Spindle completely separated from balljoint!!

[spacepirate]

Thank you for the concern. I'll definitely give you a call if Luke and L&H can't work it out.

[Twentyover]

Attachment 63592Attachment 63593.... What happened?

Unable to tell from the images- is there a taper or counterbore that prevents the insert from pulling through the upright?

[spacepirate]

I'm not sure. I'll have to check and see.

[Proforged]

A couple unrelated things: the ball joint bolts are coming up through the bottom - they are typically installed the other way. Also, there doesn't look to be enough thread engagement on those nuts.

[L & H Kustoms]

Unable to tell from the images- is there a taper or counterbore that prevents the insert from pulling through the upright?

The balljoint inserts have the taper machined into them and they're threaded in the spindle. 1-1/8" thread and then torqued and loctited in with 272 loctite. Once I receive them for inspection we will be able to determine exactly what caused the failure.

[spacepirate]

Hey Luke,

I sent you an email last week and tried to call but your voicemail is full. I can't send the broken parts until I receive the new ones. Give me a call.

[rockytopper]

You guys every figure out the cause of this failure?

[L & H Kustoms]

You guys every figure out the cause of this failure?

We are still waiting to receive the damaged spindle from Travis. We
Should be receiving It within the next few days and once we have a chance to examine it we will update everyone

[tonyvol]

We are still waiting to receive the damaged spindle from Travis. We
Should be receiving It within the next few days and once we have a chance to examine it we will update everyone

Any update on the separation?

[spacepirate]

Hey Luke,

I left you a message today on your cell phone and also tried your office line. My shop will send you the spindles as soon as they get the replacements.

[dontlifttoshift]

WoW!

[Mkelcy]

Hey Luke,

I left you a message today on your cell phone and also tried your office line. My shop will send you the spindles as soon as they get the replacements.

Your original post was made on August 20, and L&H asked for the spindles on August 21. Your car has presumably been out of commission all this time. Yet, you've apparently decided that you won't send the spindles to L&H unless they give you a replacement set.

Marcus (SC&C) suggested that the spindles may not have been at fault at all, if unmatched parts ended up hammering the insert with a side load that distorted the aluminum spindle, causing the failure. It seems to me there's a legitimate question whether the spindle was defective in some way, or whether it was subjected to improper use through mismatched parts.

If your application was the cause of the failure, I'm not sure why L&H should give you a new set of spindles; if the spindles were defective, they clearly need to do something. But until they have a chance to examine the failed parts, it doesn't seem that anything is going to happen to clear this up.

[spacepirate]

The complete suspension package was purchased through L&H upon Luke's recommendations. We'll get it all sorted but I was just trying to reach out to him through this thread as I know he monitors it.

[analyte]

I'm shocked that you're still waiting on replacements first. I would've had those in the mail the next day since it's not doing me any good with suspect parts.

I was hoping to see/hear some resolution quickly, but it seems this will be dragged out for some time. Myself, if a dealer, I'd want to see the defective parts before replacing anything regardless since this is a unique situation.

Kerry

[MrQuick]

I'm shocked that you're still waiting on replacements first. I would've had those in the mail the next day since it's not doing me any good with suspect parts.

I was hoping to see/hear some resolution quickly, but it seems this will be dragged out for some time. Myself, if a dealer, I'd want to see the defective parts before replacing anything regardless since this is a unique situation.

Kerry

I agree, standard modus operandi with manufacturers. If it were me i'd bring em up in person.

[Mkelcy]

The complete suspension package was purchased through L&H upon Luke's recommendations. We'll get it all sorted but I was just trying to reach out to him through this thread as I know he monitors it.

I still can't understand why you wouldn't return the spindles for examination. It's clear there may be something in your setup that destroyed the spindle. Even if they replaced the spindles, I wouldn't simply bolt in a new set and decide it was all good.

If L&H recommended the package, they should clearly do something; but you also need to modify your setup to avoid the issue again, if it was caused by mis-matched parts. Not sending the spindles simply creates drama.

[dontlifttoshift]

Mike, you are assuming that mismatched parts caused the failure, even saying "it's clear" that it happened like that. What am I missing.

Not sending the spindle leaves the car mobile until the new set arrives. I don't like beached whales in my shop either.

The drama is not that neither party has shipped spindles, it is that a couple of months later this is not resolved.

[Mkelcy]

Mike, you are assuming that mismatched parts caused the failure, even saying "it's clear" that it happened like that. What am I missing.

Not sending the spindle leaves the car mobile until the new set arrives. I don't like beached whales in my shop either.

The drama is not that neither party has shipped spindles, it is that a couple of months later this is not resolved.

I said, "it's clear" that the mismatched parts "may have" caused the failure, but you're right, it was too strong a statement.

But demanding replacement parts before submitting the damaged parts sort of leaves L&H holding the bag if it turns out their part wasn't defective and their advice (if any) on part selection wasn't to blame.

I work on my car in my own garage, yet I'd be able to figure out a way to keep the car mobile while the spindles were being examined (which would likely take less than a week, including transit time); surely any good shop can do so as well.

[dontlifttoshift]

Yep, what I have done in the past is pay for replacement parts up front and then get credited back later. Minimize down time and expedite repairs.

From an outside view, it would seem that both parties would want to button this up as quickly as possible.

[Twentyover]

I'm a very simple guy. The way I see it-

Failure internal to spindle- LHK responsible
Failure due to LHK recommendation of mis-matched parts- LHK responsible
Failure due to incorrect assembly- Spacepirate responsible

I've installed spindles- assuming you torque ball joints to spec, they should be tough to screw up.

I'm believing that, given that the information in the thread is correct and in the absence of any other mitigating evidence, the onus is on LHK to show why the the failure s not their responsibility.

What little I know about LHK spindles-
An insert (material unknown) is threaded into the spindle. the picture

Attachment 63593

.

I'm not seeing any threads.



Beyond that, resolution is none of my business, although outcome may affect future purchase decisions.