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Here we have the rear wheels installed and the frame waits to be turned right side up.

The frame is right side up, the motor has been reinstalled and I am preparing to install the transaxle on the mounting we fabricated earlier.

The motor and transaxle have been reinstalled.  Somewhere a Gremlin entered the picture and I am going to have to lower the transaxle 1/2 inch which is not too big of a deal. I can use spacers to accomplish the task.  It will only take finding some spacers the right size.  I really don't want to use flat washers if I can help it.

Here is an example of a fabrication error.  Once the springs were installed this spring was interferring with the transaxle to frame mount.  Some cutting and grinding  took care of this problem.  Not shown are the two extra braces I welded from this bracket to the frame to reinforce it after the cutting was made.

The arrival of the 3 inch square tubing allowed the fabrication of the spindles to begin.  The two spindles are marked with a cut from the chop saw.  The measurements are made for the holes that will ultimately be 5/8 inch in diameter.  Here I am preparing to drill the pilot holes that will accept the 5/8 inch shoulder bolts and axle shafts.

The holes in the spindles have been drilled to 5/8 inch.  The excess of the square tubing has been removed and the corners rounded.  The small pipes are 1 inch pipe with 3/4 inch inside diameter.  They will fit exactly into the spindles when the bronze busings are added.  The pipe laying on its side has the busings inserted.  You can see the lip of the busings if you look real close.

Here you can see the busings that will fit into the ends of the pipes.  The pipes have been drilled to accept a grease zerk.  The zerks have been installed.  The bronze busings are 5/8 inside diameter which fits exaclty over the 5/8 shoulder bolts.

Here you see a complete spindle unit laying on its side.  The other spindle bolt is waiting to be pressed into the spindle housing.  You might notice that the shoulder bolt was too long and has been replaced with the correct length.  The wheel will fit exactly on the shoulder bolt.  Several washers will be placed on the shoulder bolt to keep the wheel from getting too close to the spindle housing bracket.

Here are the completed spindles.  They are missing the turning arm which will be fabricated and welded on to the opposite side from the grease zerk.  Notice that the correct length shoulder bolts are installed.  Nylon locking nuts will be installed later.  They will have to be disassembled several times before completion.  When the spindle brackets are welded to the axles, the bronze busings cannot be installed - too hot.  The axle will have to be removed and shortened to insure the front wheels and rear wheels track each other.

Here the spindle units have been installed temporarily on the front wheels to insure they have the proper clearances.  They do!!!!!  The spindles will be welded onto the ends of the front axle once the axle has been cut to proper length.  The wheels will also be painted black before final completion.

Once the Spindles are fabricated, we can determine the length of the front axle.  We desire to have the front and rear wheels to track with each other.  Therefore, in this case, we will have to cut off 1 7/8 inches from each end of the front axles before welding on the Spindle Assemblies. Of course cutting off the Front Axle means we have to completely disassemble the front axle and remove it from the springs.  Then off to the cut-off saw.

With the axle cut to proper length, a 3 x 3 plate is welded to each end of the Front Axle. The steel plates underneath the Axle simply keeps the plates in correct alignment while they are being welded.

This is the point where we make the correction for the Camber.  The top of the Spindle Bracket will be 2 degrees from the 3 x 3 plate.  Camber will keep the top of the tires/wheels farther from each other than the bottom of the tires/wheels.  This give a shift in the center of gravity on turns.  Without Camber you take the chance the tire could roll off the wheel on a turn.  Once the Camber adjustment is made, the Spindle Bracket is welded to the Front Axle.

The Spindle Brackets have been welded to the 3 x 3 plates on each end of the Front Axle.  The Spindles will be reassembled with the bronze busings/bolts, etc. and reassembled to be sure the heat has not warped the bracket.  Proper Caster requires that the top of the Spindle Bracket be slightly to the rear of the bottom of the Spindle Bracket.  This would allow the vehicle to be towed should it ever have to be.

The Front Axle has been reinstalled on the springs.  The Spindle Assembley has been reassembled with the wheel to insure everything still fits.  The Camber is hard to see, but it is there.  The Caster is also hard to see, but it too is there.  Proper Toe-In will be created by the adjustment of the Drag Links.

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