Topic: Bent front housing? pics included

[toy4x4ota]

I am putting together my front axle and I think that it is bent becuase on the driver side I cant move the axle with the spindle on.  When i try to put the hub on, it won't go onto the studs or dowel pins because the axle is not centered in the spindle and i wont move freely. i just put in some poly performance birfs and inner shafts but i doubt that they are the cause of the problem.




i can take more pictures if these dont really show what i am talking about.

[CTENG in KS]

Two questions.
Are the inner shafts fully seated inside the birf?
Are the axle shaft assemblies engaged fully into the third member?

[toy4x4ota [OP]]

i know that the inner shafts are seated into the third because i martak the inners.  about the birfs being all the way seated in the inner im not sure because i did not use any c-clips.

[inmyownsummerami]

you didn't use the c-clip that keeps the inner shaft from sliding into the birf?

[alwayzbroken]

Are the knuckles shimed properly?

[toy4x4ota [OP]]

you didn't use the c-clip that keeps the inner shaft from sliding into the birf?

on the poly performance shafts there isnt a spot for the c-clip to keep the two from sliding into eachother, i didnt use the most inner c-clip either in case i was to ever break a birf, i also didnt use the c-clip on the hub side because i like to take my knuckles off the camo method.

Are the knuckles shimed properly?

i didnt use a tool or anything to check the preload so hopefully your right.  im going to have to check that today

[CTENG in KS]

If you didn't have much trouble removing the old birf and shaft combo then bent housing would not be my first thought.  More than likely something is just out of alignment.

[toy4x4ota [OP]]

a friend just gave me the housing with the axle truss already welded on and everything. so i have no idea about the old birfs coming in and out easily. i still gotta check the knuckle though, not till later working on the roomates truck today.

[8D3TOY]

If the trussing was not welded in a proper manner it may have warped the housing with all the heat from the weld.

[SACD_Runner]

If the trussing was not welded in a proper manner it may have warped the housing with all the heat from the weld.

Agreed. I'd recomend checking the knuckels too, Just in case.

[madhunt]

if they welded the truss on with one fat bead all the way across, its warped for sure.

[toy4x4ota [OP]]

the truss has a lot of undercut on the weld but i think i see the start and stops of each weld, as if he stiched it. but i dont have any idea how he did it though, and my friend doesnt remember how he welded it

[DTB]

if they welded the truss on with one fat bead all the way across, its warped for sure.

i wouldnt say that for sure.....more likely if it was an earlier axle....

if it has the stock truss on the bottom long side it would be alot less likely to "peel" up from warping

[CTENG in KS]

if it was an earlier axle and there is no bottome truss you can always try welding a bead along the bottom to get it to warp back the other way...might get it str8 enough to run.

[toy4x4ota [OP]]

i took off the bottom knuckle plate and added a thick shim, took off the steering arm and took out a thin and thick shim, and it seems that it fixed the problem.  so i am going to run and hopefully wheel my truck at the local spot this weekend.  its been too long since i have driven it and i took it on a little spin this morning. thank you everyone who gave me info.  

dallas