Spindle Differences

boat880 · Post by **boat880** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:33 pm

Simple question. Is there a difference between stock ball joint spindles through the years? I know the differences between disc brake and drum brakes as well as raised and lowered spindles. What I don't know is whether or not there is a difference between say a 67 or 73 stock spindle?

I am trying to put an AC Industries wide 5 disc brake kit on my Ghia front end which has lowered spindles. I ran into two problems. First the Ghia spindle has an extended mount for the caliper which interferes with the new rotor assembly. Secondly the stock clamp nut which holds the rotor on is too big to fit inside the new rotor. I dug around and discovered that the AC kit only fits standard drum brake spindles. Therefore I need to know if there are differences between the spindles through the years. AFter I solve the interference problem I'm not sure what kind of nut I need to get to hold things together. Any help would be appreciated[/code]

perrib · Post by **perrib** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:56 am

I don't have my VW parts micro fiche any more but any time a Bug came in with a bent ball joint spindle we just took one from the beam pile with no regard for what year.

CalLookVWs · Post by **CalLookVWs** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:40 pm

There's really not a "safe" way of using the AC kit with dropped spindles. Too bad you didn't buy a CB Performance dropped wide-5 kit. Their kit uses and entirely different spindle. AC is working on a ZERO OFFSET (unlike CB Performance's kit) dropped wide 5 kit, and it too will use a completely different spindle as far as I know.

Balljoint spindles are the same through all the years, with the exception of the tie rod hole. 8mm hole on 66-68 1/2 and a 10mm hole on 68 1/2-77, with the obvious exception of disc, drum, dropped, raised or Super Bettle applications (struts). BTW a Sharpie will fit in the 10mm hole, but not in the 8mm hole for quick I.D. of year

boat880 · Post by **boat880** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:56 pm

Thanks, that's exactly the information I need. BTW, the reason I didn't buy the CB kit was because at the time I bought my set-up the CB Wide 5 kit added to the width of the track. On my application I needed stock width. Thanks again.

CalLookVWs · Post by **CalLookVWs** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:59 pm

No problem....I'm in the same boat, I need zero offset. Post back on here if you figure out a way to make it work, with pics of how or why it won't work would be great.