Question about axle tubes

[RioRed4v]

Can axle tubes be straightened?? I noticed that my driver side axle tube is off by roughly 1 or 2 degrees, and its bent upward causing the wheel to be visibly at an angle.

Would unbolting the axle on the driver side and somehow applying pressure be a way to fix it??

Kinda lost on how i could fix it other than by taking it to a shop, or if it can even be fixed at all. :shrug:

 

[BreBar21]

They can be straightened, but you are going to need to take it to a shop with a jig.

A buddy of mine spent the last couple of days trying to correct the same issue.

 

[RioRed4v]

did your buddy ever come to a solution? and if he did, how much did his solution cost?

 

[BreBar21]

did your buddy ever come to a solution? and if he did, how much did his solution cost?

He had a pretty good working theory, but it didn't come to fruition. He was going to beat the axle tubes in a little to hopefully get rid of his negative camber, but upon reassembly, it did not work.

The options are as follows: take it apart and find someone with a jig to straighten them, buy new axle tubes (basically the same as option one), buy a new center section, or buy a whole new rear. It is his only means of transportation, so he is tossing aroung the idea of buying a new rear so he can reduce down time and then selling the parts from his rear now. It all boils down to money and how much time you can spend without the car.

 

[RioRed4v]

downtime isnt to much of an issue for me.

i found a local place that can straighten the tubes. gonna cost $260 roughly for them to pull the rear-end down, pull everything out, and then get it all straightened out, and then put it back together with new bearings and seals. imo, that isnt to bad of a price, so i'll probably be going that route, and they said with an appointment, it would only take one day.

 

[BreBar21]

downtime isnt to much of an issue for me.

i found a local place that can straighten the tubes. gonna cost $260 roughly for them to pull the rear-end down, pull everything out, and then get it all straightened out, and then put it back together with new bearings and seals. imo, that isnt to bad of a price, so i'll probably be going that route, and they said with an appointment, it would only take one day.

That's not bad at all.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

did your buddy ever come to a solution? and if he did, how much did his solution cost?

It worked a little bit. The gap on the underside of the tube where it goes into the pumpkin was far smaller then it had been. There is also the issue of the tube itself possibly being bent. It may be only slightly, but I don't want to have to worry about it. I think a new housing assembly from Ford can be had for about $600 shipped and swap internals. I'm not sure there's anyone around here with a jig either.

Watch your brakes. With the caliper mounted to the tube and being angled, and the axle trying to stay straight with the posi, its going to cause issues. Mine chirp like a son of a bitch, only half the inside pad hits when the brakes are compressed and the other half rides the rotor when the brakes are not in use.

 

[RioRed4v]

sounds like yours is bent alot more than mine. mine is bent probably 1 or 2 degrees. brakes still wear fine, and the contact patch on the tires still looks fine. only way i can tell is by looking at the wheel. you can tell its crooked, and then if you get underneath with a level, its obvious.