Can anyone tell me how interchangable GM B body spindles are? I ask because I would rather do a drop spindle than a lowering (or cut) spring. I put drop spindles on my (definitely OT) Chevy S10 and it drove great, put on drop springs later and it screwed up the cushy spring rate. (But it's still funner than shit). Anyway, I don't want that for the Blue Cat and a mild 2" drop is gonna suit me just fine. I can't find much in the way of custom suspension parts for any Pontiac B body '64 and older. I assume not every '64 Impala got cut springs and hydrolics...lol. Wondering if I can use the Chevy drop spindles (I have factory disc brakes). ~Bro Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
don't have my book in reach - Impala's are a different breed or chassie/ steering/ spindle than from a Olds - Buick - Pontiac....maybe why kinda hard to find the drops for them- O-B-P ran the bigger stuff.......
Is that so...hmmm... It sits really nice right now. And the ride....ahhh...SO good! I almost don't want to screw it up. This thing rides so smooth and straight and even a-l-m-o-s-t nimble.... Thanks for your help guys. Drop spindles would be the sweet get. I would be in it for roughly $400. That's about 1/3 of the way to air bags. Maybe I that's my move. Who knows. Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have Fatman's drop spindles in my C body Chrysler. They aren't made for the car but they told me what I would probably run into if I attempted to use them. I basically had to widen a bolt pattern by 1/2 " to make them work. They will custom make a set for you if you send in your spindles.
^^thats entirely probable. I just came from a car show where I saw a 63(?) Catalina laying real low with bellflowers....put my wheels in motion, ya know? But once I get in the old girl and go for a cruise.... perhaps I'll think twice. IDK. Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Mine is a wagon...and blue...but this guy's ride had me itchin' to get low. Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The factory disc thing slipped by me yesterday ..Love to see that. You have a wagon? Put some 8 lug wheels and duals on it and then leave it alone.
Been a long time since I did mine, but there were no spindles that interchanged. Even to put later year factory disc, the lower a-arms with the 4 bolt ball joints prevented the '69 spindles from fitting. I ended up custom fabbing lower a-arms to use the '69 spindles. I understand that Squarebird now makes a disc kit that fits the '64 drum spindles, but I have not looked it up myself. But, back to your problem at hand, not sure of any drop spindles that are going to fit. I cut coils on the front of mine to lower it and swapped to '64 GTO (I'd have to double check that, but pretty sure they were '64) springs in the back to get it down. It's not as low as the one you posted, but it rides good....or did when I last drove it 25 years ago.
Perhaps a poor choice of words... It has GM disc brakes, a conversion - but not Willwoods or Baer... It's also a factory 2 door...LOL.... Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
GM didn't start mixing n matching until the mid to late '60s. Even into the '70s (that I know of) BOP still had specific pieces hat didn't interchange. If you look around I don't doubt you can find drop spindles for the catalina. There was a time (and maybe still?) that you could get the springs rewound. I used to send coils to Eaton and they would rewind them somehow, and make them shorter. they still rode well enough, just that the springs ended up shorter.
I found 2" lowering springs, and that might suffice... Just cringe at ruining a ride that is currently as smooth as glass. Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No clue, didn't do the conversion. They were done when I bought it. ...and I know they didn't make a two door Safari in 64. They took the doors off of a 2 door post and grafted them on because the doors are about a foot longer than if you left the stockers and welded the rears shut... Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Okay, so you are looking for dropped spindles for a 64, but it could be that you have later spindles adapted to it now?..Possibly 69-70. So , I would think you ought to investigate that first. Factory discs..Not factory discs Factory 2 dr....Not factory 2 dr. I'm missing the satire or whatever this routine is...
Another thing to consider is if the steering gear (tie rods, drag link) are in front or behind the spindle. Pat
LOL...yeah, so...I can admit when I'm wrong, I'm married - so I'm wrong a lot. It something you get used to. The brakes are on me; my bad. I only mentioned them because I know it matters when you go to do the work. I also know they aren't Brembos or Wilwoods or some other performance aftermarket pieces. The calipers are chunky weak GM parts with 13" discs... So, yeah,,,meh.. The factory 2 door comment is tongue in cheek. I know they didn't make 2 door wagons after '59. I said it to poke fun at myself & the comment about the brakes. I have the photos of the car as a 4 door, then having the doors gutted, then having the post top doors grafted into place. So, yeah I fucked up and I really don't know what brakes I have or even how it was done except to say that they exist and it's not a Corvette. To be honest it never really dawned on me that Pontiacs didn't have disc options for more upscale versions of the B body until it was pointed out. I'm a Pontiac lover but I'm not a numbers matching concourse restoration expert. IDK, it appears as if you were gearing up to pounce on me from the beginning so feel free to pounce away, I have pretty thick skin (I'm an OG HAMBster from the beginning when this place was actually quite rough). That being said, I was trying to keep things from being too complicated and just wanted to know if there were any parts that were interchangable. I didn't think a simple post like that was going to start an Inquisition. If this has started any shit....well, suffice it to say: shit stops here. I got my answer and thank you to everyone who help answer that question. Love, ~Broman Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No problem. As long as you've been here, you should know that the more relevant and correct info you put in your original post, the better info you'll get in return. Some of these threads take two pages to get all the info needed to give an informed answer. There's several centuries' worth of experience here. Just have to ask the right questions. Carry on...
How about a pic. of the spindles , calipers and master along with the control arms. That way some one can tell you what you have. So we all could learn what you have. The drop spindles may be out there now & we don't know it.
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