Anyone Re-clock the Front Axle (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
May 13, 2011
Threads
20
Messages
299
Location
Huntsville, AL
I have been reading all about the caster issues and pinion angle issues associated different lifts. I think you could re-clock the knuckles to fix the caster issue. I should involve cutting the weld at the end of the axle tube and heating the area with a torch. Then twist the birfield to the proper caster angle (ride height dependent).

If you were really getting into the axle rebuild/re-gear, locker install, etc, you could go ahead and remove and rotate the shock brackets and all the spring mounts and control arm mounts and clock the axle to the proper pinion angle. Wouldn't this fix the problems?

Unless I am missing something it looks like you kinda have to sacrifice caster correction to keep the pinion angle happy or vice versa.
 
Well this has been talked about over and over. Your idea is correct, however one is a bolt on option while the other is a weld on redo. If you are going to go through all the trouble to re-weld all the factory stuff back on you might as well not go half way and just do a three link front. The main limiting factor to front flex is the front suspension design and if you are taking the axle down to bare to do a knuckle turn it's pretty stupid to keep the factory design. So now you really have two options bolt on or complete front rebuild.... Most just go with bolt on, and a few select go all the way and do a full front rebuild.
 
Cut n' turn is a lot of work for very little gain. For the work involved, you might as well go with a custom axle housing from Diamond.

:meh:
 
You could definitly do that, but like said above to much work just to correct castor when the other option is bolt on or press in bushings.
Even if I were to rebuild the whole front and do custom links I still dont think that I would cut and turn the knuckles
Just seems like a lot of work for correcting castor.
 
people do it on 60s all the time... not too tough. It's harder than bolting on caster plates, though.
 
A 60 set up is primitive compared to the 80 series front suspension.

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it including folks like Christo, IPOR, etc.

That is probably what everyone said before a 60 was cut and turned.

What would be hard about it? Cut the weld (assuming the knuckle is inserted into the housing like on a 60 axle), spin the ball, reweld. I'm not saying it is worth it. Just that it wouldn't be too tough.
 
That is probably what everyone said before a 60 was cut and turned.

What would be hard about it? Cut the weld (assuming the knuckle is inserted into the housing like on a 60 axle), spin the ball, reweld. I'm not saying it is worth it. Just that it wouldn't be too tough.

Cool.

Give it a try and report back. I should would be interested in seeing your results.
 
It's the same as a 40 or 60, you could just rotate the knuckles back and leave the mounts. Why would a vendor tell you a free way to do something when they making a product to do it?

Free your minds of the "bolt on" mentality. ;)
 
It's the same as a 40 or 60, you could just rotate the knuckles back and leave the mounts. Why would a vendor tell you a free way to do something when they making a product to do it?

Free your minds of the "bolt on" mentality. ;)

I have nothing to gain or lose in this. :rolleyes: I don't sell aftermarket parts.

I'm saying that doing a cut n' turn would require more work than necessary for the small gains that it would return.

:meh:
 
Yes in theory you could just fix the caster problem, but why not fix the pinion angle issue as well? Just pick up an extra front axle and build it, then swap your fresh axle in with new gears and sell the old one.

Definitely a possibility. Go for it!
 
It's the same as a 40 or 60, you could just rotate the knuckles back and leave the mounts. Why would a vendor tell you a free way to do something when they making a product to do it?

Free your minds of the "bolt on" mentality. ;)


Take a look at the percentage of '8o owners who really wrench on their rigs (putting LEDS in for the dome lights is not wrenching ;) ). And look at the percentage of '80 owners who have the tools and the knowledge to do a C&T (yes I know it is not rocket science).

And look at how few actually have problems with caster that can not be solved with a simple bushing replacement.

Look at the cost in terms of time (everyone's time is worth *something*), compared to a set of bushings.


Sure you could do a C&T. But it is an answer in search of a question for the vast majority of '80 owners.

I don't sell parts. I DO do C&Ts. And I would use bushing for any rig that is not lifted so much that it won't work.


Mark...
 
Take a look at the percentage of '8o owners who really wrench on their rigs (putting LEDS in for the dome lights is not wrenching ;) ). And look at the percentage of '80 owners who have the tools and the knowledge to do a C&T (yes I know it is not rocket science).

While I agree with most everything else you posted, I am constantly confounded by why you always say these types of things? :confused:

I don't agree with your generalization; every person I personally know that owns an 80 wrenches on their own junk.

:meh:
 
You can only turn the balls that much before the tie rod will hit the control arms. The 40 and 60 does not have the tie-rod behind the axle, so you do not have that issue.

I figured this was the main reason no one did it or offered a ready to go axle housing.

Again, i wouldn't do it to my 80. I don't feel like tearing down the front axle just to turn the knuckles a few degrees. but then again, I think it drives fine with no correction at all...
 
While I agree with most everything else you posted, I am constantly confounded by why you always say these types of things? :confused:

I don't agree with your generalization; every person I personally know that owns an 80 wrenches on their own junk.

:meh:


I am sure that lots do. I know.... well, three who do... and a dozen or so who farm out everything out, even maintenance.

There are plenty of guys wrenching pretty heavy on their '80s. A number who have turned them into pure off road rigs.

But for every one of these guys there are probably 20 who have an OME lift bolted on by a shop and call it good... or are happy with a set of 285s and no other mods. Or are using the rig in stone stock form.

It is not a demographic that is gonna be getting behind doing C&T to gain caster when a bolt in set of bushing will do the job just fine.



Mark...
 
You can only turn the balls that much before the tie rod will hit the control arms. The 40 and 60 does not have the tie-rod behind the axle, so you do not have that issue.

Eggactly. If a c&t were as easy and fixed the problem like it does on earlier rigs, it would be done often. Look at the design, the tie rod is sandwiched between the hi pinion and arms, there is nowhere for it to go. If you are looking to raise the pinion (most of the time not needed), would need to cut all of the brackets off, a pretty good job on the '80. The limiting factor on caster correction/flex increase is tie rod to arm clearance. To roll more caster, the tie rod needs to move down, right into the arms. If you are making new arms to increase clearance, just add caster to the arms and this usually sets the pinion up for a DC shaft, making a c&t irrelevant.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom