Topic: Spindle to rear spindle flange question
in Forum: C3 Handling Components
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Hi,
We took our 77 Vette "The Demon" into our local mechanic's shop to have it aligned, this was to be the last thing to be done to the car and then we were to drive it this weekend.
What happened in short is that the rear wheels would move about an inch back and forth on the hub.
We took it all apart this evening and found this.
We bought from Duntov Motor Company out of Texas a set of brand new rear spindles and we cleaned up and reused our original rear spindle flanges.
We used the spindle set up tool to determine the proper shim. We then used the spindle installation tool to press the spindle into the rear hub. The rear spindle flange bolt was tightened down to 125 foot pounds of torque to fully seat it, then loosened and re tightened to 90 foot pounds of torque.
To our surprise the rear spindle flange was not seated against the rear wheel bearing. In fact it was seated on the flutes of the spindle about 1 inch away from the bearing thus the 1" movement in the rear tires on the hubs.
Has anyone experienced this?
Shouldn't the rear spindle flanges easily slide down onto the spindles themselves?
When removing the original spindle flanges from the rear spindles I recall removing them easily with just my hands.
Any suggestions on how to install the rear spindle flanges onto the Duntov spindles would be greatly appreciated.
It seems to me that the new Duntov spindles are just a tad wider thus not fitting on the original rear spindle flanges. Do I need to buy new flanges?
We have done just about a complete on body restoration of this car and I would still love to be able to drive it this year. This is our only hold up.
Thanx!
Anni ... 77 Red Corvette .... the Demon was a good kid tonight ... thank goodness nothing was damaged since it's just about all brand new. It was a good thing that we flat bedded the car to the shop
Adams' Apple
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Duncanville, TX - USA
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I'mma tinkin you got some dud spindles...perhaps they are actually for drum-brake '63-'65 Vettes.
There's no reason your flanges won't work on the car they came off of, unless there is something wrong with the spindles.
Are you saying that when the flange nut is tightened down all the way, the nut is bottoming out on the spindle splines, but the flange is not actually touching the bearings??
IF so...You got the wrong spindles...
Unless the place you bought them from would like to send you the correct ones, AND pay for the labor to swap them out, I'd suggest they send you flanges that will work with their unusual spindles. Just my opinion.
There's no reason your flanges won't work on the car they came off of, unless there is something wrong with the spindles.
Are you saying that when the flange nut is tightened down all the way, the nut is bottoming out on the spindle splines, but the flange is not actually touching the bearings??
IF so...You got the wrong spindles...
Unless the place you bought them from would like to send you the correct ones, AND pay for the labor to swap them out, I'd suggest they send you flanges that will work with their unusual spindles. Just my opinion.
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56 
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
The spindle is correct for a 77. The Rear spindle flange does not want to seat onto the spindle. Duntov who we bought them from told us to press them on and off a few times and that wouldl loosen them up. We did that and they seem a lot looser .... just wish we would have known that before. Oh well live and learn.
We decided to cut our loses and we took the rear trailing arms off and next week plan to take them to a corvette specialist. A great guy!
My advice to anyone wanting to do this type of work ... DON"T unless you know the tricks to make it easy or you have lots of experience dong this kind of work. Rebuilding U-joints and trailing arms are difficult and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. That's why on all those morning TV mechanics shows all you see is them buying the whole system and bolting it on .... I now see why 
Anni ....hopefully after all this I can finally drive my "Demon Machine"