1991 DS Suspension Issue

[stubb]

Steering was tight so I started lookin into the front end. I found the spindle rubbing the tire on the passenger side where the rack connects to it. My plan was to replace every bushing, tie rod, steering rack, and hubs. Now I'm thinking the spindle may be bent. I really didnt want to lift it, but if the spindle is bent then I figured I might as well order a full suspension lift kit and be done with it.

Any recommendations on what you guys would do if it were yours?

[crash12888]

It's hard to see but it doesn't look like your bushings are bad,
Jack it up, grab the tire top and bottom and shake it, I'm betting you have bad or loose wheel bearings.

[stubb]

Pulled everything apart tonight.

Everything was tight. The only thing I need to replace are tie rod ends. I am going to replace wheel bearings just because I want them fresh. Everything else was greased and inspected.

I may go ahead and put a new rack in also since my steering was a little tough to turn.

I think I’ll just grind down that tab and run some wheel spacers when I replace my wheels and tires.

[Fairtax4me]

Is your tire flat?
Those old spindles are very hard to bend. The control arms, leaf spring, or steering tower will bend long before you bend a spindle. Unless it was previously crashed and the other parts were already replaced.

Another possibility is something got hung up between the tire and steering arm and just got rode around like that for a few minutes. It doesn’t take much to polish a tire.

[stubb]

Tire is properly inflated. It rubs on the jackstands in the garage also with no weight on the cart. Its weird.

Im half tempted to grind down the edge of the spindle a bit, and run it like it is. I just dont want to ruin new tires when I upgrade. It drive straight and theres no play in anything at all. I am going to replace the tie rod ends and hubs just because theyre worn the most. All the other bushings actually look and feel great.

[crash12888]

It's hard to see in the one picture but I'm betting if everything is tight you probably have a bent spindle arm, (the arm the tierod attaches to).
Does your steering wheel trac straight while traveling straight?
Try to compare the spindle arm angle to the other side that has clearance.
Grinding to gain clearance isn't correcting the root cause of the issue.

[stubb]

I just ended up replacing EVERYTHING suspension related..

Now I found another issue-

rear axle studs on driver side are worn badly and would have broken soon. Now to pull the axle, replace the studs, and replace all the brakes while im in there....

[crash12888]

Shouldn't need to pull the axle to replace axle studs.