Topic: how to i.d. a bent front axle?

[drayday55]

any one know any clues? measurments how to take them to see if axle is bent?

chalk line? anything like that?

[Steve_925]

well if you have any trouble getting the birfs in or out thats a good signh of a bent housing. as far as measurments im not sure.

[Rocksurfer]

Usually they bend at the inside end of the bell that is the smallest area of the housing, Marlin has a kit to fix that issue that is a weld in deal.

[Slolyfe]

I had an inner seal that I could not get to stop leaking. Turned out to be a bent housing. If that helps

[drayday55 [OP]]

hmmm,  I'm sending my truck to a local guy to do the front axle.  I'm just worried  the camber is bad because of a bent axle and not the kingpin Bering's.   i know the passenger side is blown, it has 1/8 of play but would that make the camber be out that much?

[Yotaman80]

Just for your info they arent technicaly king pins they are call turnions. you should rebuild it yourself its really simple and there is alot of help on the board here that can help you if you run into any trouble. Then if you break down on the trail you know what to do to fix it just my 

[crawlerdan]

the birfs are a super tight fit, as you may already know, if you have a proper seal, if takes effort to get a birf in if it ISNT bent, i warped one of my first ones welding and it moived just a little, and i couldnt get the birf in. leaking seals is a good indication also

[potter85]

my inner driverside seal leaks too. probably due to the fact that i destroyed the innes shaft birfield and hub all at the same time maybe it is bent but my housing is pretty scarred up from when it all came apart. I got 4340 chromo inners and birfields from poly performance now no more problems

[drayday55 [OP]]

i just ordered the 54mm socket , eather gonna do timing chain or birfs this next week.
darn it,, i cant for the life of me have peace of mind until this stuff is done and done perfectly!

I'm worried that ill wast my time with the axle rebuild and have a bent one,

timing chain is a ton of work, hate to do it and need to pull head soon after to fix something else.
motor seems sound, just idles poorly.  it idles good with a/c so seems like a vacuum leak or egr problem.
thanks for the advise