I was told about the Arraut drop spindles for the 88 fiero that uses the 87 rear bearings on the front. I have searched here and see mixed reviews. Are they worth it? Is there still quality issues?
The biggest issue I found with mine was that they weren't drilled properly (deep enough) for the upper ball joints. Threads for the upper ball joints didn't even poke through and I had to redrill them (tapered drill bit). The overall quality is good, other than that.
The biggest issue I found with mine was that they weren't drilled properly (deep enough) for the upper ball joints. Threads for the upper ball joints didn't even poke through and I had to redrill them (tapered drill bit). The overall quality is good, other than that.
I've seen other complaints about this, where the tapered hole was drilled upside down. Sounds like that was also the case with yours.
I own a pair but haven't installed them yet, I had mine done so that I could add C4 brakes without needed the extra adapter, at no additional charge, I do believe if wanted you could change bolt pattern as well, although I think there was a charge for that I can't remember since I didn't do it because I already had my rims.
I've seen other complaints about this, where the tapered hole was drilled upside down. Sounds like that was also the case with yours.
A tapered hole drilled upside down would be obvious....plus you really wouldn't be able to redrill it without causing more issues. Mine had the taper in the correct direction, just had the holes not drilled deep enough.
I'm still very happy with the quality....once I corrected the "little" problem.
I have two sets on my cars and like them a lot, the car handles great and they give a lot more strength to the front end.my only problem was as above the taper was not drilled deep enough. I would buy another set though if I decide to go with another car .
I have two sets on my cars and like them a lot, the car handles great and they give a lot more strength to the front end.my only problem was as above the taper was not drilled deep enough. I would buy another set though if I decide to go with another car .
I purchased a pair but they didn't have a mechanical stop for the steering integrated into them so I swapped them out for a pair of cast drop spindles someone was seeking on the forum. Did the ones you guys purchased have stops integrated into the units?
I purchased a pair but they didn't have a mechanical stop for the steering integrated into them so I swapped them out for a pair of cast drop spindles someone was seeking on the forum. Did the ones you guys purchased have stops integrated into the units?
The stock 88 spindles do not have mechanical stops, they use the mechanical limit of the rack to limit the turning radius.
Here is a pic of the Arraut drop spindles for the 88:
I have had a pair on my 85 fiero since 2000/2001, when Dave and Mike Held purchased the rights to manufacture them from Ryan Motorsports... I bought the 2" drop, which seem to be unavailable anymore. I have not had a single issue with the spindle itself. I have had some issues with the bearings, however.
Every issue with the bearings have been related to the center bolt stretching. When the bearing is "made", the axle is substituted with a large grade 8 bolt that is torqued and has the nut welded. I feel this is a valid solution, but does tend to cause other issues. Every bearing has had more play in it that the rear bearing with an actual axle going through it. Twice, I have had a bearing fail due to bolt stretch, but not once has the bolt broke. I was able to drive it home without having to call a tow truck. I now check my car often for signs of bearing wear, and I will be replacing my front bearings again soon. They seem to last me about 5-6 years. I guess I need to slow down my turns...
I do not consider it a significant enough issue for me. The factory front setup has "play" when compared to the rear bearings (but not as much as the above setup), when installed correctly.
I will admit, I have no knowledge of this issue being corrected and hope that the current owner of the design has figured out a solution.
-Dave
edited to add the year of my fiero.
[This message has been edited by IFLYR22 (edited 09-24-2016).]
I have a set, looks to me as if they were built at two different times, by two different makers. They are the second set, the first had the steering rack holes drilled upside down. This second pair is the ones that look different from each other. Also, I bought the 13" brake kit for mine, and the mounting bracket for the brake caliper's are in two different locations. if put next to each other, you can see that one brake caliper is about 1" lower. Being lower it also makes the brake caliper hit the control arm. As Guru pointed out, there is no limiting built into the spindle to stop it from extreme left/right. The brake caliper hitting the control arm or the sway-bar mount is what stops mine. Not what I wanted. I had other issues with the quality control, powder coat and parts delivery that has made my experience with AMS a nightmare.
Sorry, I forgot to mention the unit I'd purchased was the pre-'88 model. The OE spindle had a lobe that extended from the bottom of the it and interfered with the lower spring perch when the steering was turned excessively
I would think at like $550 a pair that they would fit well, be made well, and function well. Without mechanical defects, or fitment issues. However this does not seem to be the case. My main reason for purchasing these would be to eliminate the issue with the front wheel bearings in the 88. Plus the1" lowering is a plus. I do not want to create more issues by adding these. Do they make a 1" lowering kit for the rear as well?
Originally posted by adm927: I would think at like $550 a pair that they would fit well, be made well, and function well. Without mechanical defects, or fitment issues. However this does not seem to be the case. My main reason for purchasing these would be to eliminate the issue with the front wheel bearings in the 88. Plus the1" lowering is a plus. I do not want to create more issues by adding these. Do they make a 1" lowering kit for the rear as well?
Do you race, or intend to race, your car? What issue are you referring to exactly, with the 88 front bearings? From what I've seen, the only "issue" is that quality bearing replacements for 88s are harder to come by, but it's really only a problem if the car is exposed to consistent very hard cornering situations, such as when racing the car. For normal street use, OEM bearings will last a very long time, and even available replacements will last several years.
I do intend to do some drag racing , and possibly some road racing. If I can find out if they have one somewhere near me. But mostly just street driving.
I would think at like $550 a pair that they would fit well, be made well, and function well. Without mechanical defects, or fitment issues. However this does not seem to be the case. My main reason for purchasing these would be to eliminate the issue with the front wheel bearings in the 88. Plus the1" lowering is a plus. I do not want to create more issues by adding these. Do they make a 1" lowering kit for the rear as well?
One would think that. I did the install on both of flyboygt86's cars. I would not want to go through the hassle correcting AMS issues with a third set. I would hope they have their issues resolved by this time.
I do intend to do some drag racing , and possibly some road racing. If I can find out if they have one somewhere near me. But mostly just street driving.
Drag racing is a straight line, so inboard/outboard stress on the bearings is minimal/normal there. Road racing or autocross with lots of hard cornering will greatly increase the stress on the hubs. If you only do street driving and dragstrip, then most good quality standard replacement bearings should generally last you several years.
I would think at like $550 a pair that they would fit well, be made well, and function well. Without mechanical defects, or fitment issues. However this does not seem to be the case. My main reason for purchasing these would be to eliminate the issue with the front wheel bearings in the 88. Plus the1" lowering is a plus. I do not want to create more issues by adding these. Do they make a 1" lowering kit for the rear as well?
Yea you would think. I dropped $4K for my front/rear suspension/13" brake kit/tubular upper/lower and Koni coilovers. NOTHING worked right out of the box. Nothing fit without a lot of work. I've had to modify, correct, fix and create parts to make this stuff fit. But get this, to make this stuff work, I may have to buy more stuff from them because i've got so much into this i need to see it to the end.
Good luck, if you buy you may get a great product. I've known others who have gotten great products and great service. They have made good on everything they could, it just takes a lot of work to reach them and they often "forget" to call you or email you. .
but it does look good though.
[This message has been edited by qwikgta (edited 07-31-2017).]
quikgta It does look great. But for 4k it better do a lot more than look good. I would think that the manufacturers of these kits would have used and tested these on the specific vehicles that they are designed for. So you should get a product that fits and works as intended. If not I would expect a refund.
quikgta It does look great. But for 4k it better do a lot more than look good. I would think that the manufacturers of these kits would have used and tested these on the specific vehicles that they are designed for. So you should get a product that fits and works as intended. If not I would expect a refund.
