Okay, I had to try them as the long awaited CSRP dropped spindles are still vaporware. So I called Fatman and asked a couple of questions before ordering them. These are spindles designed to use the Granada/Maverick disc brake setup. Maverick and 71-77 comets share the same upper / lower control arms as 67-73 Mustangs and share the same spindle dimensions, etc.
Q: What tie rod ends do you need to use with these spindles?
A: '65 - '73 Mustang tie rod ends.
After explaining that there are several different tie rod ends for the '65 - '73 Mustangs, I convinced the salesman to ask someone else for the correct answer.
A. Maverick or Comet tie rod ends.
Okay so far.
Q: What is the difference in the spindle pin height from a stock Maverick or Comet spindle?
A: 2.5 inches
Q: What other items am I going to have to change or modify to install these onto a stock Maverick?
A: Nothing. These are a direct bolt on with no mods required. You should check the steering arm for interference if you are using a deep wheel.
Q: Gee, seems almost to good to be true. So What is the total to ship these to me?
A: $580 plus $48 shipping. (the website lists $540)
So I received them Tuesday and mocked them up in my rims to make sure there would be no problems with the tires and wheels. Everything looked good.
This afternoon, I decided to remove my stock spindles, rotors and calipers and install the new spindles. Disassembly went smooth, just as expected. Then the fun began.
First problem that i noticed is that there is no provision for you to use your splash shields. No mounting holes, etc. Okay, I live in SoCal, it never rains, I can make due until I can have a machinist friend drill and tap the required holes for me.
Second problem was trying to mount the rotors. The rotors were touching the end of the lower control arms. This required some "persuading" with a 3 lb. tack hammer to allow the required clearance.
Next problem was mounting the calipers. The problem here started with the brake line running directly into the upper ball joint stud. Since the brake lines are a solid tube for approximately 2" from the caliper, there was no way to bend or modify the brake lines to clear the ball joint stud. Since the upper and lowers are in really sad shape on this car, I simply cut off the extra length on the stud. (This is a temporary hack job.) I will have to have new brake lines made to route around the stud for a permanent installation.
Next problem had to do with the holes for the brake calipers not being drilled true. If you started the bottom bolt first, the upper bolt hole was 1/4 of the hole diameter out of alignment with the calipers. This required a little massaging with a rat tailed file to create the clearance to bolt the calipers to the spindle. Ideally, these holes should be welded up and redrilled in the proper location and angle.
Okay, calipers mounted. Turn the steering wheel. Uh-oh. You can only turn the wheels about 10 degrees either way before the top of the caliper hits the upper control arm on the back of the control arm. Get out the cut-off wheel and trim the control arm to create the required clearance. (Did I mention that the upper and lower control arms are in really sad shape and need to be replaced SOON?) Finally, everything is mounted, tight, and clears every other thing.
Mount the wheels, take a turn around the neighborhood at very slow speed listening for any noises, feeling for any thing strange, etc. Noticed right off the bat that I now see cars in the rear view mirror rather than asphalt. Also noticed that the car turns much easier than with the stock spindles. Apparently, these spindles have a shorter steering arm and have dramatically decreased both steering effort (on a manual steering car) and turning radius.
So over all, construction quality could use a little improvement. These components were never tried on a stock suspension before. If they had been then they would have known that stock control arms will not work with these spindles. I will try to get access to Global West and Control Freaks tubular uppers to see if they work any better with those control arms.
Stock type GVM brake lines will hit the upper ball joint stud and cause you not to be able to mount the calipers. Custom brake lines are required.
You will have to drill and tap the holes for the splash shields yourself if you want to run them.
You will have problems with the calipers mounting to the spindles until you correct the mounting holes.
The return policy only allows returns of "parts that have not been installed". So if you choose to purchase from Fatman Fabrications, the policy is "if you buy it, you own it". Since none of these problems would have shown up until you were actually mocking up the parts, you would have already "passed the point of no return" so to speak.
The pluses are:
Full suspension travel with full springs, full range of motion on the shocks and a 2" drop in the front end. Also tighter turning radius and decreased steering effort for manual steer cars.
Q: What tie rod ends do you need to use with these spindles?
A: '65 - '73 Mustang tie rod ends.
After explaining that there are several different tie rod ends for the '65 - '73 Mustangs, I convinced the salesman to ask someone else for the correct answer.
A. Maverick or Comet tie rod ends.
Okay so far.
Q: What is the difference in the spindle pin height from a stock Maverick or Comet spindle?
A: 2.5 inches
Q: What other items am I going to have to change or modify to install these onto a stock Maverick?
A: Nothing. These are a direct bolt on with no mods required. You should check the steering arm for interference if you are using a deep wheel.
Q: Gee, seems almost to good to be true. So What is the total to ship these to me?
A: $580 plus $48 shipping. (the website lists $540)
So I received them Tuesday and mocked them up in my rims to make sure there would be no problems with the tires and wheels. Everything looked good.
This afternoon, I decided to remove my stock spindles, rotors and calipers and install the new spindles. Disassembly went smooth, just as expected. Then the fun began.
First problem that i noticed is that there is no provision for you to use your splash shields. No mounting holes, etc. Okay, I live in SoCal, it never rains, I can make due until I can have a machinist friend drill and tap the required holes for me.
Second problem was trying to mount the rotors. The rotors were touching the end of the lower control arms. This required some "persuading" with a 3 lb. tack hammer to allow the required clearance.
Next problem was mounting the calipers. The problem here started with the brake line running directly into the upper ball joint stud. Since the brake lines are a solid tube for approximately 2" from the caliper, there was no way to bend or modify the brake lines to clear the ball joint stud. Since the upper and lowers are in really sad shape on this car, I simply cut off the extra length on the stud. (This is a temporary hack job.) I will have to have new brake lines made to route around the stud for a permanent installation.
Next problem had to do with the holes for the brake calipers not being drilled true. If you started the bottom bolt first, the upper bolt hole was 1/4 of the hole diameter out of alignment with the calipers. This required a little massaging with a rat tailed file to create the clearance to bolt the calipers to the spindle. Ideally, these holes should be welded up and redrilled in the proper location and angle.
Okay, calipers mounted. Turn the steering wheel. Uh-oh. You can only turn the wheels about 10 degrees either way before the top of the caliper hits the upper control arm on the back of the control arm. Get out the cut-off wheel and trim the control arm to create the required clearance. (Did I mention that the upper and lower control arms are in really sad shape and need to be replaced SOON?) Finally, everything is mounted, tight, and clears every other thing.
Mount the wheels, take a turn around the neighborhood at very slow speed listening for any noises, feeling for any thing strange, etc. Noticed right off the bat that I now see cars in the rear view mirror rather than asphalt. Also noticed that the car turns much easier than with the stock spindles. Apparently, these spindles have a shorter steering arm and have dramatically decreased both steering effort (on a manual steering car) and turning radius.
So over all, construction quality could use a little improvement. These components were never tried on a stock suspension before. If they had been then they would have known that stock control arms will not work with these spindles. I will try to get access to Global West and Control Freaks tubular uppers to see if they work any better with those control arms.
Stock type GVM brake lines will hit the upper ball joint stud and cause you not to be able to mount the calipers. Custom brake lines are required.
You will have to drill and tap the holes for the splash shields yourself if you want to run them.
You will have problems with the calipers mounting to the spindles until you correct the mounting holes.
The return policy only allows returns of "parts that have not been installed". So if you choose to purchase from Fatman Fabrications, the policy is "if you buy it, you own it". Since none of these problems would have shown up until you were actually mocking up the parts, you would have already "passed the point of no return" so to speak.
The pluses are:
Full suspension travel with full springs, full range of motion on the shocks and a 2" drop in the front end. Also tighter turning radius and decreased steering effort for manual steer cars.
