Rear Axle shift?

[WahooSteeler]

Pictures to follow. Took my truck to my buddy's shop to get my rusted rear brake lines replaced and had them throw on my Spidertrax spacers while the rear wheels were off. I noticed this somewhat before, but with the 1.25" addition of the spacers, the issue is much more pronounced. That being, the passenger side rear wheel sticks out AT LEAST 3/4 - 1" farther than the driver side. To the point it almost looks stupid with the spacer on there. First guess would be that the axle had somehow shifted, but 1) truck drives nicely without any shimmy etc. that I would expect from the rear axle being out of alignment, 2) I have never curbed the truck myself, but obviously the PO could have.

 

Thoughts??

[Geonovast]

Check the measurement from the backing plate to the perch.

 

Do you know if it's the factory axle? Someone may have taken measurements from the top of the pumpkin, which isn't centered on most axles.

 

If the backing plate measurements are the same, I would look at the springs.

[WahooSteeler]

Check the measurement from the backing plate to the perch.

 

Do you know if it's the factory axle? Someone may have taken measurements from the top of the pumpkin, which isn't centered on most axles.

 

If the backing plate measurements are the same, I would look at the springs.

 

Factory D44, MJeff87 and I swapped in Metric Ton springs in 2008.

[CWLONGSHOT]

Its time to spend some quality time on your back with a tape measure. :D Measure from the backing plates as suggested to the opposite frame rail. Use as close to the same point of each side as you can. Obviously, the axle should be centered if installed correctly.

 

Also as mentioned, the axle could be from a XJ and have its perches mounted out of square. Looking form the rear does the axle appear centered?

 

CW

[WahooSteeler]

Its time to spend some quality time on your back with a tape measure. :D Measure from the backing plates as suggested to the opposite frame rail. Use as close to the same point of each side as you can. Obviously, the axle should be centered if installed correctly.

 

Also as mentioned, the axle could be from a XJ and have its perches mounted out of square. Looking form the rear does the axle appear centered?

 

CW

 

Sounds like a plan. Again, it's a factory 44 (I have the original window sticker), so unless the PO, who was the only owner prior to me, replaced a 44 with a 44??, it's the original. I've never eyeballed it for being on center, but I have a pretty good eye for that kind of stuff so I'll check it out. Here are pics taken this evening. Not sure if it is as obvious as it is to the naked eye.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

As compaired to the bed, to me, it appears to be shifted to the pass side. Measure it up and see what you find...

 

CW

[Drahcir495]

I see it - how did you do that? :yes: Stupid question; has the bed some how shifted?

[WahooSteeler]

I see it - how did you do that? :yes: Stupid question; has the bed some how shifted?

 

Bed is lined up nicely with the cab, so it's not that. Don't know how, or when, it happened. Again, I've noticed it before but didn't think much of it. With the spacers, it's just so pronounced because the sidewall of the tire is now clearly beyond the flare. I assume the simple fix is to loosen the U-bolts and then jack it up and tap it over?

[mjeff87]

just use one spacer.....on the driverside :D

[WahooSteeler]

just use one spacer.....on the driverside :D

 

LMAO, don't think I haven't thought about that...........for the short term at least! :yes:

[mvusse]

I see it - how did you do that? :yes: Stupid question; has the bed some how shifted?

 

Bed is lined up nicely with the cab, so it's not that. Don't know how, or when, it happened. Again, I've noticed it before but didn't think much of it. With the spacers, it's just so pronounced because the sidewall of the tire is now clearly beyond the flare. I assume the simple fix is to loosen the U-bolts and then jack it up and tap it over?

 

This should not work because the spring packs have centering pins that locate themselves in a hole on the perches.

[WahooSteeler]

I see it - how did you do that? :yes: Stupid question; has the bed some how shifted?

 

Bed is lined up nicely with the cab, so it's not that. Don't know how, or when, it happened. Again, I've noticed it before but didn't think much of it. With the spacers, it's just so pronounced because the sidewall of the tire is now clearly beyond the flare. I assume the simple fix is to loosen the U-bolts and then jack it up and tap it over?

 

This should not work because the spring packs have centering pins that locate themselves in a hole on the perches.

 

Yeah, but essentially what I am saying is you should be able to "slide" the axle through the U-bolts.

[Geonovast]

I see it - how did you do that? :yes: Stupid question; has the bed some how shifted?

 

Bed is lined up nicely with the cab, so it's not that. Don't know how, or when, it happened. Again, I've noticed it before but didn't think much of it. With the spacers, it's just so pronounced because the sidewall of the tire is now clearly beyond the flare. I assume the simple fix is to loosen the U-bolts and then jack it up and tap it over?

 

This should not work because the spring packs have centering pins that locate themselves in a hole on the perches.

 

Yeah, but essentially what I am saying is you should be able to "slide" the axle through the U-bolts.

 

No, you shouldn't. The centering pin goes though the spring, and into the perch - which is welded to the axle. Even if you had a broken centering pin, it shouldn't allow side to side movement, just front/back. The U-bolt would contact the spring and stop the axle from moving.

[Geonovast]

I would also check to make sure the wheel bearings are in the right spot on the shafts. It's not likely... but one of those could be partially separated or sliding on the shaft.

[HOrnbrod]

The only way I see this happening (if it's the original axle) is if the spring centering pins have sheared off at the axle and allowed it to shift to the side through loose u-bolts. I'd loosen up the u-bolts and make sure the centering pin "nub" is in the axle hole and not broken.

[WahooSteeler]

The only way I see this happening (if it's the original axle) is if the spring centering pins have sheared off at the axle and allowed it to shift to the side through loose u-bolts. I'd loosen up the u-bolts and make sure the centering pin "nub" is in the axle hole and not broken.

 

That certainly makes sense to me. When MJeff87 and I put on the MT springs, the centering pins were intact and dropped right in the backing plate. Since then, while I've hauled some heavy loads, this truck has been babied. No wheeling, nothing that I could imagine could shear off the centering pin. :dunno: :hmm: :nuts: :dunce:

 

It's still at the shop and I just stopped by to tell my buddy to put it on the lift and take a look at it when he gets a chance.

[CWLONGSHOT]

What did you figure out concerning this problem??

 

I swapped in my "winter" tires on the MJ today and guess what? My axle is pushed to the passenger side... JUST LIKE YOURS!!!! :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

 

 

I have measured EVERYTHING!!! Seems my perches ARE out by 3/4". I measured from the center of the perch to the flange where the axle retainer bolts to the axle tube. Same place of both sides. Its 6" on the drives side and 6 3/4" on the pass side. So the perches are out of square by 3/8" . Now in my case I had the bed off last year so I measured that in relation to the frame. I found that it too was out of square by about 3/4" in the same direction. This is magnifying the problem. But only by 3/8" Together they are 3/4" in favor of the passenger side. Now if I measure from the inside of the sidewall to the frame I get 2 3/4" on the Drivers side and almost 5" on the Pass side. ??? I then measured the springs... 44 1/8" from outside edge to outside edge in the front right behind the bushings. Its 44 1/2" just behind the pumpkin and 44 7/8" just in front of the shackles. So my springs are widening to the rear and very likely splaying to one side exacerbating the off center axle.

Now in my case this rig IS wheeled and I feel the problems are the long shackles and weak thin factory shackle hangers. I cannot see it but think there are multiple things "out" causing the problems. Come spring I'll dismantle everything and build stouter hangers and better/stouter shackles.

 

I would really like to know what you found out with yours!!

 

CW

[WahooSteeler]

C-dub, since we have 20" of snow on the ground again, I haven't bothered to get under it and measure anything. I'll say this, I don't think it's as pronounced as before. The pics I posted were after it was taken off the lift and driven maybe 50ft and parked. Maybe it "settled in" a little after I've driven it, but, it's still there.