*Check your spindle gussets for cracks with B/S talk

TC Non-Sway Bar version, my first bent gusseted spindles were of the All Pro version.

 

Check out "the truck shop" they make a really nice set

 

No

 

absolutely the way to go! It's whats being installed next when I get new spindles. I think this time I'm getting a brand new fresh pair straight from the dealership. I've bought used from fellow TW members in the past.

 

Oh

They look just like em. Both appear to be shit.

 

I'm wondering if gusseting the spindle like that is a good idea? That is going to shift the "flex" that the spindle absorbs somewhere else and stress out another component. Or maybe the shock would absorb more of the energy?

 

There was a race team out there, can't remember which one. They were having gusseted spindle failures. So they tried heat treating them. They contacted Toyota and got some info on the stock treatment and had a shop do some treatment to improve strength. After that they didn't experience the problem anymore.

I guess this is a useless post as I don't have the details or a reference... But if someone was so inclined they could do this and get a better result.

And what @jberry813 said about the TC ones. The added steering gusset is a huge design improvement.

 

This is common in welds. Cracks start in the weld and propagate through base metal. Once cracked, it's unlikely it'll arrest itself. I'm a bridge inspector and I see this in high fatigue tension areas (think of bending a paper clip repeatedly). I don't know much about the dynamics of a spindle, but I imagine it goes under many fatigue cycles and switches from compression to tension often.

 

Yeah, I'm starting to believe that's whats happening, the way the spindle bends up at that point puts a bit of stress there, when the weld breaks, it just propagates through the main riser and shears.

 

A pre-heat should be applied, probably 150-200F, and after the weld is made, keep the cooling rate as slow as possible to avoid a strong but brittle weld. This can be done by wrapping the weld in heat blanket (crude method). Obviously this is the least desireable method, but is better than just welding them and throwing them back on the truck. Details on the actual post weld heat treat would be awesome for those with a furnace.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear. These guys did NOT gusset the spindles. They just changed the hardness of the stock material through treatment.

 

Saw a guy at Rock Therapy 2016 who bent a driver side spindle. Thankfully someone had spares on hand.

 

Yes I misunderstood. My bad.

 

I put my second pair in the oven, both before to preheat and left it on while welding them and then turned it off after putting them in and let them cool there, and hit them with a torch all the while welding them.

 

That is more than probably most do. Have you experience any defects yet?

 

Great notes though for those who want to weld gussets on!

This is a good idea.

 

No, not on the second (TC sway) set. I have also solid mounted my lowers, so there is nothing else to give, which is probably adding more force to the spindles.

 

http://www.chaosfab.com/PDF/install/accessories/59698.pdf

Total chaos doesn't say anything about preheating or controlled cooldown.

As far as I gathered before I welded mine, preheating isn't necessary on generic forged steel. It doesn't hurt, but as far as I could find, its just a recommendation. With that said, until someone contacts Toyota and finds out what the chemical properties of the spindles are, and their forging process, its speculation if preheat/controlled CD does anything for these.

 

^^^This^^^

I work with enough heavy fab shops on 100 ton castings and forgings to know that it's all about pre-heating and then stress relieving after welding to make sure that the heat affected zone isn't localized to a high stress area already.

I would be interested to see Toyota's actual material compositions and then stress relieving procedures for their stock spindles.

 

@Bentrodder