Topic: HOW TO CHECK FOR BENT FRONT AXLE

[86moneypit]

I'm taking apart a 85 front axle that i bought used from someone else already set up wanting to know what i need to look for to check if it is bent at all and what to look for on the upper and lower balls if anything is there to be looked at.

thanks martin

[joey0712]

They have to be bent pretty bad to be able to SEE the bend. What locker are you gonna run? arb or spool will take a slightly bent housing. I have lots of problems with an Aussie and a bent housing. If i was u i would run it and see how shhit goes.

[Rocksurfer]

Check the narrow section between bell and the housing if it is bent it is likely to be there and visible. There should be no bulge or wrinkling, if there is it's bent. The actual housing is much harder to tell.

[OOPS]

The only real way to see if it is bent is with a jig bar set-up. If the Birfields are hard to get in and out, it is bent.

[86moneypit [OP]]

What is a jig bar set-up and how would it work.

[OOPS]

What is a jig bar set-up and how would it work.

A precision ground steel bar will go all the way through the housing. There are special pucks that fit it to the housing ends and a dummy third member with the pucks in it also. Very expensive but needed when fabbing up complete housings.

[86moneypit [OP]]

i see yeah a little to high tech for me going to take apart to inspect before i run it to see if i can see anything.