Drop spindles and stock control arm issues?

[jgreen16]

So, I'm getting ready to buy a 2/4 drop kit for my 90 RCLB, and have done a lot of research on the various manufacturers, or so I thought. Based on what I had found previously, I was most likely going to get the McGaughys kit with the drop spindles for HD brakes.

Well, today I'm browsing YouTube videos, and come across Eric The Car Guys (ETCG) channel where he has a series chronicling the build of his Dad's 90 RCSB. He has a four-part episode where he is redoing the whole front end, and is using the McGuaghys drop spindles. Long story short, he has to take a grinder to the spindles in several areas to get them to function through the entire range of travel due to interference with the stock control arms.

This is not something I had seen or heard when looking at the various kits. Is this something anyone here has heard of, or encountered personally? Is this a McGaughys issue, or do Belltechs, DJM, Western, etc. have the same problems? Or, is it something that ETCG did wrong to bring this about?

I'd rather not have to take a grinder to nice new drop spindles to make them fit properly. It seems that the various manufacturers have had these kits available for quite some time, and that fitment issues would be sorted out. Thanks for any input on this.

 

[RQ Jay]

It's not that you have to take a grinder to the new spindle, it's the lower control arm you need to grind.
This can be avoided in using the bellyech drip spindle that pushes the wheel outward a 1/4 of an inch and clears the lower control arms if using the stock 16 inch wheel.
Grinding the lower control arm has been practiced for years and does not take away any of the strength either.

 

[Uncle Ben]

I got the djm drop spindles, had to grind my spindles as well as they were interfering with my upper control arm when the wheels were turned. I wouldn’t recommend the beltech spindles as they push the wheels out and sometimes will interfere with fender clearance.

 

[jgreen16]

It's not that you have to take a grinder to the new spindle, it's the lower control arm you need to grind.
This can be avoided in using the bellyech drip spindle that pushes the wheel outward a 1/4 of an inch and clears the lower control arms if using the stock 16 inch wheel.
Grinding the lower control arm has been practiced for years and does not take away any of the strength either.

I'm aware of the need to grind or cut on the gutters of the lower control arms when running smaller diameter wheels. I'll be going with either 18 or 20 inch wheels, so I won't run into that problem. This was grinding on the spindle itself.

It's a long video, but here is the ETCG episode that illustrates the issue. Jump to the 21 minute mark.

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I got the djm drop spindles, had to grind my spindles as well as they were interfering with my upper control arm when the wheels were turned. I wouldn’t recommend the beltech spindles as they push the wheels out and sometimes will interfere with fender clearance.

This is it exactly what I mean, and I'd like to avoid grinding on brand new spindles if possible. I was nor considering the Belltechs due to what you mention on pushing the wheels out. Hadn't seen this interference problem with the McGaughy upper control arms until the video I posted above. Surely there has to be a drop spindle that just works out of the box with the stock control arms, and doesn't push the wheels out.

 

[sewlow]

I've never heard of anyone having the prob of the UCA & the spindle interfering.
He's doing the mod of grinding the spindle with the suspension at full droop.
If you go to the next vid, where he has it all together & on the wheels, he does a test where he turns the steering lock to lock in order to check for interference.
At 42:40 to 43:10, + several more views consequently afterwards up until about 45:50 or so, it shows the clearance between the UCA & the spindle. From what I can see, there is a bunch of room between the two, & all should be fine, even without doing the grindage.

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[jgreen16]

I've never heard of anyone having the prob of the UCA & the spindle interfering.
He's doing the mod of grinding the spindle with the suspension at full droop.
If you go to the next vid, where he has it all together & on the wheels, he does a test where he turns the steering lock to lock in order to check for interference.
At 42:40 to 43:10, + several more views consequently afterwards up until about 45:50 or so, it shows the clearance between the UCA & the spindle. From what I can see, there is a bunch of room between the two, & all should be fine, even without doing the grindage.

I did not watch the Part 4 video all the way until the end, so did not see that view. Thanks for pointing that out, and now I feel better about getting that same kit.

I'm not looking forward to installing the new control arms though, if it is as difficult as his video makes it appear. I know he reused the old arms with new bushings and ball joints though, and I have brand new arms with ball joints already installed. Maybe it'll go together a bit easier.

 

[RQ Jay]

I'm aware of the need to grind or cut on the gutters of the lower control arms when running smaller diameter wheels. I'll be going with either 18 or 20 inch wheels, so I won't run into that problem. This was grinding on the spindle itself.

It's a long video, but here is the ETCG episode that illustrates the issue. Jump to the 21 minute mark.

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This is it exactly what I mean, and I'd like to avoid grinding on brand new spindles if possible. I was nor considering the Belltechs due to what you mention on pushing the wheels out. Hadn't seen this interference problem with the McGaughy upper control arms until the video I posted above. Surely there has to be a drop spindle that just works out of the box with the stock control arms, and doesn't push the wheels out.

I would not grind it out, especially for a clearance issue at lift and not compression....
As far as belltechs go, if you have wheels already dont go with them... if its stock, no problem.