Printable View
So I cratered the left side spindle on my old (SN 2296) late model on the last race of our season. Before I get all excited and order a new one, is there any good advice on what to order? It has what I was told is a Bill Frye front end but what do I know? It has rubber bushing lowers. Anyway the rest of the car is worth saving so if I can update now would be the time to do it. Thanks in advance.
If it's a Frye front end, the distance between the lower control arm mounting points on the frame will be 1" wider at 19" vs STD GRT at 18". Also the LF upper shock mount will have 2 holes and the mount is very long compared to a STD car.Quote:
Originally Posted by reinhart
I have forgotten the serial numbers now, but think that number is high to be a Frye car.
Thanks billet, I think the guy who told me it was a Frye was misleading me! No matter, still wondering if there is a better spindle choice out there to help get rid of that GRT push!Quote:
Originally Posted by billetbirdcage
Again I have completely forgotten what numbers are what year (fairly remember up to 1200/1300 but after that I can't remember what year a number above that would be. With that being said, you either need to do some measuring and report back or call GRT and get a year on the car. If it's a 2010 or newer car, I'm not gonna be much help as they started changing stuff every year and I didn't keep up with them or deal with them to tell you what they are or what they need.Quote:
Originally Posted by reinhart
Things to measure:
1. RF spindle height (top of ball joint to bottom of ball joint of the spindle itself)
2. LF spindle hieght (same)
Those are likely to be either RF 10 1/4 and LF 10 7/8 or 9 1/4" and 10"
2. Distance between lower control arm holes on frame, generally gonna be 18" or 19"
3. Lengths of lower arms, could be:
A. 16 5/8" and 18 5/8", 16 5/8" and 19" or 15 1/4" and 19 1/4"
4. What uppers on it? does the LF mount inside the frame rail mounts or outside it like RF
5. Does it have sliders on the upper arms on 1.25 square tube
6. What ride height measurement where you given to use on the front end? 3 or 3.125 between frame and lower arm or 3.625"? Std is the shorter one and Frye is the 3.625"
You can obviously change whatever you like but if a Frye front end the lower control arm holes are lower to the ground and you will always be limited to travel on RF and the cross member will tend to hit the ground. Even with a STD pre 2010 front end, you will still have this issue just not as bad as the Frye.
The Frye spindles are a different degree inclination then the STD GRT ones but everything else measures the same so it's really hard to tell, but Frye's are usually Grey if IIRC. (PS they are the taller ones only 10 1/4" and 10 7/8")
PS: Since you said you have rubber bushing lower arms on the car, that means the RF shock mount is on top of the 1.25" tubing so the mount is high and doesn't allow much travel on RF before the Shock bottoms out (Likely has only 3.5" of shaft showing at ride hieght). If that's the case your probably not experiencing a lot of problems with dragging the cross member. That would be one thing I would fix first
It is a 2003 car and I run the uppers inside on the left and outside on the right. I do have bottoming out trouble on the r/f in bumps but not when it is smooth. Are the 1 piece arms a good way to go? I need to replace the upper shock mounts too so I might as well get busy on it, just want to do it right.
Still haven't said whether it measures out to be a STD GRT or Frye front end?Quote:
Originally Posted by reinhart
Anyways if you wanting to fix some of the travel issues with the RF then:
1. Go to the one piece lowers that have the shock mount hole at the center of the ball joint height (thru the lower arm tube)
2. Replace the upper shock mount, it's too far out from the upper rail (thinking 1.5" IIRC) and move as close to the upper rail as possible without the shock hitting the Rail. If you don't your going to run the upper ball joint into the top of the shock at the higher travels.
3. You're still going to have cross member issues and mostly your going to drag the front of the strut rod on the lower arm. (I can't recall if 2003 had switched to the bolt being parallel to the ground or still up and down thru the strut rod end). The bolt up and down gives more clearance, we have ground off the brackets on the later sideways bolt style from hitting the ground in a matter of a few races.
A 2003 could very well be a Frye front end car, but the number seems high to me to be a 2003 as IIRC 1100/1200 was a 99 car (again my memory not like it used to be). A 2003 will still have under rails on the back end of the car
i have the spindles, if you need them, pm me if you need them
Thanks for all the help and tips guys! I just got back from work and everything is under 2 feet of snow, I will revisit this project in the spring. Thanks again
Hey Billet, I just picked up an 06 GRT with what I believe to be the “standard” front end. 18” between lowers…”96” Spindles(10 7/8 LF & 10 1/4 RF)…16 5/8 LF lower and 19 RF lower. Isn’t the the front end that GRT was putting their new grey spindle on around 07 or 08? Seemed like these cars liked those on hard tires back in the day.
I’ve had several GRT’s and the standard front cars were always their best. I’ve been out of racing for a few years and within budget wanted something I was familiar with to get back in.
Its been a few years and my memory isn't as good as it once was but:
1. The front end stayed pretty much the same up to 2010 as far as pick up points, besides the Frye front end.
2. When they used the grey spindle, the front end was the same just a spindle change and that changed the ride height measurement 3/8" shorter then the std measurement. I was never a fan of the grey spindles and preferred the std 96 and up spindles you listed. The greys where basically 1" shorter per side, roughly
3. Not sure that year will have the square sliders on the upper control arms or not or it has the std single slugs in it. I believe that was an option but unsure now of the years anymore
4. An 06 may still Not have the flatter cross member yet, so you may drag that and may want to update that if it's a tubing cross member and not the flat plate type.
5. Also having hard time remembering the first year for the over rails with no undersling. That might been 2007ish
6. You might also check if it's an offset car or STD car (34/35 or 33/36 rear end). From the 1.5 square torque arm tube to the right upper rail is 11.25 for a STD car and 12.25" for an offset car. Measure at roughly at the 32" long 5th coil setting as the 1.5 square runs at an angle. That's inside tube to inside tube.
7. There was also a point there in that year area where they moved the LR 4 link brackets over to the left an inch or so to help bar alignment
8. Also don't remember the year they switched from 2" round to 1.75 round on the main frame rails, thinking 06 may still be 2"