Cutting axle housing?

[zombie1969]

A while back when I had cable tv I was watching trucks with Stacy.He cut the ends off the front housing to reajust caster because of a large lift on the truck he did and it looked pritty straight forward to do.Has anybody here done that?If so how much caster is good with 35s for good wheel return?

 

[GreenieK30]

Im running 54s with a stock housing and geometry, if you need to cut and rotate a Chev front axle, you have too much lift

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

What you're talking about is cutting the welds at the inner c's and turning them, then re-welding. This is generally done to adjust the pinion angle, not to change the caster (based on lift, short wheelbase, get more driveshaft clearance, etc).

The stock caster is 5-7 degrees.

 

[Stomis]

A while back when I had cable tv I was watching trucks with Stacy.He cut the ends off the front housing to reajust caster because of a large lift on the truck he did and it looked pritty straight forward to do.Has anybody here done that?If so how much caster is good with 35s for good wheel return?

Yeah you can do it. Its not something you can get a number on. You have to cut it and adjust it yourself til the pinion looks correct.

As said caster should always be 5-7*

 

[zombie1969]

I was thinking to leave the shim I have for the pinion angle or use more of a shim to improve it and rotate the ends that the ball joints press into for the caster ajustment.It looked easy on tv.Only want to do it once for obvious reasons so would like to have the proper rec caster spec before starting.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

I was thinking to leave the shim I have for the pinion angle or use more of a shim to improve it and rotate the ends that the ball joints press into for the caster ajustment.It looked easy on tv.Only want to do it once for obvious reasons so would like to have the proper rec caster spec before starting.

So set your pinion angle where you want it, grind out the welds and turn the c's so your caster is 5-7 degrees then weld it back up.

 

[zombie1969]

So set your pinion angle where you want it, grind out the welds and turn the c's so your caster is 5-7 degrees then weld it back up.

Sounds like a plan.I got an extra housing if it fubars anyhow.

 

[4X4HIGH]

From what i've heard even after cutting the welds the C's are SUPER HARD to move as they are pressed onto the axle tube.

 

[ryoken]

From what i've heard even after cutting the welds the C's are SUPER HARD to move as they are pressed onto the axle tube.

x 2........ i certainly wouldn't say this is easy peezy..... better have a big machine to burn those back in.... pretty critical weld....

 

[folkenheath]

I just did this a couple months ago. Cut out the welds on the C to rotate the housing. And I only have 6 inches of lift. But you have better pinion angles and longer droop available on the driveshaft angles if you do this. The C's would not budge after we removed the welds. We could even see the seperation line all the way around the tube, and the C was stuck on there. Even with some heat it and a puller, and a BFH, it wouldn't move. It took 60 tons on a giant 100 ton press to press those "C"s off the housing tubes. So it's not a simple task. I had my cousin who builds drag cars for a living weld the C's back on, I was afraid my MM211 welder wasn't big enough since it's about a 1/2" fillet weld.

Also, remember, the pinion will want to roll down on the front axle, not up, since the pinion is behind the axle and the ring gear is still being driven the same direction. So you'll want the pinion to point up 1 or 2 degrees in the front from the correct angle for your type of driveshaft.