X-Cellent

X-Cellent

CPP’s Modern C10 Spindle Specifically Designed for Big Wheel and Brake Combos

By Ryan Manson | Photography By the Author

Big brakes and even bigger wheel and tire combos are arguably among the most popular upgrades in the classic truck market. Filling those massive wheel openings with an appropriately sized roller while upgrading the rather anemic braking system makes a ton of sense, after all. Be it an aesthetic upgrade or a more performance-based option, there’s no arguing the popularity of these modifications. But what happens when a stock spindle and its bearings, designed for a drum brake and a 15-inch steel wheel and tire, are subjected to the rotating mass, inertia, and torque of a 13-inch disc brake and accompanying 20-inch aluminum wheel?

Purveyors of both modern spindle designs as well as big brake offerings, it’s no surprise that Classic Performance Products (CPP) recognized this situation and sought to develop a solution. They’ve had a proven design in their Modular drop spindle for years, but as the brake kits and wheel/tire combos grew larger, they started to turn their attention to developing a more modern spindle and bearing design. Enter the X10 spindle.

Looking at the CPP’s full X10 spindle setup

Here’s CPP’s full X10 spindle setup, as required for the early drum brake C10 trucks. It consists of a pair of X10 spindles and hubs, late-model upper and lower ball joints, outer tie-rod ends, and billet conversion sleeves. Also pictured is CPP’s 13-inch Big Brake Kit as an additional upgrade option.

CPP’s X10 spindle has some similarities with Modular 2-1/2-inch drop spindle

CPP’s X10 spindle shares the same dimensions as their popular Modular 2-1/2-inch drop spindle with one huge caveat …

… instead of relying on those small bearings and a vulnerable axle pin, the X10 spindles utilize a sealed bearing hub based on late-model, fullsized GM pickup trucks.

CPP’s X10 spindle is a completely redesigned unit based around a sealed, captured-bearing hub similar to those found on modern Corvettes and fullsize GM trucks. The new spindle retains CPP’s Modular 2-1/2-inch drop spindle dimensions while adding the performance and reliability gained from the stronger bearing hub assembly and a sealed bearing pack that virtually eliminates axle pin flex, a common problem with traditional spindles. The new X10 spindle is literally the first spindle and hub combination specifically designed with bigger brake packages in mind, from CPP to Wilwood to Baer and beyond.

Thanks to this similarity, the X10 spindle is directly compatible with a large number of aftermarket disc brake kits as well as stock or aftermarket control arms.

Looking at the stock upper and lower ball joints

Because the X10 spindle is based on late-model components, it may be necessary to replace the stock upper and lower ball joints. Here, an early upper ball joint is installed on an X10 spindle to showcase the maligned fitment. While the taper is the same, the ball joint stud is simply not long enough for proper cotter pin engagement.

The early outer tie rods, on the other hand, are a loose fit in the taper, an obvious incorrect match, requiring the additional components offered in CPP’s kit.

Available in both 5- and 6-lug bolt patterns, the X10 spindle package can be built to suit any C10 truck from 1963 on by using a handful of additional components. Machined to accept late-model C10 components, it’s a drop-in affair for Square Body trucks. For first-gen C10s (1963-1966), upper and lower ball joints, outer tie rods, and a pair of billet conversion sleeves are required to ensure the X10 spindle drops in place. Model years between 1967-1972 require similar components based on whether originally equipped with disc brakes or not. Suffice it to say, CPP has a kit to suit your C10 Chevy truck as well as a myriad of components to complement said setup, from 11-inch iron binders to high-performance 13-inch phenolic dual-piston disc brake kits.

If you’re building a C10 from the ground up and your plans include big brakes or an increase in wheel and tire diameter, CPP’s new X10 spindle is designed specifically for you. And since any brake kit that fits CPP’s Modular spindle will bolt right up, upgrading an existing setup is as simple as swapping out the spindles. Compatible with stock control arms and most aftermarket offerings, the X10 spindle is truly a modular unit for the 21st century.

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