Upper spindles

[domn8tr]

I decided to replace ALL parts in my front suspension. I received my upper link bushings from Nissan .cc but they said the spindles are NLA. On the Carpatsmanual.com fiche it lists the # as 54536-20500 . I see some on Ebay from Datsunkentigo but I dont want to go that route as I received wrong parts from him in the past.(And it took 3 weeks to get here). when I screwed them on my current spindles they seemed to have a lot of play. I'm assuming grease packing will help some but the threads on one spindle seem worn. Are there any aftermarket suppliers or source for these you guys have found? Thanks!

[mklotz70]

Those "spindles" (upper control arm shafts) on ebay are NOT 521 spindles.

 

Seriously....unless you're missing them, they are a "hard part" not prone to wear or needing replacement.

[domn8tr]

Yea, just like the kingpin set he sent me that were wrong. Nissanpartzone lists them for 74.99. I'm just concerned cause when i screwed on the bushings (which match my old ones) to the shaft there seemed to be a lot of side play. One end of one shaft has slightly flat threads.

[domn8tr]

Heres a pic

 

 

[wayno]

I edited this post, I deleted most of it, it really didn't help you at all having it here.

I bought a set of the 521 shafts/bushings from, http://www.datsunparts.com/ several years ago, I don't know if he can get them anymore, but it cannot hurt to try, I paid a lot for them BTW.

We still have a couple 521s in the wrecking yards locally that might have decent shafts/bushings, but by the time one takes them apart and cleans them, they all seem to be a little loose, even new they seem a little loose.

[mklotz70]

Double check, but I'm pretty sure the 320 upper arm is narrower.....so a shorter shaft. The hole spacing is the same so it will bolt to the tower, but a 320 arm may not clear the 521 tower sides.

[wayno]

Double check, but I'm pretty sure the 320 upper arm is narrower.....so a shorter shaft. The hole spacing is the same so it will bolt to the tower, but a 320 arm may not clear the 521 tower sides.

 

 

OK, Mike is correct, I dug out what I beleave to be a 521 upper control arm/shaft, in the photo I posted, the long shaft with the bushings that are separate is a new 521 shaft with the separate new bushings set to the side, this is a photo of what I beleave to be the upper control arm of a 521, I checked it against the known 520 upper arm I have, it is wider.

The upper shaft with bushings is for a roadster, and could possibly fit the 520 and 320 trucks.

Thankyou Mike for pointing that screw up of mine, I just assumed the 520 and 521 were the same, I guess there are a lot of things that look the same that are differant.

I do know that I used roadster upper shafts on my 65 L320 I had a long time ago.

[wayno]

Here is a photo of a 521 upper arm and shaft sitting above a 520 upper arm on frame.

Same angle but sitting on the 520 arm.

And the differance between the bushings.

I screwed up thinking that the roadster stuff would fit the 521.

[mklotz70]

I wouldn't call it a screw up. Heck...I missed a couple of differences between the 320 and 521 lower arms until that morning you were over here.

 

I didn't know the 520 used the same arms as the 320. I wonder if that was just a carry over during the first year of the 520? The arms are the same length....just the width at the shaft is different.

 

Thanks for posting the pics!! So much easier to see like that!

[wayno]

I wouldn't call it a screw up. Heck...I missed a couple of differences between the 320 and 521 lower arms until that morning you were over here.

 

I didn't know the 520 used the same arms as the 320. I wonder if that was just a carry over during the first year of the 520? The arms are the same length....just the width at the shaft is different.

 

Thanks for posting the pics!! So much easier to see like that!

 

And you bring up another issue I might have screwed up on, my 1966 datsun 520 is an early one I beleave, it is number 000918, I have no idea what the 67 upper shaft and bushings look like, but I have all 3 right here to look at, a 1967 datsun SPL311, a 1963 L320, a 1964 NL320, and I had a 1965 L320, and the mentioned 66 L520 above, I checked the upper roadster shaft and bushing against all but the 63 L320 and they looked the same, I dug out that 521 upper shaft and bushing set out of one of my parts bins, as I have not parted out a 520 or a 320, and I haven't ever parted a 620 out, it just has to be a 521 part, and since the spindle was cut off of it, and they don't allow me to take that cutter into the wrecking yards because it makes sparks, it has to be one I parted out here in my driveway.

BTW, I have two 521s, and neither of them have a stock suspension anymore, so I have nothing to check.

I have lost a 521 upper control arm shaft Mike, when I returned from my trip to florida in 2001, I checked out the front suspension on the 521, as it was terrible when I had to brake fast, it would take off one direction when I hit the brakes, and then if I pushed harder on the brakes it would go the other way, so I inspected it close, and found the drivers side was about to fall out, the end of the upper shaft was worn 2/3rds the way threw, no threads left on one side, so they do go bad if not lubed regularly.

[wayno]

You got me thinking about this Mike, and I remembered paying $280.00 for two upper control arm shaft/bushing sets, I started to wonder whatever happened to them, and I remembered stashing them parts on top of a dorment wood stove in the garage, I just went out and looked, and there they were, they have been there for almost 10 years, here is what they look like today,

and here is what they looked like when I tried selling them a long time ago.

I have parts freak'n everywhere.:unsure:

[domn8tr]

The carparts fiche gave different part #s for j13 and L16 . Now where's the # for L20b??? LOL

[mklotz70]

I don't think any of the drum trucks ever came with an L20b.

[]2eDeYe]

77 620 did. For sure. :)

[mklotz70]

Took a couple of min and snapped a couple of pics. This is a 521 upper compared to a Roadster upper.....and then a Hardbody? Got it from Redeye several years ago....or at least for a project I'm supposed to do for him that still hasn't happened. LOL

 

 

 

 

edit.....I think the last pic is a 4x4 pathfinder...maybe. The mounting holes are wider than the others.

[domn8tr]

Just kidding about the L20b DR.Klotz. I Just got in the correct kingpin set and took them and the shafts and bushings to the machine shop. My machinist checked the shafts and said the one had stretched threads. I asked him if it was from Impacting them off and he said more likely they were over torqued upon installation. The (crappy) Haynes manual I believe gave a torque spec of 180 lb/ft. If no one has a reliable source I guess I'll order the ones from Nissanpartszone. Keepin my fingers crossed!. The countdown is on to Eaglerock!

[]2eDeYe]

Got it from Redeye several years ago....or at least for a project I'm supposed to do for him that still hasn't happened. LOL

 

I swear I will get back to that project someday. :lol:

[mklotz70]

:)

[CA All Day]

Was needing to replace the upper arm shaft, upper control arms, and upper spindle bolt on my 521.

 

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg610/CA_All_Day/image.jpg

 

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg610/CA_All_Day/image-2.jpg

 

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg610/CA_All_Day/image-1.jpg

 

Are these parts the same off a '77 pickup?

 

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg610/CA_All_Day/image-4.png

 

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg610/CA_All_Day/image-4.png

 

They look the same but not sure. Any info is appreciated.

[CA All Day]

Here's the pic from the possible diner '77 pickup

 

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg610/CA_All_Day/image-3.png

[Tucson620]

...when I had to brake fast, it would take off one direction when I hit the brakes, and then if I pushed harder on the brakes it would go the other way...

 

I have this same symptom w/my 521, though not crazy severe. Upper spindle bushings are about the last wear part in the front end I haven't replaced. Really would like to correct that, but they're hard to find. Do the spindles wear as much as the bushings?

 

Upper control arms on both sides will wobble back and forth about 1/4" (forward/backward rather than in vertical). Love to get that slop out of there. Local Nissan shop said NLA, but didn't seem too swift with the Datsun catalogs.

[mklotz70]

Check Rockauto and your local parts store. Just saw some on ebay too. I made delrin ones for my wife's 521......I don't have that problem :)

[wayno]

I have this same symptom w/my 521, though not crazy severe. Upper spindle bushings are about the last wear part in the front end I haven't replaced. Really would like to correct that, but they're hard to find. Do the spindles wear as much as the bushings?

 

Upper control arms on both sides will wobble back and forth about 1/4" (forward/backward rather than in vertical). Love to get that slop out of there. Local Nissan shop said NLA, but didn't seem too swift with the Datsun catalogs.

 

 

 

 

When I was having this issue, my upper "A" frame(control arm) would move over an inch forwards and backwards at the upper link bushing, and this was because the rear upper spindle/bushing shaft was worn half way threw, the threads on the shaft had been gone a long time, it was to the point that I wondered why it had not fell apart already.

I seen the upper shaft/bushing assembly on ebay for around $50.00 each, that is a deal considering I paid $280.00 for a set several years ago, although I have never dealt with this ebay seller before.

http://www.ebay.com/...6ffeb3c&vxp=mtr

 

I am starting to get confused a little about the names of these parts, normally I would call the upper "A" frame connection to the frame/shock tower, the upper "A" frame shaft with bushings, and I would call the outer "A" frame connection the "upper link bushing", and that bushing connects the upper "A" frame to the spindle which has the "kingpin" assembly in it.

I guess I have not been worried about this stuff since I switched over to balljoints.

[Tucson620]

Thanks for replies.

 

Wayno - I got confused with names too. "Upper control arm spindle and bush"? The bush is really the big nut with grease fitting. Thanks for the ebay link - I have watched in the past. I'm gonna try a pair - have bought from the seller once before.

 

From that auction - hopefully this gets that handling slop out of there.

 

[wayno]

I had the same failure as your talking about several years ago, and the scary part was the braking, otherwise I couldn't tell anything was bad, when I seen the problem, I couldn't beleave it had not totally failed, as half the shaft was gone.

I paid one of the datsun parts suppliers $280.00 plus shipping for a set(both sides), now there freaking cheap.

Funny thing is that I fabricated/changed to a balljoint/disc brake setup less than a year later, and have not used them parts since.