Holy Crap One side of axle is centered, one side is not

OTreborO · June 4th, 2007, 11:39 AM

OK, here is some background:

Car is a 89 4 cyl body, drive train is 90 v8

I did the work, so if there is a problem, be kind..........

I noticed that one side the rear tire is centered in the wheel well, and on the other side is appears to be off center as much as 3 inches.

Thanks

Robert

OTreborO · June 4th, 2007, 02:06 PM

Pictures

OTreborO · June 4th, 2007, 02:10 PM

Pictures

ryans88gt · June 4th, 2007, 02:53 PM

OK, a lot of potential problems there.

First, are you sure the axle is off center?
How does it line up with the subframe?
Jack your vehicle up by the axle, making sure it is level and supported on both sides.
You can hang a plumb bob down from equivalent spots on the subframe to determine if and how much it is off by. Another thing to look at is your shocks should be pretty much straight vertical when the vehicle is level. If one side is way different than the other, then your looking at an axle location problem, or major frame damage.
My point here is your rear end might be straight and the body might be twisted. Does the car go down the street straight? Has it been in a major accident?

If you are sure it really is the axle that isn't right, then you need to look at the attachment points. The axle is located by the upper and lower control arms. Its forward and backward location is primarily located by the lower control arms. So if you have lower control arms of different lengths that could cause the problem. A good possibility is that one of your torque boxes where the lower control arm attaches to the car is seriously damaged and is pulling away from the car/frame.

If you have adjustable control arms, make sure they are adjusted to exactly the same length.

Well that should get you started.

OTreborO · June 6th, 2007, 10:00 AM

better pic of side I am concerned about:

neverfastenough1 · June 6th, 2007, 11:04 AM

Yeah that can't be good man. I am with Ryan. The control arms determine where the axle rides. Check them and their connecting points like he said. Could possibly be a bent axle shaft housing though.

ryans88gt · June 6th, 2007, 01:04 PM

It could be a bent housing, you'd definitely notice that going down the street though. Usually the housings break before they bend, if you did any welding on them though, they can warp.

It is very common for the torque boxes for the lower control arms to twist and break like a pop can. There are kits that can fix this.

June 4th, 2007, 11:39 AM	#1
OTreborO Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 638 iTrader: 0 reviews	Holy Crap One side of axle is centered, one side is not OK, here is some background: Car is a 89 4 cyl body, drive train is 90 v8 I did the work, so if there is a problem, be kind.......... I noticed that one side the rear tire is centered in the wheel well, and on the other side is appears to be off center as much as 3 inches. Thanks Robert __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" Rev. Jim Jones

June 4th, 2007, 02:53 PM	#4
ryans88gt MM Fanatic Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bloomington, IL Posts: 4,627 iTrader: 0 reviews	OK, a lot of potential problems there. First, are you sure the axle is off center? How does it line up with the subframe? Jack your vehicle up by the axle, making sure it is level and supported on both sides. You can hang a plumb bob down from equivalent spots on the subframe to determine if and how much it is off by. Another thing to look at is your shocks should be pretty much straight vertical when the vehicle is level. If one side is way different than the other, then your looking at an axle location problem, or major frame damage. My point here is your rear end might be straight and the body might be twisted. Does the car go down the street straight? Has it been in a major accident? If you are sure it really is the axle that isn't right, then you need to look at the attachment points. The axle is located by the upper and lower control arms. Its forward and backward location is primarily located by the lower control arms. So if you have lower control arms of different lengths that could cause the problem. A good possibility is that one of your torque boxes where the lower control arm attaches to the car is seriously damaged and is pulling away from the car/frame. If you have adjustable control arms, make sure they are adjusted to exactly the same length. Well that should get you started. __________________ 88 GT CHI headed 351w 10.8 @ 125 - still figuring it out. 03 Cobra 2.3 whipple 10.7 @ 129 - sold it 04 Mach 1 12.7 @ 109 mostly stock - sold it 89 LX procharged 302 515 hp 497 ftlbs 10.7 @130 mph - sold it

June 6th, 2007, 11:04 AM	#6
neverfastenough1 Hardcore Enthusiast 2002 Mustang GT Join Date: May 2007 Location: Savannah, Ga Posts: 2,777 iTrader: 3 reviews	Yeah that can't be good man. I am with Ryan. The control arms determine where the axle rides. Check them and their connecting points like he said. Could possibly be a bent axle shaft housing though. __________________

June 6th, 2007, 01:04 PM	#7
ryans88gt MM Fanatic Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bloomington, IL Posts: 4,627 iTrader: 0 reviews	It could be a bent housing, you'd definitely notice that going down the street though. Usually the housings break before they bend, if you did any welding on them though, they can warp. It is very common for the torque boxes for the lower control arms to twist and break like a pop can. There are kits that can fix this. __________________ 88 GT CHI headed 351w 10.8 @ 125 - still figuring it out. 03 Cobra 2.3 whipple 10.7 @ 129 - sold it 04 Mach 1 12.7 @ 109 mostly stock - sold it 89 LX procharged 302 515 hp 497 ftlbs 10.7 @130 mph - sold it

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