Drivers Side Link Pin Spindle

[vanapplebomb]

I'm debating about what do do with the speedo hole is the drivers side spindle. I have access to a lathe and can turn out a steel shouldered rod to press into the bore, or I could just plug the hole with RTV sealant or something similar.

Obviously pressing in a steel piece would strengthen the spindle somewhat...but it's not like I am going down to Baja and racing the dumb thing, so it is probably overkill.

Which method for plugging the hole would you guys recommend?

[MadMike]

why not put the speedo cable in it? street legal? Like u say not racing so I would dab it with silicone to keep the dirt out

[vanapplebomb]

True, I could use the cable, but it is just one more thing to get snagged...besides, the speedo would no longer be accurate with 27-29 inch tall tires. I like using the milage counter to find my way around gnarly trails when I explore. That way I can figure out which turns to take if I ever wan't to come back to a place I found again. Super handy when there are lots of intersections on twisty trails in the middle of nowhere. I have access to a SWEET geological map of the keweenaw on my computer that only a handful of people have. It has an awesome measuring feature so you can plot out trails, roads, rivers, whatever...and get milages off it. It also measures area and can generate GPS coordinates for any of its 12 layers as well. Totally sweet if you like licking rocks like I do. Anyways, yeah, I could just adjust it by a factor and live with it, but the convenience of an accurate speedo would be handy. I guess that is why I was thinking about rigging an electronic one up to the rear end.

One vote for sealant.

Any other opinions?

[81pumagtc]

First, adding a turned-steel plug would add weight, but would not strengthen the spindle at all.

I probably would look at a press-in tube end myself. Better hardware stores have lots of sizes available, and I would glue one in. I am not that big on silicone. If I was going to use something to fill the hole all by itself, I would use JB Weld.

I would also look at a GPS speedometer myself if you are going into the great unknown with nothing but a map....they give you speed and distance very accurately without using cables or gears. I have seen them for street rods, and saw one in a pro rally car I drove last year. Very cool, but might be expensive. Street rods have become the new VW's as far as cheap $hit from China is concerned....might be able to pick one up for very little money.


Dave Riedle

P.S. MadMike can probably set you up with a transparent distributor cap for an 009!

[Ruffuss]

Or just run a self tapping screw in and call it good. My vote is for a plain jane GPS for a speedo around $100. or cheaper on CL.

[clintonddk]

Ken, that is exactly what I use, heck, they even offer free apps on smart phones now that track speed.

[vanapplebomb]

That GPS speedo is a cool idea, especially if it is good at tracking distance. That would be awesome.

At any rate, there is a guy up here in Painesdale that does a lot of home brew buggy stuff. He showed me that press in rod trick for the spindle...claimed he had sheared off a pair of those spindles where the bearing spacer is, then did Hibbard's trick and never had a crack develop on the spindle again. Granted, it isn't much additional material so it won't do much for the spindle bending since it is running down the center, but hey, if it helps keep the spindle from cracking....hmmmm. I would rather limp out with a bent spindle than a cracked one. That being said, he drives his rail like a mad man.


I wish I would have taken pictures for you guys!!! It is a really neat rig. It is built on a reinforced VW platform. At first glance it looks like a rail, until you see the central tunnel running down the center, and the floor pans. But it is super beefy. Lots of tubing bracing the beam, pan, and rear torsion. Really slick roll cage too. Suspension parts are beefed up with gussets. Removable textile nose body. A fabric front end sounds kinda cheesy, but is is actually pretty slick.

One thing I really liked about it was that he flipped the stock front wide fives. I always thought people did that just to widen the front, but there is more to it than that. It changes the scrub angle on the steering. It makes low speed steering around sharp corners much easier. At high speeds you get more feedback, but it isn't bad. I thought it was well worth it for crawling around in the mud and rocks.

He told me he blew up his front wheel bearings when he took it out for the first time after flipping them. He had the old ball bearings. Apparently the outer bearings couldn't handle the added stress of higher off set wheels. He put on tapered roller bearings a decade ago and hasn't had any problems with them since.

Oh, and he still has a set of original white wall Gates Commando tires on it. Looks killer and bites hard in the corners. Awesome.

Oh for the times you wish you had a camera, hu?

P.S. MadMike can probably set you up with a transparent distributor cap for an 009!

Hey now! I resent that, you goof ball.

Good griefe. Give a kid a break. Like everything, you have to start somewhere.

I probably would look at a press-in tube end myself. Better hardware stores have lots of sizes available, and I would glue one in. I am not that big on silicone. If I was going to use something to fill the hole all by itself, I would use JB Weld.

What do you mean a press in tube end? Something like a freeze plug?

Hey, thats not a bad idea either...to get a steel freeze plug and pound it into the large inside opening for the speedo cable. I bet I could find one that would fit nice and snug.


Thanks for all the ideas guys, I really appreciate it. Keep them coming if you have any more. I would love to hear what you have to say, or what you guys did.

[81pumagtc]

I use a GPS program for my phone that has the maps already installed on the phone and does not use the internet at all. Google Maps is cool, but if you go into an area that does not have internet via cell, you are screwed. I won't bore you with how I know about this, but take my word on it, you really need the internet for it to work!

The GPS spedos just measure speed and location from satellite, nothing more. Also, it's really kind of hard to drive when you are looking at a phone when you are bouncing around looking for where the trail goes right...

Midwest has a number of plugs for all kind of different holes. Usually they are trim items to cover screw holes, etc. I use them all of the time, and they come in quite handy, How large is the hole? I may have something here that fits, and if I do, it's yours. Let me know.


Dave Riedle

[clintonddk]

That's why otter box has a holder with a suction cup like a GPS holder.

[MadMike]

I have sheared off the left spindle once when I landed on it from a jump bent one once too,after that i did slide a stainless bolt in it an welded it since I was going into offroad racing I opped for Wright spindles that used ford f250 tierod ends,and run wheels backward causes to much stress on the kingpings,the deep dish puts the load center where it's suppose to be.Dave quit tiring to give my pencil/pen holder away,LOL

[clintonddk]

That's funny Mike, my Buddy's dad had told me once that back in the day they use to run their rims reversed on their sandbuggys to. I think this calls for a hash tag LOL
#oldschool

[Ruffuss]

Yep we did! I never had a problem other then bending wheels a time or two.

[vanapplebomb]

Thanks Dave. I would be limited to just the gps speedo since there is little to no cell reception where I would like to ride most of the time. As for the hole in the spindle, I will get an accurate measurement next week when I'm back for the holidays.

As for the flipped rims, yeah, they will put more stress on the spindle and link pins. It is kind of an old school thing to do, but it does seem to work well.