While most are looking for a dropped spindle while they lower the car they do nothing for roll center. I wanted to raise my roll center so I needed a longer spindle.
Spindles are cast steel and can be welded with out a problem as long as proper technics are used, the weld must penetrate all the way through.
I hang around a race shop and they custom make spindles all the time using the weld technic and never have they broken one.
I added 1 1/2 inches to the top of my spindle to change the upper A arm angle and raise the roll center.
This is my welded spindle compared to a stock spindle. I have been running a set of these for 2 years now.
They allow me to run lighter springs and at the same time stay flatter on the corners at a cost to increase scrub on the tires.

 

I meant this for another forum. Sorry

 

Still a very interesting topic to be discussed.

 

I'd like to know what kind of weld you need on a spindle!

Are they cast, or forged? Do they benefit from behing ground smooth... liek a crankshaft?



P.S. If theres another "tech" forum that talks about this stuff, can you link us to it?

 

Fasinating stuff Norval, now fill us in on that technique

 

Norval has discussed this before ...

Basically cut - and grind the two ends with a bevel - forming a point.
Cut a filler piece - and bevel to points similarly.
After jigging in place - start welding at the points.
Continue to weld around - over and over until the V is completely filled.

I would never try this with my skills, but I would trust Norval.

 

That's exactly it NHvette. It takes me about an hour to jig and weld. Then comes the grinding to get everything smooth. When finished the area of the weld is alot heavier then stock plus if you remove that large bolt you will see a very deep big hole leaving a very small cross section at that spot.
I have run these spindle this past summer and really feel they make a difference to flat cornering without heavy springs.
They are cast steel and easy to weld but you have to cut/grind to a point or in fact having a slight gap all the way through so the root pass burns right through. The proper way after that is to grind the back side of the root pass and put down another heavy one on that side.
Anyway I trust them completely as I do other welded suspension parts.
I am not a great welder but I believe strongly in running a weld hot, wide open, burn it in. Do no weld cold with low settings. 220volts , maximum settings even on thin under 1/8th material. If welding alot do not get the metal too hot, take lots of breaks, weld only downhill, not up. Do not weave on vertical and overhead welds, run beads or strings.
Anyway the bad thing about these spindles is the camber goes out of range forcing me to run special cross shafts with less negative camber in them. Left with normal shafts and I would have 2 degrees negative camber and no way to adjust.
Also big rims are needed to clear the upper ball joint.
I believe in soft springs, lots of suspension movement, no giant sway bar and still flat cornering.
Put taller spindles in does this. Dropping the inner mount would also do the same thing but that is difficult.
Finished the roll cage tonight, well just on more tube under the hood and it is finished.

 

Lowering the inner mount when the body is off isnt too difficult is it?