checking for bent spindle?

re: buying a set of spare spindles for $100-200, used OEM
to send out for gusseting,

How do you know if they're bent or not?
Like how do you know the person wasn't hitting curbs and doing youtube jumps on 4600's,
then goes "Perfect Condition"

Is this something a fabricator would know once they go to line up the gusset parts against the spindle and if there is too big of a gap or it doesn't bolt up to a jig that would tell them it's bent?

Maybe they're strong enough to survive driving so long as it's not from a junkyard truck that obviously got crashed on the side of the spindle?

I'm actually curious to know if any of mine are bent and plan to get under the truck with a tape measure to connect various points and connect left to right

Or maybe the best way is to buy those $120/ea brand new ones from RockAuto, take off the old spindles, and hold them next to each other to visually compare?
Usually on a regular car, any time there is an impact, you just assume and replace a spindle. But they're aluminum meant to bend in impact.
As opposed to trucks; these Tacomas go through a lot harsher terrain regularly compared to a car

Last time I saw a similar looking iron spindle was on an '01 Mercedes E320, W210 chassis

 

They do bend easy. Best way to compare next to a known good one and the results are pretty obvious.

 

oh man. In that case sounds like the best option is brand new off RockAuto and send straight to gusset welding

gets even pricier if you want to add double shear tabs + heim rod ends to upgrade tie rods

Noticed if I change the angle of my low-mile Moog tie rod ends at the ball joint, that it changes toe by up to 3 minutes of a degree
I feel like tie rod end ball joints aren't supposed to do that
But maybe they do on Tacoma's. Maybe it's not significant enough to matter

 

Simplest way to tell if they are bent when they are on the truck:
Alignment is way off from one side to the other (could be something else damaged, doing other checks could rule out other components)
Gap between the tire and the upper ball joint should be pretty equal (this will only tell if the spindle is bent inboard towards vehicle centerline, NOT bent forwards or backwards)
Could probably take the tires off and compare the angle difference from driver to passenger with a gauge, but this would likely vary depending on alignment and might not be a good way to check.

If they are off the vehicle and stripped down, you can place them back to back and they should have equal angles as they branch outwards and up. Probably could tell just with your eyes, but could also put an angle gauge on them and compare them with them on a table sitting upright.

Yes a fabricator can tell easily if he has a jig and can probably eye ball it using the back-to-back method if they have a known good spindle.

 

You should probably verify that aftermarket spindles will work with the gussets you want to use before you buy the spindles. Good chance they either won't fit right or might not be the best steel to weld to. I've never heard of anyone using anything but OEM.

 

I’ve got a spare pair I keep in my shop when there are requests to weld on gussets to avoid the down time. It’s a pretty straightforward job to add the gussets. Consider doing them yourself before paying someone. There’s no “fabricating” that needs to happen now that there are several COTS kits available.

 

I have a JIG that I built that actually tells me in “degrees” how much it is bent. I don’t like to share pictures of it so people don’t copy it.

The quick and fast way to check is to put it on a flat, level table. Put a level on the top of the knuckle. It should be level horizontally when you spin it. Same goes for the side of the spindle where the tierod attaches. Should be level vertically there as well.