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Bearings and spindle

Stoney

Stoney

Well-Known Member
Messages
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Location
Elmira ny
I need to replace the spindle on passenger side...the trucks a 2 wheel drive, 1997 c3500, crew cab ,dually 6.5td...I found spindles off of other years but not sure which years I can use......is there a difference between the spindle for a dually vs. a single wheel..and what years are interchangeable also does anyone know the part numbers for the inner and outer wheel bearings?? I've come to not trust auto zone for finding the right parts cause they have given me parts they swear are right but don't fit...
 
What my interchange shows is that with the GMT-400 chassis is that the C3500 standard duty steering knuckle is the same across all model years, as would be the bearings/races/seals. The only difference is the spacer and longer wheel studs to make up for the dually wheel offset. If anybody out there has different info, please chime in. As for AutoZone, pretty much everybody on here that does serious wrenching agrees their house-brand stuff and ALL electrical is crap. Use if it's the ONLY option available within 100 miles. @RockAutoLLC is a vendor sponsor on here and offers discounts if you use the TruckStop code at check out. They deal in only known, name brand stuff, and are usually way cheaper, even with shipping, than brick and mortar stores or eBay/Amazon. I've bought parts for multiple family vehicles from them and have never been disappointed.
 
True, @THEFERMANATOR . My exchange chart just showed what physically bolts into place. You're right about the mounting hole for the ABS sensor. I suppose somebody with reasonably skill level, if all they could obtain was an early, non-ABS knuckle, could drill and tap the necessary needed holes to mount the sensor.
 
Thanks guys.. literally just got done. started right after I saw huskers answer.i had already bought the bearings etc just wanted to make sure that the spindle I picked up would work before I tore it all apart...replaced spindle..new bearings, seals, rotors, calipers, pads, even did the big sway bar bushings since already had it in the air...gone return the old parts under my warranty in morning, and buy new tie rods, pitman arm and idler arm..just do it all at once..
 
Just out of curiosity, @Stoney, what prompted the replacement of the spindle/knuckle? Or were you just doing the bearings/races/seals and wanted to make sure you had the correct compatible parts before diving in?
 
@Husker6.5 Long story, but basically I busted a lower ball joint about 2 months ago ,truck ended up on the ground had to change the tie rods on the passenger side new ball joint put it back together less than 2 weeks later the same ball joint snapped again... The one that snapped the first time was a Moog. But because AutoZone doesn't carry Moog anymore I had to get a duralast for the second one. Which as I said broke also.. after changing it again I kept an eye on it religiously and noticed that no matter how tight I tightened the nut on the lower ball joint it kept coming loose.. then it occurred to me that when I tightened it down all the way the hole for the cotter pin was almost to the top of the slit into castle nut instead of down further into slit like they normally are to where the pin was only halfway into the slit so the nut was coming loose shearing off the PIN getting looser and snapping the ball joint. I actually thought it was defective parts at first thinking they were putting the hole too high, then I got looking at it and realized that where the nut tightens down onto the spindle there's a pretty bad groove into the spindle, whereas it's normally a flat surface that the nut Tightens down onto it was actually recessed down into the lower arm of the spindle.. which means when you tighten the nut it's going down further than usual. Ie when the nut got tight it wasn't actually tightened down on the spindle it was just to the end of the threads.. which allowed it to move around which of course would loosen the nut sheared the pin and truck goes on the ground..lol . So I finally found a spindle and since the races bearings seals rotors calipers pads tie rods etc are all under warranty we decided to say the hell with it and rebuild everything from the ground up... Thankfully my brother was willing to help me with it... Just figured we are having to make a lot of trips two and a half hours away because of complications in the wife's pregnancy, and the baby is due to be delivered by C-section next Friday so we wanted to make sure everything on the truck was solid so nothing to worry about once the baby's in it... trust me at this point I'd much rather order from Rock Auto, but all this stuff is under warranty at AutoZone, and I don't have the cash flow to buy them again, wish I did... only thing I still have left to change is the control arms..but there not under warranty and definitely not in the budget right now..lol
 
Sounds like somewhere along the line one or more times, somebody way over tightened the nut, either with a breaker bar or high torque impact wrench, just tightened the hell out of it without using a torque wrench and called it good. The steel of the nut, being harder than the cast iron of the knuckle, would "dent" it and leave a new seat impression. Do that a few times and now you have exactly the situation you described.
 
Wouldn't shock me..I had all the ball joints replaced soon after buying the truck cause the boots were tearing and one of them was going bad,..got a good deal on all 4 moog brand... should have done the work my self, had it done at a shop...at the time my contracting business was booming so I didn't have the time to do it myself... Lesson learned..lol.... gonna have to check with bro later and make sure what he torqued them to... I was doing the bushings when he tightened everything...
Way different subject but will a leaking exhaust manifold cause intermittent power loss, ? As in sometimes it feels real strong takes off good. but others times it feels like no matter how much you push the pedal she just can't get up and go good..??...no real power..also noticed that at times the turbo seems like it's not really spooling...other times it spools real good...I know there's a leak on passenger side manifold, been needing to be fixed for quit awhile wondering if maybe it got progressively worse causing the problem... doesn't help that I get alot of oil in the turbo ...cdr ain't worth a crap, but don't want to do a draft tube if it's gonna mess up the seals..
 
Another thing I have seen, Good name brand parts at AutoZone that say in the fine print on edge of box "made to Auto Zone specifications"
 
Stoney said:
Wouldn't shock me..I had all the ball joints replaced soon after buying the truck cause the boots were tearing and one of them was going bad,..got a good deal on all 4 moog brand... should have done the work my self, had it done at a shop...at the time my contracting business was booming so I didn't have the time to do it myself... Lesson learned..lol.... gonna have to check with bro later and make sure what he torqued them to... I was doing the bushings when he tightened everything...
Way different subject but will a leaking exhaust manifold cause intermittent power loss, ? As in sometimes it feels real strong takes off good. but others times it feels like no matter how much you push the pedal she just can't get up and go good..??...no real power..also noticed that at times the turbo seems like it's not really spooling...other times it spools real good...I know there's a leak on passenger side manifold, been needing to be fixed for quit awhile wondering if maybe it got progressively worse causing the problem... doesn't help that I get alot of oil in the turbo ...cdr ain't worth a crap, but don't want to do a draft tube if it's gonna mess up the seals..
Click to expand...
Yes, an intermittent leaking manifold, especially on the passenger side, would affect drive pressure and turbo spooling.
 
After the AutoZone Duracrap brake pad came un-bonded from the backing plate and caused me to pump the brakes a couple times while considering hammering the parking brake... Then seat cushion removal... At least the coffin on wheels ahead of me would have been consitered hitting someting soft. Sounded like a nail came out of a tire and hit the underside of the truck when the pad departed. The metal on metal ate the rotor alive. It was the last of the USA cast rotors I had put on it new last brake job and now settled for a reduced Autozone price on a new rotor as they didn't want to cover it. Pads no problem...

Their krap is why parts quality is so bad: because everyone wants to be a cheap as they are.

But the biggest reason I don't set foot in Autozones anymore is they fire Veterans under their lame Hero Policy for stopping robberies.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Outrage as AutoZone employee and Air Force vet praised for bravery by sheriff is FIRED for confronting armed robber

Devin McClean, 23, who worked at the York County, Virginia store until about a week ago, says he managed to slip out during the attack, grab his glock .40 handgun from his car and return - frightening away the bandit.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
I remember that story..it's crap that they fired him for defending there store..I would have promoted him.
As for there parts, I agree..there crap.. problem is I didn't know that until I joined this group.. basically thought all aftermarkets would be about the same..as far as chassis parts..(electrical I knew better, a/c or nothing....so now I've got a shit ton of money in parts from there that are all under lifetime warranty..when I say a shit ton I mean probably around 10 grand worth.. (not all on this truck, but most of it is.) So here's the situation I'm in..I can only afford to keep 1 of my vehicles registered and insured right now. So I keep the diesel on the road.. because it can do any job I need towing bumper pull trailers, 5th wheel trailers, regular in bed cargo, and also its a crew cab so I can haul people i.e, wife and I, kids, friends, my mom , wife's sister and brother in law with there baby .etc..which is nice since I'm only one in either of our familys that drives... Literally nobody else has a license but me...
I wish to God I had bought all parts from our vendors, leroy, Quadstar, Rock Auto, etc but I didn't know at the time till I joined y'all that the parts I was getting were so weak. But the prob now is I went out of business due to coronavirus, and the year before that things were getting tight cash wise anyhow due to shit with my now ex wife... You'll think I'm crazy but I actually thank God in heaven for those lifetime warrantys at a store that's five minutes from my house..cause when my truck breaks I can be back with replacement parts in 30 minutes..not wait for them for 3days or more.... And honestly I'd be screwed right now if I didn't have those warrantys...I just spent $740.00 on parts to rebuild the front end..only reason I could do it was because Mr Trump gave me 600 dollars and I got paid Friday for the whole 21 hours a week I get to work right now..Im only making about 550 every two weeks, now thanks to our damn asshole governor, ms.Cuomo.
I don't have 740 to spend on truck parts. So I was able to buy the new ones, put them in and return the old ones under the warranty and have the money back in our pocket to live on... And with a baby due next week we need every dime we can get.
It amazes me how drastically life changed in touch a short time. Two years ago I would have thought nothing of blowing a grand on parts, cause I new I had a good solid income..I know these parts are junk and they will break again.. no doubt in my mind. And when/if life ever gets back to normal I definitely plan to order all new stuff from a reputable company...but till that time comes I'm going to try my best to be thankful for what we have and that the truck can get us around day to day.
For record, I didn't intend any of this rant to be offensive or challenging..was just kinda venting and saying why I'm thankful for the parts I can get for now..junk parts are better than no parts right.lol. honestly, I'm just hoping we can get the house finished by spring, cause it's going right back on the market..we want to get the hell out of New York.. another member said he would help us check out realistate where he lives... hopefully better jobs, and cheaper living than here..lol..70grand for the house should get us on a decent place out in the flyover States...
 
Are those chassis parts with the lifetime warranty on them, the rod ends, ball joints, idler arm, etc. greaseable or are they sealed "lubed for life"? Just curious.
 
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