Looking for some raised spindles, Volare

Hey everyone,

Anyone know where I can get some Raised spindles made up? Can it be done safely? It's a 58 Chevy PU with a Volare Front end.

I did a complete performance rebuild a couple years ago and dumped a lot of money into it, otherwise I would be looking at going with a straight axle.

Thanks

 

Volare, oh, oh
E Contare, oh, oh, oh
sorry man, couldn't resist and I hope you find the spindles. Peace.

 

I don't think such an animal exists. I'm guessing you already have the torsion bars cranked up as far as you dare and still have some ride quality?

 

You are probably the only person that actually wants raised spindles for a Volare front end.

Translation: no such thing besides custom fab yourself.

 

Cool, I love being unique.... The bars are cranked up pretty far, not maxed and it still rides good.

I know no one makes an off the shelf part for them. I was curious if anyone knows a shop that could do it right. I'm pretty sure raised spindles where fairly popular in the late 60's-70's, not on Volare's per say. I have no experience with raised spindles, I have herd some horror stories and some say if their built right they are fine.

Thanks

 

I have heard of a spacer that go's between the lower ball joint and the spindle. Don't know how good they are. I always go lower?
I have the Fat Man Spindles. They work well to lower it. You do need to clearance some metal on the lower control arm so they don't touch the rotors.

 

By raising the spindle you will lower the truck. If thats what you are looking for, Fatman Fabrications has spindles, giving a 2"drop.

 

Seen a lot of Volare front ends bolted to the original frame. If your lucky, make some spacers between the frame & the crossmember.

 

Yeah that was my first thought. But its welded in solid as they come

 

Are you trying to raise the front end of your truck (lower the spindles) or lower the front end of your truck (raise the spindles)?

Sounds like you want to raise the truck, with which you want to move the spindle location closer to the lower control arm. The lower control arm determines the height of the truck.

The problem is, the spindle location is already located very near the bottom of the steering knuckle on the Volare. Short of a reverse Z on he frame, raising the rear part of the frame above the front suspension part of the frame, I don't see any way to do what you have in mind. Gene

 

A while back I saw some extended shaft Ball Joints(Mopar Performance?) not sure if they're for slight change of height, or to compensate if the A Arm mounts are closer together on disc spindles than on the OEM spindles, but they might help a bit.

 

bump,

Anyone know of a shop that would be willing to tackle the job of making custom raised spindles?

Thanks

 

Fatman will make custom for an unusual application, at least they offered to do it for me a couple of years ago. Call'em up.

 

I'd have to question why you would buy a truck that was built to be low and then want to jack it up sky high but to each his own. I doubt seriously that you will find any spindles to do that and the cost of having them built as a one off thing would be prohibitive at best.
It's also a lost cause thinking about ripping the Volarie setup out and sticking an I beam back under the truck as the guys who install Volarie front ends under trucks cut a pretty good chunk out of the bottom side of the truck's frame rails to fit them up to the crossmember and be able to weld them up. You would be time, money and headaches ahead to just find another unmodified frame and freshen it up and swap frames and sell the rolling chassis that is under the truck now to recover some of the money.

 

I agree with Mr48Chevy, there is not enough room between the lower A frame and the bottom of the steering arm that bolts to the ball joint then to the bottom of the spindle. It would almost be easier to build or modify your lower strut to move the ball joint to the bottom of the strut instead of its present location. That would mess up the geometry of the front suspension as the upper arm would have to drop down to connect to the top of the spindle. Find someone with a stock truck who wants independent front suspension and arrange a trade with him doing most of the labor of changing the components over between the two frames.