i was wondering if anyone knew of a good donor for front spindles available in the states?
Any help would be great
AaronTextBlack

Chris F and I are using mazda miata (mx5) uprights, hubs & wheels. these are now common in wreckers, modern, light & set up for wishbone IRS. However some questions still to be answered re: fitment of balljoints but I'm getting there!
Cheers
Bob C

Suggest that you check out the Yahoo NA group:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Locost_North_America

Miata is a good choice, btw.

Pete

thanks for the info
Aaron

You might also find a Volvo 144/164 I the states.

Got to be a 120 or 140 models as later 240 series had struts.

How about Mustang II? Looks almost Cortina like to me

What did the Pinto have?

Chevette may be an option, plenty have survived where I live as pizza delivery cars. Isuzu made a few rear drive small cars which are easy to find in US scrapyards, also plenty of japanese pickups to choose from. Merkur XR4Ti is a Sierra in drag (with a turbo 2.3l pinto engine) they came with open rear diffs and rear drums, rumour has it GTS (and others) prebuilt DeDion kits still bolt up. The Sierra thing is a plus if you want to buy premade wishbones, plenty of the UK suppliers make suitable ones.

Also, someone has mentioned that Hyundai uses Cortina wishbones on some of their cars (presumably the Pony as it's the only rear driver that springs to mind). The rust claimed them so fast they may be tough to find though.

Where you from Bent? I'm about 5 minutes outside Detroit.

Cheers, Ted

[Edited on 20/3/04 by andkilde]

Chevette, Spitfire, MGB, Spridget, Volvo, MX-5, Toy Corona & HiAce van, Pinto/MustangII, Dodge Dakota, S-10 PU, roughly in order of desirability.

Usable struts: RX7, Corolla, MR2, Merkur, Mustang ...

The ED through EH Civics and CRX's all had double-wishbone suspension.

I know that my CRX does, and that all CRX's do have nice ULCA spindles. I THINK that Integras and Legends might have ULCA front suspensions as well.

If you go out to a scrapyard, chances are that the majority of the Hondas will have been robbed of their wheels, and you can just stick your head in and see.

If you use Honda spindles, you'll have to switch their sides unless you plan to have your steering rack mounted aft of the crossmember...

Did this get you thinking?

-MR

Hondas tend to have the upper ball joint mounted high and outward over the tyre tread --- not really suitable I suspect.

"over the tire tread"?

The CRX spindles look like model bits to me... Besides, it's nothing that an extra inch or so of control arm wouldn't fix, and it may accually make for better geometry since the low COG will make for less body roll (meaning less negative camber gain needed).

At least they are plentiful.

-MR

When using the honda bits for front spindles, is the idea is to cap off the drive shaft inputs? Is anything else needed to hold on the axles? I've never seen the new honda front ends, let alone seen them apart.

mid sized gm cars use a two bolt strut (ala fox mustang platform) and are cast alloy. they use the same setup front to rear with discs all around.

nick

I'm in Texas and I used Chevette spindles a shortned Chevette rack and the Chevette steering column. All work nicely.
The pinto upright is the for runner of the mustang two stuff. They just thought Mustang would sound and sell better than Pinto. The only draw back to using it is even the eariler Pinto spindles cost about $125 each and the new Mustang parts cost at least $225 each. Paying $25 at the salvage yard just seems so much better.

Just don't put the drive shaft back in. If the splines get dirty it won't hurt anything. If you're worried about it, you could always replace the CV boot and seal up the shaft end...

-MR

well the nice thing about the newer fox body stuff is that is all interchanges. could get some 4cyl early brakes for free from some mustnag guys (or near it) and cold always upgrade to the later sn95 stuff

nick

I wpuld be very hessitant about using Honda front spindles. They are all fwd cars, and the axle which goes through the spindle is what holds the wheel on. You would need to remove the drive shaft completely and have the half shaft nub sticking out the inside of the spindle. I am notr sure but I believe that this would cause problems with clearance of the suspension design. My Understanding of the lower shock mount is that it is strongest as close to the lower ball joint as possible. This being the case It has tobe mounted fairly far back on the lower A arm. Yes some hondas are double wish bone, but I believe that after the CRX (again I may be wrong) they all went to mcphearson struts up front.

Mitsu Eclipses are double wishbone, but again not sure how the suspension will work with the axle nub there?

I dont know, but I beleive that A double wishbone front suspension from an RWD CAR is optimal that way you can keep the same bolt pattern all the way around.

I would love to find a RWD truck as the rear will be plenty strong, and alot of trucks aredouble wishbone. My problem as I have discovered, at least with Fords is theat the rear diff output shaft is offset. I have a Ranger rear, Ive looked at one from an f250 (way to bulky for me) and an explorer, and they are all offset to one side. I am not sure about other manufactureres, but I beleive that most are offset one way or another. I think that a Mustang II is probably the best car to use, that or the Nissan 240sx.

I also happen not to like using things for their unintendided purpose, like fwd spindles on a rwd car, kinda scares me.

[Edited on 29/3/04 by derf]

sorry double post.

[Edited on 29/3/04 by derf]