suspension up. The idea is to design a correctly lowered suspension to improve driveability without compromising handling or wheel fitment issues that many dropped spindles are plagued with.

Mike

[Bad71chev406sbc]

This seems as though I may be hitting the junkyard....and trying out this mod on a junk yard truck....out no money! good times. Ya'll please keep us updated. Thanks!!

[70rs/ss]

Why couldn't you use the Caprice BJ in the truck A-arm? The Uppers are all held in with 4 bolts, just buy upper BJ for the caprice and replace the truck BJ with the Caprice? The lower should be the same diameter and replace the truck BJ with the caprice and away you go? You guys are trying to make a caprice spindle fit a truck BJ, just replace the truck BJ with the Caprice stuff?! Does that make sense? I have done BBC swaps into SBC engine bays and as long as you use all of one or the other it works, it gets F'd up when you start mixing SBC and BBC parts, then nothing fits, this seems the same way, just use the spindles and the BJ from the Caprice and then press and bolt them into the truck A-arms. Caprice is 5 on 5, S-10 crap is 5 on 4 3/4 like the camaro, nova, etc. Let us know, if I had a caprice I'd give it a shot. BTW dropped spindle do nothing to hurt or change steering geometry, its shorter springs that do that, the lowered spindles just put the wheel a little higher up in the spindle which lowers the cars, but everything else stays the same!

[67 cst swb]

70 rs/ss...
You have a point there...
Forget if the spindle works on the truck... If the caprice balljoints fit the Truck upper/lower A-arm's then the spindle will work... assuming the tie rod end works or even if the truck tie rod end taper is correct or the Caprice tie rod end is striaght-type and the threads are the same...
That's exactly how you make the 88-92 6 lug spindles work you use the 88-92 ball joints in stock upper A-arm and 3/4 ton lower A-arm...
Good thinking...

[Machu10]

what year caprice would be 5 on 5? I have an 85 caprice and its 5 on 4 3/4, I know the caddy rwd is 5 on 5, but I think most caprice are 5 on 4 3/4? unless maybe the caprice wagons?

[70rs/ss]

Originally Posted by Machu10

what year caprice would be 5 on 5? I have an 85 caprice and its 5 on 4 3/4, I know the caddy rwd is 5 on 5, but I think most caprice are 5 on 4 3/4? unless maybe the caprice wagons?

I know the big caprices are 5 on 5 I had a 94 9C1 cop car and it is, so I am guessing the newer body style that started in the early 90's.

[Machu10]

91-96, your probably right on that one, sorry i keep forgetting about that body style, lol