Drop Spindle and Spring Question

[dlanders]

Ok, so everybody was very helpful in helping me figure out my flip kit install, now I have questions about my spindles and springs. I got everything all taken apart and now I can't get the upper control arm off of the spindle. I have banged until I am blue in the face, but to no avail. Is there a "secret" to the problem, if so I would love to know. I have attached a few pics of what I am working with. Again I want to thank everyone for all of the advice.

[cochino12]

pickle fork, you can rent them at most part stores

[N2TRUX]

Put the nut back on part way. Let the jack down so the arm is not supported.

Get a sledge hammer and smack the spindle where the upper ball joint goes through.

That should do it...

[ont_guy_38]

I could be wrong but I,m not sure if your truck is raised high enough to lower that control arm enough to get that spring out

[pilzy1]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Put the nut back on part way. Let the jack down so the arm is not supported.

Get a sledge hammer and smack the spindle where the upper ball joint goes through.

That should do it...

I worked in a custom truck shop for many years and this is how I did it, pickle forks are usefull but eat the rubber boots sometimes. Make sure you put the castle nut back on first or that spring will FLY out. Leave an 1/8" between the nut & spindle surface and once it pops loose you'll know. Once top and bottom are lose, jack up the lower a-arm a little, take both nuts off, take the spindle off and then let the jack down. If the spring wont fall out on it's own, use a long pry bar to push down on the lower arm until it comes out, dont get right infront of it and pry it out or you'll get hurt. Good luck with it.

[piecesparts]

Originally Posted by pilzy1

I worked in a custom truck shop for many years and this is how I did it, pickle forks are usefull but eat the rubber boots sometimes. Make sure you put the castle nut back on first or that spring will FLY out. Leave an 1/8" between the nut & spindle surface and once it pops loose you'll know. Once top and bottom are lose, jack up the lower a-arm a little, take both nuts off, take the spindle off and then let the jack down. If the spring wont fall out on it's own, use a long pry bar to push down on the lower arm until it comes out, dont get right infront of it and pry it out or you'll get hurt. Good luck with it.

What he says is appropriate...

[Damien]

I always run a chain through the spring and the control arm. That way if the spring comes out when you brake the ball joint apart the spring wont take your head off. Then loosen the nut a few turns, let the jack down so it is not on the lca and hit the top of the spindle with a hammer. It should pop loose. Then put the jack back up, take the nut off and let the jack down slowly.

[JohnC]

Originally Posted by pilzy1

...don't get right in front of it and pry it out or you'll get hurt...

Unless you like that look.

[454HO]

Sometime a little heat from a propane torch will help. Just be careful and don't catch the rubber boot or grease on fire.

I would put the castle nut back on the end of the spindle too, and even wrap some tape around the threads to keep them from getting damaged if flops down. You may want to re-use them some day.

[Tx Firefighter]

It takes a real hammer too. At least a good 5 pound sledge. Thump,thump, pop ! A 2 pounder and you might be there all day.

I never worry about the spring coming at you. Best I have ever seen from these trucks is it to pop and and hit your leg. Nothing more than a bruise at best. It's not going to make you wheelchair bound or anything.

[gchemist]

If all else fails:


I had to do it to a Dodge. The ball joints have a very long stud. Even using two forks was not enough. I broke both forks!

[pilzy1]

Originally Posted by JohnC

Unless you like that look.

Some call takin' a spring to the chin "building character"..

[dlanders]

Originally Posted by ont_guy_38

I could be wrong but I,m not sure if your truck is raised high enough to lower that control arm enough to get that spring out

You would be correct sir. I thought it was, but I was wrong. I finally got the ball joints off today and got the spring out after I jacked it up a little higher. I got the new spring in and got the new spindle on. I torqued the ball joint nuts to about 90 ft/lbs, and the tie rod nut to 35 ft/lbs. Do those numbers sound about right? If I understood the Chiltons book, that should be close. I got the rotor back on and torqued the spindle nut to 12ft/lbs and backed it off like the book said. That just sounded weird to me. I cant seem to get the brake caliper to reach the spindle now. The instructions that came with the spindle said to "gently bend the elbow by hand to allow for clearance around the upper ball joint". I tried and I cant get it to bend. Has anyone else had this problem? Any ideas?

[454HO]

Remove the bolt that secures the brake hose to the front side of the upper control arm (seen in your upper pic). This should give you enough slack. I use a nylon zip tie to hold the hose in place. Some people un-clamp that metal bracket and re-position it. If you do need to bend the metal part of the line at the caliper, be very carful not to kink it or crack the tube.

[dlanders]

Ok whole new dilemma. I got the bracket thing for the brake likes off but now I have a whole new problem. My calipers don't fit the new spindles. I ordered the ground force ones from Summit. It was part # SUM-G709. I was under the impression that my rotors were 1" thick. Thats what they were when I measured them. Did I just make a really huge mistake and order the wrong part? Is there any way how I can tell if my truck has the 1.25" rotors? If so can I just get some calipers from the junk yard and make the spindles work?

[454HO]

What do you mean by the calipers don't fit the spindles? Where are they off?

[dlanders]

The bolts dont line up with the holes. I can get the top hole to line up but the bottom is no where close. When I ordered the spindles at Summit a few weeks ago they had one that was for 1" rotors and one for 1.25' rotors. When I measured my rotors they were 1". Today I got out my micrometer and it is actually 1 and 1/16". So what I am thinking is that they may have been 1.25" at one time but after they have been machined a few times they are now thinner. The dude at Summit tells me that I need the spindles for the 1.25" rotors. I took the spindle back off this afternoon and I am gonna take them back to summit tomorrow. I am gonna take my old one with me to make sure I get the right ones this time. I must have this innate ability to make simple things a lot harder than they have to be.

[pilzy1]

Dont get discouraged DLanders, I've taken that bumpy road a few times and it's frustrating but you learn from it. Try to clean them wrong spindles up the best you can so they dont try to charge you any fee or make you eat them. Let us know how it goes.

[454HO]

Take a close look at your rotor. It should say what the minimum service thickness is somewhere. That would give you a clue. If you really have 1.25" rotors on 1.00" spindles, you should have noticed this when you tightened the spindle nut. I mean the rotors are 1/4" different thickness, so the castle nut would probably not go on far enough to get the cotter pin in. Did you lay the new spindle next to the original and compare the caliper mounting bolt distance? You could also measure the length of the spindle shaft.

[dlanders]

From what I could tell the spindle went on fine. The rotor also seemed to go on the spindle fine. I just couldnt get the brake caliper to go on the spindle. The dude at Summit tells me I have the wrong spindle. He says when I get the one for the 1.25" rotors everything will bolt up fine. Has anyone else ever had this problem?

[dlanders]

Ok so I am starting to feel retarded at this point but I think I finally got my answer. I drove down to Summit today to compare my new spindles with the 1.25" spindles the Summit guy said i would need. They caliper bolt holes are the same!!! So when I got home I called Ground Force and talked to them. The guy there tells me that my truck probably has aftermarket calipers on it and that is why they do not fit. He says all I have to do is do a little grinding and it should come out fine. Has anybody ever had to do this before?

[JohnC]

I would think that aftermarket calipers would have the same bolt holes as the stock ones since they were on the stock spindles to begin with. Sounds like you have quite a pickle there.

[dlanders]

This is the area the guy said I need to grind down.

[dlanders]

Well I finally got the caliper to fit. Now the metal elbow from the brake line hits the spindle by the upper ball joint. I was planning on replacing the brake lines anyway since they are cracked up pretty bad. Does anyone know if the braided stainless ones will give me the same clearance issue? I was looking at the ones at Classic Industries or LMC.
http://www.classicindustries.com/con...rchCatalogId=4

[JohnC]

Man when it rains it pours on this project. Sorry your having so many problems.