Does anyone know if '72 spindles are different than '73 spindles? I have a '72 pinto that I am going to fab up a brake kit for the front and I bought a set of early spindles so I don't have to remove mine yet and they have a '73 casting number on them. They are disc spindles and my '72 has discs also, so I would like to know if they are the same or not. D32A-3107-AB and D32A-3108-AB are the spindles I just bought.
I believe the only difference is the tapered hole for the tie rod end on the 73 is larger (same size hole as the 74-80) than in the 71-72 spindle, but I have wrong before.
As far as everything I can find the '71-'73's are the same they had a change in '74, thats all I know, I've been trying to find some good rotors for my '72 that won't break the bank, do you know of anyplace for them?
Quote from: 1qkwagon on August 04, 2010, 02:26:54 PM
I've been trying to find some good rotors for my '72 that won't break the bank, do you know of anyplace for them?
I just went thru this last month and I was not real sucessful. I found two NOS ones I got one for $75 and another for $115 plus shipping but the one for $115 was not good. The seal opening was machined too big. I ended up having to return it and buy one from Napa for $135 plus freight. Rock auto had the rotors $6 cheaper per rotor than Napa but shipping was a lot more. Good luck to you.....
As for the spindles, there may be a difference on the tie rod ends as when my friend swapped in the 72 rack onto my 73 I swear he said he had to change the spindles too.
I can get spindles/rotors for '74-80 cheap (friend) just not sure they will work, if its just the tie rod deal I can work with that, I wonder if the ball joints are diff?
I have found other info that backs up the difference in the tie rod end being the difference between them. When I get the spindles off my '72, I will verify the differences between the '72 and '73 spindles.
I mainly wanted to know because I bought the extra set of spindles to mock up a big brake kit for the early spindles. I did this a while back using the granada rotors and GM calipers by fabricating a caliper bracket to fit the '72 spindle. I am now looking into using '05 up mustang calipers and rotors because take-offs are plentiful, they are a dual piston caliper and you would be able to choose 12 1/2" rotors or 11 1/2" rotors because the V6 and V8 mustangs used the same calipers, just a different rotor and bracket. They would use a '65 to '73 mustang drum brake hub that will work on our spindles. This is the idea right now, we will see later when I get the time to do it.
The 73 is a pain in the butt for front end stuff.
I believe that when ford was revamping the front end for the 74 up years that a few 73s ended up with the 74 and up mustang II stuff.
I would look at your rack for an idea. If its bolted on with 2 big bolts and bushings parallel to the ground then id say that your front end is basicaly a 74. If the rack has a 4 bolt strap and pad kind of arrangement, then its 71-72 style and your screwed as far as parts interchangability.
Nothing will interchange eaisly.