Topic: holy crap!!!!

[crawlerdan]

ok, so after spendin 7000 dollars on getting all the parts to do my sas and other things, i go to assemble my front axle to find that the son a beech is bent, bad enough to not allow the birfs to go in!!! flop!!! so, i need a new housing, i like the idea of the diamond axles, but cant afford it, anyone know of a cheaper alternative?

[FIREBALL]

Been there, same thing happened with my FJ80 housing.
Haven't priced, but doesn't Sky have a cusom housing?

[Cheesemaker]

Is there any other way to see if a axle is bent?  It seems that when everybody finds out the housing is bent is when they try to assemble it!  Can't you get a straight edge or something to the outside of the housing?  I plan on getting a toy one day and put a sas in it, but I don't want to go through the headaches of getting at least one bent one and wasting valuable money at the same time! 

[RokCrawlinToy]

I know the feeling, I'm on my second front housing and its bent now also, lasted a whole 6 months. Good luck finding another one.

[wa4x4]

Could it bend with the birf in it and everythink and how would you know? I think my front is pretty straight but I cant be 100% sure, because im like 85% sure the last owner of my truck was braindead

[FIREBALL]

I don't know of any way to check one without pulling it apart.
I knew for sure when I couldn't get the short side back together. I had a spare long side axle sittin around so I slid it into the diff. That's when I saw that it wasn't sitting centered in the seal hole. I actually had to take the seal out because it was so far off.
The only thing I can think of is to talk to the wrecking yard, express your concern and have them mark it. Then take it home, tear it down and check it as best you can. Pull the axles out and see if they go back in easily.
I don't know if the wrecking yard would go for that, but it would be your best bet.

[crawlerdan [OP]]

ok, i went to the wrecking yard and got....verbaly violent...ya thats it, i got a new axle that looks like it never been off road for 50 bucks
well, ill start over i n the mornin, gotta go make dindin for the wife and baby

[FIREBALL]

round 2

[shad]

Are you adding a top gusset and knuckle ball gussets to these axles you are bending or just throwing a stock one under it?
You could just make a top axle gusset using square tubing if you wanted.
You might concider buying these and welding them on first as well
http://www.frontrangeoffroadfab.com/knuckle_ball_gusset_kit.htm

[crawlerdan [OP]]

ive puechased kneckle ball gussets, and am putting a marlin upper brace on, i am also designing a brace that spans the front of the housing and the diff