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Crooked axle woes

45acpJr

45acpJr

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Posts
633
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Location
Tucson, Az
Ok so I got my h1 wheels installed and noticed one side is way closer to the sheet metal than the other. Also it seems like the tires protrude out more on one side than the other:confused: I made sure the springs are sitting on the perches correctly and I also verified the measurements from center pin to spring eye were the same. The driver side wheel is closer to the back of the wheel well than the passenger side. I did notice the driver side shackle seems to point directly down to the ground and the passenger side shackle is pointing about 10 degrees forward. Do you guys think one of those shackles are frozen? Where do they normally sit? I have the ORD FUSH kit that I haven't gotten around to installing, I just wanted to bounce this off someone, does anyone agree or disagree with me that this is the culprit?
 
measure from the outside of the frame to the outside edge of the body, just to make sure your body bolts are good.

How much are we talking here anyway? 1/4" or 4" :D
 
I will get a pic or two tonight, but it's close to two inches off. I do know my body mounts are shot. I thought about that but wouldn't my bed and can be misaligned too?
 
It sounds to me like someone wrapped their chain/strap around the axle tube to do some recovery, now it's "dog legging" or you might have some broken springs.
 
Well I replaced the springs 6 months ago so it's not that, I installed the axle. 3 months ago
 
Check for loose u-bolts, spun axle tube, sheared bolt in the center of the pack allowing the top leaf to slip, or a bent shock. If you suspect the shackle (I don't) loosen it a bit and see if it moves.
New springs or not if you've been wheeling they can break. And I'm sure you know this but NEVER hook a chain to the suspension or axles to do recovery.
 
Yeah I know that's a no no, it's a long story but this truck has not been wheeled by me yet. Hell I put 15 miles a week on it maybe. After I think about the shackle I agree it shouldn't be that since it's at a fixed point at the front.
 
And I understand your springs a recent additions, but don't know your setup or how you drive. Have you been doing any burn outs or hard accelerations to be wrapping the springs?
Is it on lift blocks?
 
Rear is a shackle flip and 56" springs but my problems are on the front. Dana 60 , tough country 4" lift no burn outs and barley drive it
 
Oh, see if the shocks move freely.
I'm experiencing my own D60 nightmares, so I may not be the best person to ask lol. But that's what I get for using one out of a Furd.

Mine appears to sit a hair lower in the FP corner due to the body mount just behind the front tire having been smacked.
 
Lol my front axle is shockless right now, when I get home ill get back under it and see what I can see
 
45acpJr said:
Lol my front axle is shockless right now, when I get home ill get back under it and see what I can see
Click to expand...

Ya, :dunno: other than maybe you had the steering wheel turned a bit there's not much else it could be, other than the springs, u-bolts, or shackle hanger bushings. It's hard to diagnose, blind, over the internet when it's been 6 months since you crawled under it to look, lol, jk of course. :haha: Hell... I was trying to help you troubleshoot the wrong end of the truck.

:popcorn:
 
I had the same problem on my old frame. it was bent causing the shackle angle to me off and the passenger side tire was 2 1/2 inches closer to the rear tire than the drivers side. I did a frame swap due to that and a few other frame problems.
 
Lol yea about a 2 year start over.... it snowballed big time. If I bend this one the whole thing is going to the scrap yard, not going through that again
 
I hear that mine was going to be a regear only. 2 days after the wife said just do and shut up about it. BOOM! The rear diff (G80) exploded. So why fix a 10 bolt? So I bought a 14 bolt, 6 lug wheels couldn't be made to work. Who want's two spares? The next thing I know I'm installing an axle out of a Furd, and cutting the front bumper mounts.

Thanks Internet, for giving me a bunch of crazy ideas.
 
I'm going to get under the truck as soon as possible to take some measurements and hopefully come up with an answer besides bent frame. But if it comes down to the frame, let me ask a stupid question. The truck drives straight and acts completely normal, it's only visible problem is that the tires look "off" compared to the wheel wells, is it worth a frame swap?
 
If it were me,and it was "cosmetic" only,and didn't wear tires out in 1000 miles or show any other defects driving it,why waste the time and money & effort to replace the frame..(and maybe go wheeling and bend another one ?) ..you have to draw the line somewhere,right?..

You may have a bent axle tube,I have seen some bent in collisions or from yanking too hard with a tow chain pulling a stuck truck out of mud or snow..they are only plug welded in at the diff housing..usually they leak if they got bent or came loose though..

I backed my truck into a utility pole in my yard plowing in a blizzard a few years ago--I had just put a 6" channel iron bumper on the rear a few weeks prior ,and I thought no way was that ingot going to bend..well,I proved myself wrong,as I was backing up after making the first pass with the plow in 2+ feet of snow ,my plow caught the snowbank and the truck started veering into the snowbank I just plowed,so to avoid it climbing in it and getting hung up,I cut the wheels and goosed it...

But it didn't pull away in time,and I clipped the pole with the drivers side of the bumper,and it folded in at a 45 degree angle in a flash,then the truck slid sideways away from the pole,and it ripped the tail lamp off and the license plate bracket,and left a nice DEEP imprint of the pole in the rear of the stepside fender..when I got out to inspect the damage,I figured it'd just need the bumper touched up!..:doah::eek1:..

I have noticed since then,the bed sits a bit higher on the drivers side,and the truck does not "dog leg" if you follow it down the road,but I can feel it wanting to pull to one side if the road is icy...I see no "visible" damage to the frame,but I wouldn't be surprised if it were checked,it was tweaked somewhere...but I do have a Harbour Freight crane on the passenger side that weighs a good 100 lbs,so that may contribute to the truck looking like it leans to that side and probably affects the handling some...

I was going maybe 10 mph backwards and the impact was not a direct hit,it was more of a glancing blow..my receiver trailer hitch still looks "straight" so if it did get bent,it would be "up" more than pushed in or out probably..

My old 77 GMC I used as a scrap hauler had a crane on the passenger side that could lift 2000+ lbs,and I bottomed the springs out lifting heavy things with it several times,I either forgot to lower the "foot" to take the weight off the springs,or could not use it in that particular situation...when I finally decided to scrap that truck,when I took off the flat bed (which was made of 4" channel iron 11" on center),the bed was still square and not tweaked,but the frame rail on the right side was 3" lower than the drivers side,it looked "normal" when the truck had the bed on it,and it drove straight as an arrow..evidently it must have bent downward either just behind the cab,or over the wheel well...no kinks were noticeable in the rail anywhere too..
 
45acpJr said:
I'm going to get under the truck as soon as possible to take some measurements and hopefully come up with an answer besides bent frame. But if it comes down to the frame, let me ask a stupid question. The truck drives straight and acts completely normal, it's only visible problem is that the tires look "off" compared to the wheel wells, is it worth a frame swap?
Click to expand...

Yea I would say its worth it. But like its been said if it drives good I wouldn't worry about it. I drove mine bent for a year before I totally bent it wheeling it too hard.

The reason I took so long with my frame swap is because I boxed the entire frame, sandblasted, welded everything that could move, and then painted the whole thing. I also had a baby during that time too. So if it needs a frame it it's not a lost cause. A frame shop might be able to fis that easily as another option.
 
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