will any other spindles fit a 1927 buick axle

I recently got a 1927 buick 4door and want to swap out the drum brakes but cant find any brake upgrade for this car. I'm wondering if any other kingpin and spindle setup will work. Possibly early ford or chevy? anyone with any ideas? I know I could just purchase a new axle but don't want to drop $200 for an axle.

thanks, josh

 

Is that axle conventional like a modern one (Reversed Elliot) with a simple knuckle at each end or is it like a Model T(Elliot) with a fork at each end that the spindle sits in between with the kingpin running through from top to bottom?

 

It might be easier to adapt another axle, than trying to adapt a different spindle and brake.

 

Any chance of the 1920-1948 Hollander Interchange Manual identifying a suitable substitute? There a few HAMBers on here with that manual.

 

I have a '28 Buick axle for my roadster, hell I have the whole frames too. I have been looking at doing the same with it. I'll take some pics of it and we can compare it to the Chevy ones, the Ford spindles I have are a no go....

 

I may have spoke to soon. I went back and looked at the 28 axle and the ford spindles. It may indeed work. need to take the Buick spindles off to see. Does anyone have a good pic of some Chevy spindles to see if they could be adapted?

 

Sorry, but my oldest Hollander's Interchange manual (16th ed.) only goes back to 1930. Anybody got an older edition?

 

I know my 1939 spindles fit my 1930 Axle. The camber needs to be adjusted.
I also cut a bushing to put '64 riviera hubs and drums on the 1930 spindles.

 

I would have no problem converting; The kingpin diameter (if different)would be a slightly more of a challenge than if the gap in the spindle was different which could be addressed by either machining some off the spindle pivot or by shimming, whatever the case is. King pin diameter difference would require re-bushing the spindle, keeping the king pin that came with the axle. Any machine shop could accomodate.

 

This link may help you sort out GM spindles...... http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/index.htm Once you open the link, click on a year and look for "axle" in the index. Dimensions are stated.......I think you may find kits for later car and truck if you can make the spindles work.........Good Luck!

Phil

 

The Buick is a dual leaf fronty susp., right?? Compare the spring pads and axle width to another donor axle - 48-59 Chevy truck, F-100, old Chevy Ford van.........

 

yes the buick is a heavy duty dual leaf setup.

 

I found out the kingpins are 7/8inch wide and 5 1/2inch long and they fit from 1924 to 1933buicks. can you look in the hollanders interchange manual and see what matches that?
thanks, josh

 

Josh,
I looked at my king pins and the only ones close to your specs are.865" diameter, 5-9/16" long and the bushing OD is 1.054. Close, but no cigar, sorry.

Hollander's doesn't list king pin sizes - there were hundreds of different sizes. I checked Buick spindles for '30-'33 (only goes back to 1930) and there were 5 or 6 different ones. The king pins may or may not have been the same, but the differences were probably in other aspects of the spindle.

I found a listing for king pin sizes in an old MOOG parts catalog I've got and the king pins listed for 1924-1933 Buicks are:

- Std. 6, 115, 116 6 cyl; 1931-'33 60 series 8 cyl. = .874" OD x 5-21/32" (MOOG #8201B)

Master 6, 120, 121, 128, 129, 50, 60 6 cyl; 1931-1933, 80, 90 8 cyl = .999" x
6-17/32" (MOOG #8203B).

I'll look thru the rest of the catalog, make-by-make and see if that MOOG number (8201B) is used on any other applications and let you know.
-Bob

 

The 59 Chevy axle I have in the shop is to wide....

 

thanks for helping research, I have decided to just make a bushing to fit into the axle boss. It's a pretty easy size of 7/8inch (.875) and it is 2.5inches long. If the 31-48 spindle kingpin is around .812 I can buy small bushings that are .875 OD and .75ID and then drill out to the .812 to fit the ford kingpin. If the ford axle bosses were a smaller size I can mill off a little on the 2.5inch buick axle boss.
This makes it easier to use the common 31-48 ford spindles and then use the disk brake kits they have for them. It's gonna cost me around $500 but i'll have brand new everything for disk brakes from the axle out. When it comes to being safe and with brakes you can't mess around.

any ideas as to what material I should make the bushings out of? steel, bronze,etc...

 

Any competent machinist would be able to make you a custom set of king pin bushings out of bronze (Ampco 45) and/or sleeve your axle with a steel insert. The axle would need a press fit with the sleeve and finished to size after being pressed in. Personally I'd freeze the sleeve and heat the axle and press it in FAST. The bronze bushings would also be a press fit in the spindle put not as tight as the sleeve.

Of course if you could find a long king pin in the Ford diameter then all you'd have to do is sleeve the axle!!!

Once all is done then the camber differences between the Ford and Buick spindles will need to be checked.....actually I'd look into this before starting any machining.

 

So you spent $500 to save $200? *scratches head*

 

I agree. And, of course, the camber can be fixed real quick with a log-chain and a jack.

 

yes , check into the kingpin inclination before you do anything

this is what i posted on his other thread on this subject:

if you are thinking about adapting different spindles onto your axle make sure you consider the kingpin inclination....Ford spindles are 9 degrees , i have no idea what a `27 Buick is

you also want to compare the axle boss thickness..Fords are 2.375 inches high...how does that compare to the Buick?

Ford Kingpins are .813 inches in diameter . since your Buick kingpins are bigger at .875 , i think bushing the axle boss would be the way to go


if i was doing it , i would look for a way to use your existing spindles and just adapt later disc brakes. the bracket for the caliper should not be a problem , getting the right bearings and/or bushings to mount the rotors on the spindle shaft could get tricky. you may also have to turn the spindle shaft down in a lathe. as Tman said, go to a good bearing house ..bring along your spindles, a good micrometer and some of the common rotors used in disc brake swaps and start looking


C9 did a tech on disc brake swaps , maybe there is something in it that will help you:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=41585

 

I am saving $200 by not buying the axle on top of buying the spindles and brakes.
$500 is better than $700, and the axle I was looking at needs to be dual leaf and that one was actually $400 not $200.
I am just going to sleeve the axle boss, I spent $7 on a small piece of .032 steel sheet metal and made my own sleeves. That makes the inside diameter of the buick axle boss .812 which is good for the ford kingpin. My original .875 kingpins are worn at the top so I had to replace them anyway.
The old ford axle boss is 2.375 and my buick is 2.5 so I'm gonna have to find a machine shop take off .125 from the top or bottom or split .062 from the top and bottom.
Any1 have a milling machine? i'll do it myself, i used to work in a machine shop. I'll buy you a case of beer?haha

 

@Hnstray do you have any idea what the kpi is on a 1932 Buick axle? I'm looking at doing this exact thing using 1954 Buick spindles I have all the parts but they're buried in storage so I can't get the pertinent measurements...I think the '54 spindles are 7 degrees or maybe 4 lol I can't remember...I also have what I think is a '32-3 Chev axle anyone know that kpi? it's not readily available info in my net searches