Bent axle housing (1 Viewer)

jk080

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• Sep 22, 2007

• #1

I have been in the process of upgrading my front axles from 27 spline longs to 30 spline and while I was there I would clean, replace all seals and new studs for the high steer arms. I also reinforced the knuckle (because it likes to bend there) with a new shock mount from Marlin.

I noticed that I was having big problems getting the longfield to clear at the bottom of the knuckle housing, and when I installed just the axle it would bind on the seal.


It now explains strange noises that I heard and why the axle came out of the longfield and stripped, and that I had to use a slide hammer to get the axle out of the housing.


Problem is that I just reinforced a already bent housing and didn't know it at the time.



Nice new gusset with shock mount




This is the new axle in the bent housing, the axle is smashing the seal down. I cant even push the axle up and I had to use a dead blow hammer to get it all the way in.

Kiss that seal goodbye.

Wonder why this side was leaking so much




After a entertaining thoughts about dana 60s I wasn't going too give up all that work that I had put into that axle and was determined to fix it.

Turns out that the shock mount that was supposed to strengthen it was going to help me bend it back.

 

Cruiserdrew

On the way there

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• Sep 22, 2007

• #2

I'll bite--How are you going to bend it back?

Is it possible that the shrinkage induced by the long weld on the gussett is what caused it to bend up?

My front axle is also ever so slightly angled like yours, and I would like to make it perfect.

 

jk080

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• Sep 22, 2007

• Thread starter
• #3

First I had to find out where to bend and with using the Portaband bandsaw (the best tool ever). I made two cuts down the top gusset where I wanted the bend.

A few on the bottom gusset to allow some room.




Then I wrapped a big chain around the knuckle and up around the ram mount over the diff, using the shop 30 ton bottle jack still mounted the the press plate with ram. I hung it from the chain with bolts holding the chain together on both sides of the jack. Found a good strong point right between the ubolts, double checked everything and went for it.





After applying some heat with the torch and swinging from the jack handle the axle bent right where I wanted it to. I had left the axle in the housing during this and checked it along the way, stopping when the axle freed up and slid out of the housing with only two fingers.

 

jk080

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• Sep 22, 2007

• Thread starter
• #4

Welded up the gaps, let cool, replaced the seal and good to go.

 

iortechnology

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• Sep 22, 2007

• #5

WOW - I'm amazed the jack didn't crush the axle housing when you were swinging from it. Too bad somebody wasn't there with a video camera...

 

94 4Runner

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El Paso, TX

• Sep 30, 2007

• #6

Good job. How common is it for an axle to bend like that?

 

WristPin

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• Aug 31, 2008

• #7

94 4Runner said:

Good job. How common is it for an axle to bend like that?

Click to expand...

My axle tube is bent in the exact location. I did a bunch of searching, and from what I gather these damn axle tubes bend all the time. Which really chaffs my hide, since I am a strong believer in OE parts.

Now I will fix my axle the same way. Exact same way. I too welded on those mounts recently and Apparently I reinforced a bent tube.

This tube bending is ridiculous. I will save up some $$$. $900 to be exact, for a Diamond axle. I will order it with the stock style knuckles. axle bending problems solved.

 

H8PVMNT

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Highwood, MT

• Sep 1, 2008

• #8

I did the same thing on my Toyota before putting on the ball gussets. I used a piece of railroad iron for the jack to rest on. It worked really well and no catstophic failures so far.

 

M

mudstorm

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peth

• Nov 20, 2009

• #9

hmm i have just done exactly the same thing

what should we name this reinforcement mod?

the jk080 mod ?

 

C

CrazyWJ242

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• Nov 21, 2009

• #10

well since he brought up the dead thread... i've had to do the same as well... little bit of story...

driving down I-95 on my trip back to NC from NB Canada, its around 2AM and its raining, flat out downpour, i've got a 2500 to my left and a little beat off Honda to the right... and were all doing about 55 because of visibility... and i notice the Chevy just take off to the ditch, next thing i know i hear a loud bang up front im flying up in the air... and slam the passenger side of my Jeep on the ground...

from the remains on the side of the road it appeared to be a concrete statue, hit my lower radiator support, hit my A/C Condenser (Like i ever used that, modded it to onboard air rather than fixing A/C)

so i had to limp from Lowell Massachusetts to North Carolina, destroyed my gas mileage... oh wait what gas mileage.

She's always brought me home, bent it straight so i could actually drive straight down the road... i had to give it the tiniest bit of an alignment (toe in was too much) and now she drives perfectly fine down the road...

going to replace with a beefed up Dana 44 since i doubt that'll break anything when im riding 35's maybe 37's way down the road.

 

4rnr

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• Nov 23, 2009

• #11

To the original poster: I bet you bent the axle while welding, which is very common if you dont weld an inch and let cool and repeat.

Shold be said: Long fields often require clearencing to fit in the stock knuckle balls, so if you cant fit your longfield it doesnt necessarily mean your housing is bent.

Having said that: Yes Mini truck housing are notorious for bending. I am on my 3rd housing.

 

cruiser88

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Winston Oregon

• Nov 25, 2009

• #12

I fully agree......alot of heat looks like was applied

4rnr said:

To the original poster: I bet you bent the axle while welding, which is very common if you dont weld an inch and let cool and repeat.

Shold be said: Long fields often require clearencing to fit in the stock knuckle balls, so if you cant fit your longfield it doesnt necessarily mean your housing is bent.

Having said that: Yes Mini truck housing are notorious for bending. I am on my 3rd housing.

Click to expand...

 

GRM

Finding new adventures in old jalopies.

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• Dec 2, 2009

• #13

Solution

 

4rnr

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• Dec 3, 2009

• #14

GRM said:

$$$$$olution

Click to expand...

Fixed.

This was my solution. Diamond or crossed up wasnt in the budget!

 

liljlandon

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• Dec 3, 2009

• #15

4rnr said:

Fixed.

This was my solution. Diamond or crossed up wasnt in the budget!

Click to expand...

How'd you ground to the wood? Interesting concept, did you have a piece of metal behind hit?!

 

4rnr

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• Dec 3, 2009

• #16

liljlandon said:

How'd you ground to the wood? Interesting concept, did you have a piece of metal behind hit?!

Click to expand...

Its a special kind of tree I grow in the yard right where I throw all my old bent housings, the wood has a high steel content.

 

Cube Dweller

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• Dec 3, 2009

• #17

Cruiserdrew said:

I'll bite--How are you going to bend it back?

Is it possible that the shrinkage induced by the long weld on the gussett is what caused it to bend up?

My front axle is also ever so slightly angled like yours, and I would like to make it perfect.

Click to expand...

There's a lengthy thread on Pirate by "Pat" about lengthening a mini housing. he built a fixture to measure runout on a dummy axle shaft, then watched the housing warp as he tacked various bits. Even small welds on next to the flange face that holds the 3rd (he was building up the face for an elocker retrofit) cause it to warp significantly. He's totally convinced that welding gussets, especially the large ones that go on top of the long side of the axle cause them to warp like crazy. As a former machinist, I can vouch for the quality of his fixture...so I trust his observations that the thinwall material the housings are made of really pull.

 

Cube Dweller

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• Dec 3, 2009

• #18

4rnr said:

To the original poster: I bet you bent the axle while welding, which is very common if you dont weld an inch and let cool and repeat.

Shold be said: Long fields often require clearencing to fit in the stock knuckle balls, so if you cant fit your longfield it doesnt necessarily mean your housing is bent.

Having said that: Yes Mini truck housing are notorious for bending. I am on my 3rd housing.

Click to expand...

cruiser88 said:

I fully agree......alot of heat looks like was applied

Click to expand...

yep. those big blobs of molten metal become smaller blobs when they solidify, pulling the housing with them.