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Bent axle or spring pack? Right tire is still pushed back

Mav2u

Mav2u

1/2 ton status
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Okay, finally got the truck away from the stupid Autobody shop and back home in the drive way.

I had my previous post about how the truck had an accident on the passenger front fender and tire. The front right tire ( passenger side ) is still pushed back what looks like an inch or two. I looked at the spring pack and it doesn't look like it slid from sheering the center pin on the spring pack at all. Looks like it is still in the same place. The front sway bar connections look about the same so the axle doesn't seem like it would be able to move backwards on one side without tweaking on the sway bar.

Could the axle tube be bent? It looks straight as an arrow with no visible stress or crack marks of any kind.

I know that the steering knuckle steering bump stop bolt was completely mashed flat half way down the bolt from the force of the impact ripping the steering wheel full crank to the right when the tire caught on the front end of the other car.

What else could cause the wheel on that side to be back farther on just the one side of the vehicle?

Here is the .pdf of the alignment after the accident.
Alignment PDF after accident

Here is a photo of the passenger side after accident.
Right side after accident

I will have to get a photo comparing the two sides to show how the difference is on the right side with the gap at the back fender a full 1 inch shorter or so.
 
One pic in your other thread looked like the spring is tweaked...
click
 
I just grabbed that pic from the link in your other thread, no idea how to make it smaller...

But, at that size, you can pretty much be sure that spring is junk.

And, Mav, if your pics are on your computer you can upload them directly so we don't have to click links and wait for them to load. Or you can link them from whatever site they are hosted on. Just sayin.
 
sweetk30 said:
stock leafs negitive arch with good anti squeake pads still in there is all to me in that pic.
Click to expand...

Doesn't it look like it's been bent up and back? I don't have my stock ones on to compare but I don't remember seeing that much space between the 2 leafs. That main leaf doesn't have a smooth arch to it either, kinda looks like a couple kinks in it.
 
Update: I looked and measured both distances on both sides and it would seem that the left side is pushed forward a little and the right side ( passenger side ) is pushed back a little. So it would seem the whole axle is twisted a little.

I looked at the front sway bar to body mounts in the middle and they looked like they were moved by the skidding of the metal. So I think the whole front end was pushed to the passenger side but I can't figure out how it is tweaked yet.

After the accident the steering wheel was turned farther one direction which would coincide with the left side being pushed forward and the steering arm pushing the steering wheel farther in the other direction in the truck. So I think I may take it down and get the front end aligned and the steering wheel centered back to dead center again and start from there.

So I wonder if the sway bar could put enough pressure to push one side of the axle back?

I would just hate to buy new springs and still have the same problem.
 
Looking at the pic that 496truck posted from your previous thread, it definitely looks much different than my stock (89) set up. My stock leafs are together nearly the entire length, if not completely together over the full arch. There is no space, definitely not that large, between my stock leafs. Mine may be junk, and that is how "good" stock leafs are supposed to look, just saying mine are not like that. I do know I've been on here long enough to know that sweetK30 knows his sh#t and these trucks.

If you have the tools and are comfortable, I would jack the front axle up just enough to take some tension out of the springs. See how they react, then perhaps set the frame on stands and see how they droop (all 2" stock droop, haha). You may see your "pivot" point and it may lead you in the direction you'll need to repair. Maybe lift one side at a time, etc. Just see how it all reacts together. What do your wheel joints, axle stub on that impact side look like. Have you removed your wheel? hub? rotor? I guess I would do as much as I could to dig into it before I paid a shop the labor to dig into it. Maybe an easy scrap yard pick up.
 
:whistle: why thanks for swelling my brain more.

but ya it might be tweeked a little .

and as said jack up the truck at the frame to releve pressure and see how it reacts .
 
Upon closer inspection today an lots of measuring I figured out the right side spring is sagging or bent causing the truck to sit 1/2 lower on that side. The rear shackles bushings are also shot an the spring actually sits outside the frame on the right side. Where the left side is flush with the frame.

So I am guessing the bent warp on that right spring towards the back of the spring is causing the pull back of the axle an then the sag of the spring at the same time.

I took more pics today showing the warp an distances from measured points comparing each side. I'll try to get them uploaded later tonight.
 
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