Drop spindle Question

[ga-stepside]

Looks like I may have ordered the wrong drop spindles. What is the difference in 1967 and 1971 drop spindles? Will these later drop spindles fit on my 67? My truck has front disc brakes from 71-86. Am I going to have to take a trip to Summit to exchange these?

[raggedjim]

Ball joints and tierod ends. If your truck already has disc (I'm assuming 5 lug?) it either has the 71-72 style or the 73-87 style. If you have the 73-87 drop spindle and it DOESN'T work with what you have then you probably need the ball joints for a 71-72 and the right tierod end for the 71-72.

That being said, people do some crazy things to these trucks... sometimes it's hard to figure out what has been done.

Have you checked this link? http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=444823

Good luck, Rg

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Ball joints and tierod ends. If your truck already has disc (I'm assuming 5 lug?) it either has the 71-72 style or the 73-86 style. If you have the 73-86 drop spindle and it DOESN'T work with what you have then you probably need the ball joints for a 71-72 and the right tierod end for the 71-72.

That being said, people do some crazy things to these trucks... sometimes it's hard to figure out what has been done.

Have you checked this link? http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=444823

Good luck, Rg

I have not seen that link, awesome info. I know the rotors are from 71-86 and the calipers are later like 86-79, at least that is what I can gather from part numbers. Assuming the rotors are 71-86 would the PO have had to replace the spindles from that year too? And that would mean the ball joints and tie rods are 71-86 too. But I know you can get spindles that use 71-86 disc brakes that will fit a 67 so maybe that is what is on there now. I guess I need to pull the existing spindles to be sure. Hopefully there is a part number on the existing spindles.

[raggedjim]

71-72 stock spindles should have "3969462" & "3969461" cast on the back.

73-87 stock spindles with 1-1/4" disc have "6274263" and "6274264" cast on the back.

81-87 stock spindles with 1" disc have "14018389" and"14018390" cast on the back.

Not saying these are all the casting numbers, but it's a good start.

Good luck, Rg

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by ga-stepside

I have not seen that link, awesome info. I know the rotors are from 71-86 and the calipers are later like 86-79, at least that is what I can gather from part numbers. Assuming the rotors are 71-86 would the PO have had to replace the spindles from that year too? And that would mean the ball joints and tie rods are 71-86 too. But I know you can get spindles that use 71-86 disc brakes that will fit a 67 so maybe that is what is on there now. I guess I need to pull the existing spindles to be sure. Hopefully there is a part number on the existing spindles.

You need to get you parts breakdown straight.
It isn't 71-86.
It's 71-72 or 73-87 with 1" rotors or 73-87 with 1.25" rotors.
The balljoints and tie rods are different from 71-72 and 73-87.
Technically only the lower balljoints are the same between 71-72 and 73-87

[lolife99]

Everything needs to match the year spindle you are going to put on your truck.
Balljoints
Tie rods
Centerlink

[ga-stepside]

If it ever dries out here I will pull the truck into the back garage and tear into it and see what I have now. Thanks for all the info.

[weq92f]

I recently went through something similar... PO installed 71-72 components onto my 67 with drop spindles to match those 71-72 ball joints and tie rod ends. After ordering and installing the WRONG upper/lower ball joints for a 67, I discovered they will not work with the spindle which was requiring 71-72 parts.

MOOG parts for the two different model ranges.

.........upper lower outer inner upper shaft kit lower shaft kit
67-70 K6024 K6023 .ES350L ES370R K6098 K6147
71-72 K6124 K6117T ES415RL ES403L K6098 K6147


The table above lists out the ball joint, tie rod and a-arm shaft MOOG part numbers for 67-70 and 71-72. Note that the shaft kits are identical.

Hth,

-klb

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by weq92f

I recently went through something similar... PO installed 71-72 components onto my 67 with drop spindles to match those 71-72 ball joints and tie rod ends. After ordering and installing the WRONG upper/lower ball joints for a 67, I discovered they will not work with the spindle which was requiring 71-72 parts.

MOOG parts for the two different model ranges.

.........upper lower outer inner upper shaft kit lower shaft kit
67-70 K6024 K6023 .ES350L ES370R K6098 K6147
71-72 K6124 K6117T ES415RL ES403L K6098 K6147


The table above lists out the ball joint, tie rod and a-arm shaft MOOG part numbers for 67-70 and 71-72. Note that the shaft kits are identical.

Hth,

-klb

I should know better than buy something someone else built. I have been bitten by this before. I have some investigating to do to figure out exactly what I have. The joys of hotrodding! Thanks for the numbers.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Just about every spindle I've ever seen (even aftermarket) have a P/N on them.

Hopefully it matches the list above, or it's something aftermarket and you can google it.

Not a big deal, you'll get it figured out.

Then when you do, order your drop spindles to match what you have, they'll be 67-70, 71-72, or 73-87 (I'm not throwing out the possibility you have 67-70 aftermarket disc spindles at stock height... stranger things have happened).

I'll throw in another wrench... are you sure you don't have drop spindles already and the springs were just never lowered?

[weq92f]

!
another option:

Take you spindle to the parts house and have them pull ball joints and outer tie rod end for the 2 different options ( 71-72 and 73-87 ).

You'll be able to determine quickly which is correct by sliding them into your machined surfaces on the spindle. All the ball joints will fit your a-arm and all the tie rod ends will fit your adjuster sleeve, just need to get the correct parts.

Mine is all buttoned back together without issue. That is, once I got the right parts installed!!!

I have a new set of upper/lower ball joints to fit a Drum brake 67. Can't use them and can't send them back.

-klb

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I'll throw in another wrench... are you sure you don't have drop spindles already and the springs were just never lowered?

I agree.
I've seen it happen several times on the board,...
Post a picture of your spindles and we can tell if they are drop or stock height spindles.
A picture of the a-arms would help too.

[67ChevyRedneck]

This is a 2.5" drop spindle, the actual spindle is in the middle-ish part of the whole deal.

On a stock spindle, the actual spindle is pretty much at the "bottom" of the spindle, close to the lower control arm.



Terrible picture, but you can see in my parts pile that the "spindle" is very close to the bottom on the stock stuff.

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by weq92f

!
all the tie rod ends will fit your adjuster sleeve, just need to get the correct parts.

This is kind of correct.
All 71-72 and 73-87 use 11/16" adjusting sleeves.
So the tie rods will swap between these two year groups.

BUT,... 63-70 trucks use a 5/8" adjusting sleeve and the tie rods are threaded opposite of the later years.
(63-70 outer tie rods are LH thread,... 71-72 and 73-87 outer tie rods are RH thread)

[67ChevyRedneck]

^Isn't it funny how you can bolt a 4L60 right up to a 327 but you can't swap tie rods between a 70 and a 71?

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

This is a 2.5" drop spindle, the actual spindle is in the middle-ish part of the whole deal.

On a stock spindle, the actual spindle is pretty much at the "bottom" of the spindle, close to the lower control arm.



Terrible picture, but you can see in my parts pile that the "spindle" is very close to the bottom on the stock stuff.

Looking under the truck my spindle is near the bottom so I guess its the stock height.

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I'll throw in another wrench... are you sure you don't have drop spindles already and the springs were just never lowered?

Looking at the back of the spindle it is not a lowered one, plus the truck sits pretty high, the fender is about 3" off the tire.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Cool. That's one step figured out.

[ga-stepside]

Okay here is the spindle I have now. There is a casting number 481 LH 2v on the outside and I think 3990491 on the inside.

[ga-stepside]

I got both spindles off and compared them to the 71-72 drop spindles I got from Summit and they look the same as far as the holes for the ball joints and tie rod. So I guess I lucked out. Of course nothing goes without issues and one of the upper ball joint boots is totally ripped, nothing I did but I need a new one, fortunately they are bolted on.

[weq92f]

Just make sure there's no "slop" or free space around the shaft for each of the 3 things you plug into the spindle. Very important the fit is perfect.

-klb

[ga-stepside]

Originally Posted by weq92f

Just make sure there's no "slop" or free space around the shaft for each of the 3 things you plug into the spindle. Very important the fit is perfect.

-klb

Yeah, I know that. Logically since there are no after market markings on these spindles logic indicates they are GM parts. And since the rotors are 71-72 I think the PO swapped everything when he made the disc brake conversion. I went the Oreillys this morning to get a upper ball joint and of course they have to get it from the warehouse this afternoon.

[ga-stepside]

I called Moog tech support (800-325-8886) today to get dimensions on the upper ball joints. The difference in the 67 and 71 is the small end of the taper on a 67 (6024) is .588 and the 71 (6124) is .551. The big ends are the same .702. So what I have are 67 ball joints and spindles for who know where. Since I already need one upper ball joint because of the torn boot and the others don't look all that great I have decided to head to Summit and exchange these spindles for the correct ones and get new upper ball joints..