Spindle bearing woes

[Cadillac]

I would check the tram on your head and make it as perfect as you can get. Then redo your measurements just to be sure. Don’t look at old numbers start fresh and compare before your first chip.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Cadillac,

Yes I agree ! These are all things we do without giving any thought to them. The old adage, measure twice cut once, applies.

With those pillar height's varying like that, it makes me wonder what the bearing caps and shells are like.

 

[Izzy]

@BaronJ I was curious about the caps myself which is why I took a quick measurement with my calipers. I went to KBC today and picked up a spindle square to make sure the head was perfectly trammed. I have some work to do to my vehicle before getting to the head stock but I'll report back as soon as I've taken my cuts.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Izzy,

No worries I'll be around. I'm as keen to find out as you are.

 

[Cadillac]

Hi Cadillac,

Yes I agree ! These are all things we do without giving any thought to them. The old adage, measure twice cut once, applies.

With those pillar height's varying like that, it makes me wonder what the bearing caps and shells are like.

I would bolt the caps down and torque. Then I would put vertical in my BP and take readings with a .0001 indicator. That’s gonna give you some insight as to what’s going on. Then I’d mic the spindle. If it’s tapered that’s gonna dictate what I’d do.
If tapered I’d have it ground straight then have the headstock linebored and be done.
If spindle is straight I’d either bore it myself and leave a little in case it doesn’t work right and then suck it up and have linebored.
I would think it can be done with a lot of careful measuring. Remember you can’t redo once you cut so be confident before you start. No room for rushing anything with this. Good luck.

 

[Izzy]

@Cadillac I believe that's what we're working towards, just trying to save a bit of money by shaving down caps/headstock myself before dropping if off for line boring. The old mold shop I used to work for said they could do it for me. The measurements for my spindle are a few posts up. It's got a belly in the middle for lack of better words.

 

[BaronJ]

Line boring won't help ! Neither will bolting the caps down and measuring them.
If you can get replacement bronze shells then you might get away with doing a line bore job.
Material has already been removed from both the spindle and the bearing shells. You cannot put that material back.

 

[Izzy]

I thought that's what we where working towards. I thought we where removing a bit of material to then get it line bored since the play is in the sides not up and down. I thought line boring would give us a true and straight hole for the spindle?

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Izzy,

You have already removed material ! We now need to find out how much we have got left to play with. Taking 10 thou off the pillars is going to allow you to assess what material you have left and what you can do to start to restore things to a workable state. That 10 thou may not be enough !
Since based on the measurements that you took, after removing 10 thou the pillars are still going to be high so there is room to do more if needed.

Sorry Cadillac, but your advice is unwise at this point !

 

[BaronJ]

Izzy,

You will need feeler gauges, engineers blue and a pair of inside calipers a bit further on.
The belly on the spindle is of little concern at the moment.

I'm going to bed now, but I'll be around tomorrow...