Spindle Castle Nut Tightening

[FracAG1980]

The manual says to tight the bottom castle nut to 80-90 ft-lbs of torque while aligning the hole for the cotter pin. I tighten the nut to a point where it just won't tighten any more, which is just past where it gives any resistance. I believe the spacer is bumping up against the tapered portion of the lower ball joint. Do I just tighten it till I can put the cotter pin in and not any further, cause I can't seem to get to the next space on the castle nut?

Thanks,

Steve

[edwardb]

The spacer has a countersink cut into it. Did you put the countersink down, e.g. facing the lower ball joint? What you're describing is basically correct. Hard to get a torque wrench on that nut so get it tight with a decent length handle and you should be in the 80-90 foot-pound range. That should have it firmly seated in the spindle taper. Then line up to the closest hole for the cotter pin. But in my experience there's no mechanical interference. If you're against some kind of mechanical stop, something doesn't sound right. If the spacer is upside down, that could be it.

[FracAG1980]

The spacer has a countersink cut into it. Did you put the countersink down, e.g. facing the lower ball joint? What you're describing is basically correct. Hard to get a torque wrench on that nut so get it tight with a decent length handle and you should be in the 80-90 foot-pound range. That should have it firmly seated in the spindle taper. Then line up to the closest hole for the cotter pin. But in my experience there's no mechanical interference. If you're against some kind of mechanical stop, something doesn't sound right. If the spacer is upside down, that could be it.

Thanks EdwardB. The spacer had the beveled side down. I removed the nut and spacer and the picture shows that the wider portion of the ball joint taper is not coming through the spindle for the spacer to seat on. The Spindle is stuck on the ball joint stem as of now. I presume I need to free the spindle and insure that the stem can come through enough to seat the spacer. Correct?165885

[edwardb]

Thanks EdwardB. The spacer had the beveled side down. I removed the nut and spacer and the picture shows that the wider portion of the ball joint taper is not coming through the spindle for the spacer to seat on. The Spindle is stuck on the ball joint stem as of now. I presume I need to free the spindle and insure that the stem can come through enough to seat the spacer. Correct?165885

No, the spacer doesn't get seated on anything. It's there to take up space and make sure the castle nut is at the right location to line up with the holes for the cotter pin. If your ball joint stem is seated (sounds like it is) then put the spacer back on, tighten the castle nut, pin it, and you should be good to go. This is a pretty well proven setup used on nearly every FF model. So I would have been surprised if any issues assuming assembled correctly.

[FracAG1980]

No, the spacer doesn't get seated on anything. It's there to take up space and make sure the castle nut is at the right location to line up with the holes for the cotter pin. If your ball joint stem is seated (sounds like it is) then put the spacer back on, tighten the castle nut, pin it, and you should be good to go. This is a pretty well proven setup used on nearly every FF model. So I would have been surprised if any issues assuming assembled correctly.

Thanks. Will do.

Steve

[Ltngdrvr]

You could always add an extra hardened washer to make the cotter pin hole line up and keep the nut tight.

[FracAG1980]

You could always add an extra hardened washer to make the cotter pin hole line up and keep the nut tight.

My problem is that the difference between aligning the hole in the stem with the castle nut space. I have one spindle done but the other one, the hole aligns with the nut loose, but I cannot turn the nut to get the hole to the next space in the castle nut. It won't turn that much. I cannot add a washer as the hole is at the lowest point on the nut castle space. I have thought about putting the spacer in the freezer to make it just a little smaller for the 1/12 of a turn I need on the castle nut, but then I'm worried about the added stress on the threads when it warms back up.

Essentially, the castle nut goes from loose to as tight as I can get it in 1/12 of a turn. Which is cotter pin hole open to completely blocked.

Steve

[J R Jones]

My problem is that the difference between aligning the hole in the stem with the castle nut space. I have one spindle done but the other one, the hole aligns with the nut loose, but I cannot turn the nut to get the hole to the next space in the castle nut. It won't turn that much. I cannot add a washer as the hole is at the lowest point on the nut castle space. I have thought about putting the spacer in the freezer to make it just a little smaller for the 1/12 of a turn I need on the castle nut, but then I'm worried about the added stress on the threads when it warms back up.

Essentially, the castle nut goes from loose to as tight as I can get it in 1/12 of a turn. Which is cotter pin hole open to completely blocked.

Steve

Steve,
If you do not have an inventory of nuts to try, and can not swap them L & R to get a fit, use a belt sander to surface the clamping surface until it fits.
jim

[Ltngdrvr]

Steve,
If you do not have an inventory of nuts to try, and can not swap them L & R to get a fit, use a belt sander to surface the clamping surface until it fits.
jim

You beat me to it, was just about to suggest that very thing, take a little off the bottom of the nut.

[FracAG1980]

Steve,
If you do not have an inventory of nuts to try, and can not swap them L & R to get a fit, use a belt sander to surface the clamping surface until it fits.
jim

Thank you both. Sanding the bottom of the nut worked. I appreciate it. Moving on now. Unfortunately, I'm still missing my bolts and nuts to put the steering to the spindle and the hub nits to put the hubs on, but one step at a time.

Thanks again.

Steve

[Ltngdrvr]

Thank you both. Sanding the bottom of the nut worked. I appreciate it. Moving on now. Unfortunately, I'm still missing my bolts and nuts to put the steering to the spindle and the hub nits to put the hubs on, but one step at a time.

Thanks again.

Steve

I sure wouldn't be letting nuts and bolts slow me down, plenty of good hardware sources all around the Houston area, and plenty of Ford dealers for the spindle nut if you can't find any other source.

[FracAG1980]

I sure wouldn't be letting nuts and bolts slow me down, plenty of good hardware sources all around the Houston area, and plenty of Ford dealers for the spindle nut if you can't find any other source.

Would the spindle-Hub nut be the same for the FFR Spindles as Ford?

As to other bolts & nuts, I'm surprised that FFR can't supply those that might be readily available at hardware stores. I was more concerned about strength of the bolts used and wanting the same quality as those FFR would be providing. I am a novice at this and just didn't want anything failing on the car because I used an inferior (otherwise sourced) part.

Steve

[Ltngdrvr]

Would the spindle-Hub nut be the same for the FFR Spindles as Ford?

As to other bolts & nuts, I'm surprised that FFR can't supply those that might be readily available at hardware stores. I was more concerned about strength of the bolts used and wanting the same quality as those FFR would be providing. I am a novice at this and just didn't want anything failing on the car because I used an inferior (otherwise sourced) part.

Steve

I'm pretty sure they use the same spec nut for the hub to spindle as Ford, O'Reilly's has them on hand in Dorman brand.
As to bolts and nuts, for standard threaded stuff, most any hardware store will have the high strength grade 8 on hand, and a really good hardware store will have metric high strength, metric 9.9 and 10.9 grades.
As to what Factory Five supplies, I bet they are buying chinese made stuff, just like most everyone else.

This place is on the North side of town, I know it's a long ways from Sugarland, it's a place I have used for bolts before, and they will sell small quantities, call them and tell them what you need and they can hook you up, https://www.boltsplus.com/

There are probably similar places closer to you though, I just don't have first hand knowledge of them like I do this place.

Get 'er DONE!!!

[J R Jones]

Would the spindle-Hub nut be the same for the FFR Spindles as Ford?

As to other bolts & nuts, I'm surprised that FFR can't supply those that might be readily available at hardware stores. I was more concerned about strength of the bolts used and wanting the same quality as those FFR would be providing. I am a novice at this and just didn't want anything failing on the car because I used an inferior (otherwise sourced) part.

Steve

Fastinators ae fastinating. I could go on at length but basically OEMs are required to use grade 5 or better for automotive.
50s, 60s cars used a lot of fine thread 3/8, 7/16 and 1/2. That evolved to 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 course.
Asian design is M6, M8, M10, usually more smaller fasteners than fewer big fasteners. Domestic is using mostly metric these days. As Ltng mentioned grades are 6, 8.8, 10.9 and 12.9.
I like metrics a lot. The use flanged bolts and nuts frequently.
Careful with stainless, some are equivilent to grade 5, home-hardware not that good.
Ace & True Value have a good selection but expensive. Fastinal is more cost effective.
I salvage original fasteners from my donors. Metrics especially are engineered for the application and often non-typical lengths.
Rule of thumb, 1.5 diameters of thread engagement in steel, two diameters or more in aluminum.
jim
BTW YouTube video "experts" often refer to metric size by their hex size, not thread??! Asian metrics utilize consistent hex head sizes, the others are all over the effing place.