68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

[Joseph R.]

Started working on the restoration, These spindles look like they're beyond repair.
One is badly pitted, can these be restored or do i need to start looking for a new set?
Thanks, Joe

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Started working on the restoration, These spindles look like they're beyond repair.
One is badly pitted, can these be restored or do i need to start looking for a new set?
Thanks, Joe

Joe------


I wouldn't even consider using these spindles. It's possible they could be restored using something like hard chroming to build up the pitted and worn surfaces. However, that would be expensive.

1968 front spindles are a one-year-only part. However, you can use the 1969-82 spindles if you also use 1969-82 front hubs. The 69-82 spindles use larger bearings and are a functional improvement from earlier. With the hub caps on the car, no one will ever know the difference.

[Joseph R.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Joe, Thank you for the quick response!

Thanks for confirming they're unusable. I'd like to keep the car to original specs, now i just need to find a good set.
Any suggestions on who would have a set, would like to buy from someone on this site?

thanks, Joe

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Joe, Thank you for the quick response!

Thanks for confirming they're unusable. I'd like to keep the car to original specs, now i just need to find a good set.
Any suggestions on who would have a set, would like to buy from someone on this site?

thanks, Joe

Joe------

Since these were a one-year-only item and unique to Corvettes, they will be somewhat difficult to find. NOS would be really hard to find and undoubtedly very expensive if you did find them. The original part number (not found on the spindles, themselves) was GM #3924384 but it was discontinued without supersession in 1983. 35 years is a long time for any stock to "dry up".

A problem with used spindles is the chance for wear or damage. If you do find used spindles, you need to check them carefully for any problems.

As I mentioned, it might be possible to restore these spindles using a hard chroming or other process. I believe there is also a "sputtering" process that can be used. With either or other processes after material is added, the spindle is machined to original specs. As I also mentioned, the hard chroming process is expensive. I do not know of any source for this sort of work. Some shops that do repair work on hydraulic cylinders for heavy construction equipment might be a place to start. Also, a Corvette service supplier like Bairs in Linesville, PA might know of a source.

[Edward J.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Joe would it not be advisable to use a hub and spindle from 69 or later??

[Daniel E.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Mr. Lucia,

Isn't the midyear (65-67) front spindle functionally the same as the 68 with the only difference being the size (smaller diameter) of the two bolt holes used to hold the steering arm to the spindle?

Finding a set of ‘good’ midyear (65-67) spindles would be fairly easy and it may be possible to enlarge/drill the spindle holes to the size need for the 68 bolt specs while retaining the original 68 steering arms.

NOTE: I just measured a 68 left front steering arm 3928651 and the mounting holes are 7/16" not 1/2". Does this mean there was a part revision during 68 production?

Are you aware of any other differences and would this be a reasonable solution?

Daniel

[Joseph R.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

[QUOTE=Edward Johnson (49497);838552]Joe would it not be advisable to use a hub and spindle from 69 or later??[/QUOTE

I thought about it, but since it's a numbers cars want to keep it original.

[Gary S.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

I'm curious, but, how do spindles get in this condition? Barn find, stored in a field or ...?

Thank you

Gary

[Joseph R.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

I'm curious, but, how do spindles get in this condition? Barn find, stored in a field or ...?

Thank you

Gary

Car was completely disassembled 2 years ago but it hadn’t run in 20 years. The car was relatively rust free and when I removed the hubs the spindles didn’t look bad. I think the problem was that I put control arms, brake shield, spindles, etc, in a bucket with water and drain cleaner. It stripped rust, paint and grease off and either uncovered the pitted or possible is the cause. They were left in the mixture 2 days so I don’t know. Might put them back in and see what happens.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Mr. Lucia,

Isn't the midyear (65-67) front spindle functionally the same as the 68 with the only difference being the size (smaller diameter) of the two bolt holes used to hold the steering arm to the spindle?

Finding a set of ‘good’ midyear (65-67) spindles would be fairly easy and it may be possible to enlarge/drill the spindle holes to the size need for the 68 bolt specs while retaining the original 68 steering arms.

NOTE: I just measured a 68 left front steering arm 3928651 and the mounting holes are 7/16" not 1/2". Does this mean there was a part revision during 68 production?

Are you aware of any other differences and would this be a reasonable solution?

Daniel

Daniel-------

I was not aware that any 1968 steering knuckle (spindle) used 7/16" bolts but if that's what you found on a GM forging number 3928651 steering arm (which is a 1968 steering arm), then, apparently, they did.

As far as I know, the 1965-67 steering knuckles are NOT the same as 1968 with the exception of the steering arm bolts. If this were true, then some 1968 steering knuckles actually using 7/16" bolts would have been the same as 65-67. I believe the vertical location of the spindle shaft on 1968 (and later) Corvette steering knuckles is slightly different than the 1965-67 steering knuckles.

Unless I knew that a particular forging number was used for both size bolts, I would not attempt to convert a 7/16" bolt steering knuckle to a 1/2" bolt. The same would be true for the steering arms.

As far as steering arms go, as stout as the original early C3 steering arms were, later C3's had considerably stouter steering arms. After they were released, these arms were also used for early C3 SERVICE. GM did not change the design because the earlier style worked just as well.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Car was completely disassembled 2 years ago but it hadn’t run in 20 years. The car was relatively rust free and when I removed the hubs the spindles didn’t look bad. I think the problem was that I put control arms, brake shield, spindles, etc, in a bucket with water and drain cleaner. It stripped rust, paint and grease off and either uncovered the pitted or possible is the cause. They were left in the mixture 2 days so I don’t know. Might put them back in and see what happens.

Joe-----

What size steering arm bolts does your car have?

[Joseph R.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Joe-----

What size steering arm bolts does your car have?

Joe, The bolts that came out of the steering arm are 1/2 -20. The number on arm matches the forging number.

[Daniel E.]

[Joseph R.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Daniel thanks, this is interesting, the build date on my car 05/23/68
I'm curious whether or not the larger bolt added any strength or was possibly a factory upgrade required to meet performance specs for another option? For example F41?

thanks, Joe

Joe,
Thanks for the follow up information. Thought I would post some details on the 3928651 steering arm I have...
Holes for mounting to the spindle are .447”
Bolts for mounting to the spindle are 7/16-20
Crimp nuts have orange inspection paint on them



Wish I would have recorded the vin of the car this came from.

Daniel

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spindles - Think these are bad?

Daniel thanks, this is interesting, the build date on my car 05/23/68
I'm curious whether or not the larger bolt added any strength or was possibly a factory upgrade required to meet performance specs for another option? For example F41?

thanks, Joe

Joe------


I'm sure it was done to add strength, perhaps in response to some problem that was observed with the 7/16" bolts. In any event, there was no option that would have necessitated the larger bolt size.

By the way, since the forging numbers for the steering arms are, apparently, the same for the arms with 7/16" bolts as those with the 1/2" bolts, the former could be enlarged to the later if one was so-inclined.

However, as far as the steering knuckles go, unless the forging numbers were the same for those with either size holes, I would not recommend enlarging the holes if one was so-inclined.