The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 59 truck replacement front spindle help

Hi everyone, pretty new to all of this but I've got a 59 Apache 3100 I'm working on and it's almost ready to hit the road thanks in no small part to this forum. Only major problem is in my idiocy I seem to have ruined the stock spindle and I have searched the internet high and low for a replacement to no avail. Does anybody make these spindles? Or do I just have to find one used and hope it's still in good enough condition to fit? Are there spindles from earlier or later model chevys that will fit, or maybe from the cars? Or could I even get away with finding someone to weld and machine/sleeve this spindle back to safe conditions? Open to all suggestions

TForceApprentice,

1st off, Welcome to Stovebolt!

Your truck looks fantastic.

In answer to your question, the following info is from from some research I did awhile back.

The front spindle (aka "steering knuckle") that fits either side of your 1959 3100 is GM# 3709756 (forged piece with casting# 3708831).* See this page for Part# 3709756 listed on this page about 1/2 way down the top part list)**

* NOTE: In the 1929-54 Catalog, their are a couple different GM#s for earlier versions of the '51-'53 (GM# 3696337) and '54 (GM# 3709756) steering knuckles for those 1/2 ton trucks, but from what I can tell the '51-'53 number was replaced by the GM# 3709756 listed in the 1929-57 Catalog. It is a "possibility" that you may stumble across someone offering one of the early numbered parts. If you do, it would work for your application as well as the newer numbered part GM# 3709756.

** NOTE: In the later 1979 Chevrolet Master Parts & Accessories Catalog, GM# 3709756 is listed for all '51-'59 1/2 ton trucks. GM# 3709756

Hopefully that opens the door to a wider range of vehicles for searching to find a suitable used spindle to replace yours. You may want to consider searching for a complete front axle assembly as more often than not, those are what can be found for sale as folks replace the original straight axle with a more modern front suspension.

If you don't have luck searching locally, you can always post your own ad in our Truck Parts Wanted forum.

Dan

That looks great. I like the painted bumpers way better than chrome on those trucks.

Try www.Rareparts.com

They can build whatever you need. Maybe repair the original?

I put a '52 Chevy 1/2 ton steering knuckle on my '57 GMC 1/2 ton truck. No problems.

Thanks for the help everyone! Ended up running into a super helpful guy named Bruce on the Tri-five forum willing to sell me a NOS knuckle (one of the older 3696337 numbers Gdads mentioned) for a good price. Will definitely keep the rare parts website in mind in case I end up in a similar pickle in the future! And I agree Otto, I like the white painted bumper better than the chrome as well. Just has a clean look about it
It's funny how frustrated I was that every time I was ready to get this on the road I'd have something small and stupid brake down that would throw me off. I even broke down at the same exact place multiple times, right outside of my house before I got to the road itself.Now I realize that if it hadn't been for every little stuck float or needle, or timing issue I hit, or the leaking wheel cylinder, I would probably have lost that wheel on the road by now. In fact if I hadn't replaced that wheel cylinder when I did, I wouldn't have realized that the bearing was in backwards causing the race was literally eat away at the spindle. Guess I have every single breakdown and delay to thank that this truck isn't wrecked right now.