Spindle?
 

Please excuse the stupid question but what component of the front suspension is referred to as the spindle?

The last time I had my 124 front end aligned the shop told me the front right spindle was bent and they compensated for it accordingly.

I have a junker so I can replace the part ... just want to make sure I replace the correct part. :D

Thanks in advance!

The spindle is the part that the wheel bearings are attached to.

if they
 

corrected for it why change it?

you will just need to have it aligned again.

if it is driving right, i would leave it alone.

tom w

Because I'm replacing both ball joints, control arm bushings on both sides, center drag link, both tie rods and the idler arm bushing. AND, while I'm down there the spindle too!

Thanks engatwork for the clarification. :wacko:

i see
 

i guess it has been some time ago that the alignment was done and you have gotten your money's worth out of it.

so it looks like you are doing it up right.

good luck

tom w

If the spindle itself were bent, you would have a serious problem that alignment would not correct. The spindle is part of the 'steering knuckle', so it may have been bent where it is inserted in the knuckle, or the knuckle arm may be bent, or they may be wrong. If they felt they could 'compensate' for an out-of-spec part by alignment, they may not have bothered to accurately assess the defective part - they may have just guessed. You might ask them just what measurement they had a problem adjusting, then ask here for opinions on the possible cause.

Steve

Let me be a little more specific. The spindle is the part that the ID of the brg attaches to. I've got a couple of 126 spindles sitting on the floor in the shop but I'm not going out there tonite to take a pic of it.

?

Anyway, this is the left steering knuckle of a 124, and the spindle is what is sticking out in the drawing. The knuckle arm bolts on from the back, also in the drawing.

Steve

i agree that
 

the spindle itself can't be bent or the bearings wouldn't work. the part that the spindle attaches to, or is a part of, could be bent, whatever that is called. i wouldnt be surprised if nothing is actually bent, but this was stated as an over simplified explanation of some other situation.

tom w

Actually, the spindle could be bent, if near the insertion point on the knuckle. When the hub is installed and the bearings adjusted, a sufficient impact to the wheel assembly could bend the spindle within the limits constrained by the bearings. The bearings and hub will actually prevent the spindle from bending within the bearing assembly, but not outside that area.

However, the result will be misalignment of the caliper-to-disk, misalignment of the ABS sensor, and not to mention the alignment problems. Still, other suspension problems could return similar alignment issues, without compromising the brakes.

Steve

inlooking
 

at the part that includes the spindle, it is hard to imagine that that part could be bent and not have destroyed some of the more vulnerable pieces such as the movable links, etc.

tom w

I think this is probably true - and an impact that could bend the spindle would not go unoticed - e.g. an accident where repair was incomplete, leaving the spindle as remaining casualty. Whatever the cause, just replacing the knuckle, in order to replace the spindle, is a shotgun approach. I would not take the offhand comment of the alignment shop as gospel for the cause of the problem.

Steve

Thanks Steve for the blowup and advice. I'll have it all apart this week so I'll give the existing spindle a close look. I'd imagine that if it is indeed bent it would be noticeable.

I'll let you know what I discover.

maybe not
 

it wouldnt take much to affect the alignment.

tom w