Spindle thread problems

The front wheel of my son's 4x2 Exploder fell off. The nut that holds the wheel bearings in had loosened and eventually backed completely off of the spindle. It caused a lot of damage to the brakes and bearings when the hub slid off of the spindle. Thank God it happened when he turrrned into our driveway as he had just been on the freeway at 60 MPH for about 50 miles. A miracle......

The outer bearing was apparantly riding on the threads of the spindle for a while and have worn them down. The threads still have plenty of definition, but do not have sharp ridges, rather, rounded ones. When I screw on the old nut it is very loose on the threads. The old nut has worn threads as well. I don't think the threads on the spindle will hold a new nut securely in their present condition.

I am wondering if I can get a "die" and recut the same threads to restore them. Or could/should I re-thread the spindle to accept a smaller diameter nut? I am looking for an alternative to replacing the spindle as it appears to be a big job and likely expensive as it has the ABS sensor as well.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I suggest doing it the right way, afterall it's your son's car and life. You want to make the right decision. Replace the spindle.