Rear Toe-In Problem (1 Viewer)

[mattafact]

Hi, longtime lurker here. I was backing up today and hit a block wall with my right rear wheel doing about 5mph. It destroyed the rim. I changed it with my spare and noticed it has a strong pull to the right. All tire pressures match.

If I'm looking straight down at the rear tires there is noticeably more toe-in on the passenger side tire (the one I hit) than the driver's side. The control arms appear to be straight. I measured the distance between the front and rear tires on both sides and they match.

Any ideas? I'm heading to Baja tomorrow and I'd like to take care of this if it's a doable fix. Should I skip my trip?

93, factory lockers, EMU lift (according to previous owner) 35" BFGs on black steelies.

Thanks for the help.

Matt

 

[matt60/80]

There is no toe, caster, or camber adjustment that can be made to the back axle. You bent something. Take the tire off and see if you can identify the problem. Report back with more info and then others will chime in to help. If you are lucky you simply have a bent rim and not a bent axle.

 

[mattafact]

I took the rim off and everything looks normal.

There is an 80 by my house at a junk yard. It looks like a non locked model. Are the axle housings interchangeable?

 

[retrofive]

5mph?... .Block wall?... Destroyed wheel?... bent $%#^#?....

 

[jvazquez53]

Bet is the rim...

 

[matt60/80]

Yes, the axle housings are interchangeable. But you will need to cut a notch into the diff opening to get a locked diff in. What rims were you running? The factory rims are forged aluminium and very strong. I had a long day and sorta jumped to conclusions and ran over the block wall @ 5mph part (pun intended). Something else has happened. How is the other rim damaged? Can you post picks? Also, look at the bushings for the control arms.

 

[mattafact]

I'm running steel wheels on it. I noticed the toe in with my spare rim (non bent). All the bushings looks even between the two sides.

 

[matt60/80]

What kind of wall did you hit?!?!?!? Can we have a pic of the axle without the tire on and one with the spare on?

 

[mattafact]

I'll get a pic tomorrow of it. What a bummer.

Is it safe to drive on it this way?

 

[matt60/80]

I wouldn't drive it to Baja for sure. Take a straight edge and check to see that the axle housing and control arms are not bent. After that, I'm out of ideas. Remember to check along multiple planes.

 

[mattafact]

Good side:

Bad side:

 

[Trapper50cal]

Zoinks!

Something is bent....

Are you sure it isn't the body/fender flare that is off, making the wheel appear to be "toe'd in"?

 

[mattafact]

I'm pretty sure. The flare is nice and tight to the body and it pulls pretty hard to the right since I hit the wall.

 

[87 HJ60]

Does it still drive straight??

 

[mattafact]

No, it pulls to the right since the hit.

 

[87 HJ60]

That seems like a lot of damage for 5 mph. Maybe you can take a tape measure and measure the distance between the front and rear wheel center to center on both the right and left side. If there's any difference then for sure you know something is out of whack.
Have you crawled underneath and looked at the rear suspension and chasis to see if there's anything bent or damaged?

 

[Trapper50cal]

Not the body then....

...and the tire rolls true? not wobbly?

If one side is straight and the other isn't, then it can't be suspension based. (control arms, control arm mounting points, etc.)
If the axle housing was straight, then the other side would be doing the opposite...

seems like it has to be a bent axle housing, unless my understanding is incomplete...

that can't be good for the splines on the inner side of that axle....

 

[slow91fj90]

I did the same exact thing years ago to my mini-truck. Mine still drove straigt, but I went through a brand new tire on a 800 mile trip.

 

[mattafact]

Bent axle housing is what I was afraid of. I have some junkyards to call tomorrow. Hopefully I can pick up a housing for fairly cheap.

 

[jvazquez53]

Bent axle housing is what I was afraid of. I have some junkyards to call tomorrow. Hopefully I can pick up a housing for fairly cheap.

X2 on the axle housing, lot of damage for 5 mph! First I thought it was the wheel but after seeing the pictures, !!!!!