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The Spinde Pin Saga


Leon

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I'm rebuilding the suspension on my early 260Z and it came time to do those, oh so fun, spindle pins. I had taken the pins out once before, in my first 240Z and have blocked the majority of that out of my memory.

 

I felt sprightly and masochistic today so I decided to tackle my second set of pins. By the way, this is a wonderful idea for a day-off activity. The painful process started this morning, around 11am or so, and finished around 6pm. I had technically started on the pins weeks earlier, but did not have the patience to do much. The mayhem started with John's pin puller but crept into whack-a-mole mode as the day wore on. Instead of boring you all with more details I took a video.

 

th_100_9814.jpg

 

I did eventually get both out.

 

100_9816.jpg

 

Never thought I could hate a piece of metal so much.

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Wow... My Son and I JUST pulled the spindles on his '76 280 a couple of days ago. He finally replaced all of his bushings. Took some time and patience, but we got his out without destroying the ends. It's good to have a compressor and an impact gun... and penetrating oil... and some old lug nuts... oh, and lots of luck!

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I like how you in the pic of the video it shows an axe.

 

It was the murder weapon. :lol:

 

 

Wow... My Son and I JUST pulled the spindles on his '76 280 a couple of days ago. He finally replaced all of his bushings. Took some time and patience, but we got his out without destroying the ends. It's good to have a compressor and an impact gun... and penetrating oil... and some old lug nuts... oh, and lots of luck!

 

Luck is the magic word! I don't have a compressor, or that much patience.

 

 

Man, this makes me happy that part is a long time behind me. Fun times!

 

I thought so too, until I got this 260Z and spring/shock replacement turned into a full rebuild. Diagnosis? While-I'm-at-it syndrome. :wacko:

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Well, the first time I used the puller, I didn't use enough heat. The all thread snapped at the nut end, toward the end of the inner threaded section, a stress riser. John said that the center section has to be heated enough for the bushings to essentially melt after I talked to him about it.

 

I used the puller yesterday, but I got a little mixed up on the first pin. Since I am re-using the old, shorter all-thread and have a new one, I have two lengths of pipe to work with (the pipe that slides over the all-thread). I forgot to put the coupler on the first pipe that butts against the control arm and had it sink into the bushing. That's why the first pin came out mushroomed on both ends. When I went to do the second pin I saw the pipe coupler on my other pipe. "D'oh!"

 

The puller worked well on the second pin and got the pin out using copious amounts of MAP gas and some tapping on the other end. I'm glad to finally put the pins to rest.

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Back when I was doing this, I tried to thread on a nut and pound it with a 5lb sledge to get the spindle moving, here were the results:

 

post-1194-014942100 1298935442_thumb.jpgpost-1194-002565600 1298935444_thumb.jpg

 

Ruined my 1/2" 17mm impact socket too :(

 

I then broke down and bought a puller, here's how the pins came out:

 

post-1194-024937400 1298935753_thumb.jpgpost-1194-043761900 1298935757_thumb.jpg

 

I didn't bother trying to unscrew them from the puller, I did the therapeutic thing and just threw the whole thing away to block it from my memories.

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Ouch, at least you got the best of them eventually! I was able to separate the puller and pin by putting the pin in a vice and using a pipe wrench on the all-thread.

 

We should start a support group for those who've pulled spindle pins, and have SPTSD (Spindle Pin Traumatic Stress Disorder). We can have therapy sessions and counseling. :lol:

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Ouch, at least you got the best of them eventually! I was able to separate the puller and pin by putting the pin in a vice and using a pipe wrench on the all-thread.

 

We should start a support group for those who've pulled spindle pins, and have SPTSD (Spindle Pin Traumatic Stress Disorder). We can have therapy sessions and counseling. :lol:

 

When I attempted to pull mine the first time I purchased a puller device for the job. Being my first attempt at doing such I was not so smart and put an heavy duty torque monster air impact on it. The all thread on the puller failed and my impact was launced across the garage. Luckly I was not in line with it. The pin did not budge. The second attempt with a much larger puller got it out!

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I probably pull a dozen spindle pins a year. Probably 98 total since I start playing with S30s. My best advice is really good penetrating oil (Kroil, Rost Off, Mopar), an air hammer, and hearing protection (to muffle the cussing).

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Im currently working on mine.... ya i need a puller.

 

The puller definitely helps, but if you have the will it can probably be done by sheer brute force. Blue's method worked well, pounding one side and then the other slowly moving the pin one way and then the other. Eventually, they slide out, and by eventually I likely mean hours of torture!

 

Use heat, a lot of heat.

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When I attempted to pull mine the first time I purchased a puller device for the job. Being my first attempt at doing such I was not so smart and put an heavy duty torque monster air impact on it. The all thread on the puller failed and my impact was launced across the garage. Luckly I was not in line with it. The pin did not budge. The second attempt with a much larger puller got it out!

 

Attaboy! :mparty:

 

I probably pull a dozen spindle pins a year. Probably 98 total since I start playing with S30s. My best advice is really good penetrating oil (Kroil, Rost Off, Mopar), an air hammer, and hearing protection (to muffle the cussing).

 

98 pins? I am not envious. :lol:

 

Hearing protection is key, but it makes it harder to judge the volume of foul words coming from my mouth into the neighborhood. It protects my ears, but not my neighbors!

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When I attempted to pull mine the first time I purchased a puller device for the job. Being my first attempt at doing such I was not so smart and put an heavy duty torque monster air impact on it. The all thread on the puller failed and my impact was launced across the garage. Luckly I was not in line with it. The pin did not budge. The second attempt with a much larger puller got it out!

 

Similar to my results except me being a machinist, I built my puller. Made it heavy duty too! Got one out and busted my puller on the second one. I wound up drilling it out. Earning the spindle pin merit badge is a rite of passage for early Z car wannabe mechanics!

/chris

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The only thing I've ever used for these was my air hammer (biggest one Snap-On offered) and a point tip along with some type of penetrating oil. I'd say a set never took me more than a few minutes...10-15 max? Sounds like I'm glad I didn't try using a puller. Though I do wish I had ear protection on me, as it sure didn't help my tinnitus.

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I am seriously considering having Merit badges made, possibly a skull and crossbones with the crossbones being spindle pins and maybe "REMEMBER" below that. Everyone who has done a spindle pin deserves one.

 

We should have some jackets made with "Spindle Pin Club" and your skull and cross-pins on the back! :2thumbs::lol:

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