Another spindle failure...Backcountry DV

aftermarket spindle gussets are just a bandaid welded to an inferior and poorly designed spindle that wasn't intended for use beyond Alabama Hills..

 

You can go pretty fast in the Alabama Hills, I hear those washboard roads smooth out pretty good at 60....

 

There arent any washboard at Alabama Hills, the County does a terrific job at keeping the road manicured for the retired folk pulling in the horse trailers behind their 45ft. long Diesel Pushers..

 

If you go all the way north where its less travelled it starts to get washboardy.....or at least it was a couple months ago. There's a fun & scenic dirt route from Onion Valley road to Whitney Portal road that's a blast to cruise along.

 

that's usually my routine and route when heading up to the Sierras. Leave Thursday mid afternoon after work. Stop overnight at Alabama Hills, take all dirt to Independence. Up Mazourka to the end of Papoose. Go right into DV or left to Bishop and into the Sierras from there..

 

AFAIK there aren't any for 4x4. The market for people that drive like big enough idiots to need them isn't very large.
Also I just bought another set of new spindles and installed the + sway bar gussets. I'll see how long they last.

 

I carry a Readywelder and already have dual batts. So minimal weight and the size of a briefcase. I have welded axle housings, steering boxes back on frames, spring mounts, tierod ends to tierods, even welded a besdlock ring to a wheel. All trail repairs to get home.

There are plenty of old school wheelers that carry them. I have seen them on the rubicon plenty of times.

 

I carry spares for the spares..

 

I have the ready welder too.
Is it bad to say I get upset when my buddies get over a gate keeper and I don’t get to use it?

 

Lol. I have seen people do a complete SAS on ifs trucks with a ready welder. I really dont know why they arent in more peoples tool kits. Two batteries and some flux core and you can stick most stuff together to at least get home.

Before I got mine, I had used 2 sets of jumper cables, some rod and like 3 pairs of sunglasses to weld a toy steering arm to the knuckle. Fun times.

 

Just spent a couple hours over two days reading his thread.

Epic.

@goblue82 @Mach375 you guys are bad ass

 

Awesome.
Thanks for sharing. This kind of shit would be cool if it were used in school for ME's. Kinda like a case study.

 

Eh... I have them building a fresh set for me with the newer style gussets and drop in some new wheel bearings while they're at it and maybe some 5/8" studs.

Current spindles are orginal with 163K+ miles on them. Had the gusset added back in 2012 and havenet had an issue. But they interfere with my snow chains so I'll be swapping them out. Originally thought about girding them down but yea...

Don't plan to beat the truck like the old days but I'm heading to death valley at the end of the month. Hopefully my current set holds up.... Should have new, beefier spindles when (if) I get back..


Hopefully 1st gens like to hold up better

 

Holy Necro batman!

Nonetheless, looking good.

 

Dang, that is a lot of pages to run through. Ok, well, I had somewhat of a spindle failure. Need to get parts quick so I can at least get the truck on the road. I am in Sacramento CA but frequent Bay Area for work.

Here's the gist: truck was getting towed for something else and as it was rolling onto the ramp, the drivers side gave a loud *BAP* and instantly sank almost six inches. THANKFULLY, my Toyo MT's softened the landing (tire is still functional by the way, that 10ply is thicc!). Please check out the photos and let me know if you guys can send me a link for what I need to buy to fix this.. planning to go to some junkers or auto part stores tomorrow morning. The lift is from Fabtech in case that information is needed, which it might be, https://fabtechmotorsports.com/product/6-performance-system-w-performance-shocks-k7003/ .

The second photo was just to show how we got the truck onto the ramp—a metal slider, some trusty wood, and the winch. Good thing it was a flatbed tow!

Thank you

 

Your failure is different from what this thread is about. This thread focuses on 2nd gen spindles that crack after being gusseted, often do to being driven past the limits of the truck.

Yours looks more like the standard LBJ failure on a 1st gen, not sure if the Fabtech kit keeps the same setup as stock for those. You'd get better feedback in the 1st gen forum, try the what have you done today thread
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-tacoma-today-1st-gen-edition.138573/

 

Gotchaa.. thank you

 

If this thread helps then it is relevant

 

Different failure point, different generation, different suspension type. This is like someone coming into the Death Valley thread to ask about Yosemite, can likely get help but it's not best place.