And here is the problem for the day. I noticed that the driver's sde lower ball joint nut was really easy to remove (after spending 30 minutes getting the fused cotter pin out.). When I turned the spindle to get clearance I noticed that it moved on a stanrge arc instead of on a normal pivot.
Well here is the reason: the original lower ball joint stud had been loose for who knows how many decades. It probably was improperly installed from the factory, and it completely oblonged the mounting hole.
Does anyone have a spare driver's side second gen Camrao or Firebird spindle they want to get rid of?