axle housing

[CountryBoy704]

OK so this probably belongs in the axle thread BUT I want answers from people with fabrication experience so here goes.
just going to throw some thoughts I have out there

My backyard 8.8 swap is wearing both rear tires heavily on the inside = the housing is bent with the pumpkin low and the tubes are cuving upwards to some degree?

This is probably caused by welding with too much heat @ the perches and shrank the top of the tubes somewhat causing them to turn upwards?

I can possibly fix this by simply heating the bottom halves of the tubes directly opposite where it was welded at to offset the compaction caused by the welds on top??

 

[4x4junkie]

What all did you weld onto it? Just spring perches?

I'd be much more inclined to think you got a bent housing from the beginning. I don't think it's possible to warp it so much your tires would wear funny just from the perch welds.

 

[Iron Ranger]

^ +1

Unless you put 6 weld passes of spray welding per side, or your tubes are 1/8" thick, then it must've been bent beforehand.

It would've had to warp a really significant amount for it to wear your tires on the inside.

If you really wanted to check your individual tube straightness, grab a long enough straight edge and check each tube on the bottom. If it's severly warped, then your straightedge will rock on the suspected highspot(s) of your tubes.

But I'm willing to guess that if you did the same thing from hub to hub, your tubes in the center will be significantly lower than the outer most portions.

 

[AaronC]

It's very easy to warp a housing welding a full length truss..

Almost every rear end is "pre-loaded" so to speak. I learned this the hard way when I trussed a 9". Some guys use lasers to shine through the tubes, some use other primitive techniques to ensure the housing is straight.

Before trussing a housing you need build a fixture for it and take the pre load out...

I have seen a fully truss 9" that was warped get straighted out. It took stands anchored to the floor, a come-a-long and strategic heating with a rose bud.. You can do a little straightening with a rose-bud alone..

 

[Iron Ranger]

It's very easy to warp a housing welding a full length truss..

Almost every rear end is "pre-loaded" so to speak. I learned this the hard way when I trussed a 9". Some guys use lasers to shine through the tubes, some use other primitive techniques to ensure the housing is straight.

Before trussing a housing you need build a fixture for it and take the pre load out...

I have seen a fully truss 9" that was warped get straighted out. It took stands anchored to the floor, a come-a-long and strategic heating with a rose bud.. You can do a little straightening with a rose-bud alone..

Right, but he didn't weld on a full length truss, he welded on 2-3" wide spring pads, which by no means (other than explained above) would warp the axle that far, nowhere near that far.

A full truss welding should be done with extreme caution and carefull planned weld staggers to minimize distortion. If done right, it shouldn't warp the axle very much, let alone at all.

 

[CountryBoy704]

did perches and spring tabs with a stick welder, I think he did 3 passes on each weld back to back - I didn't tell him to do that btw but I wasnt there when this went down - and apparently it was too hot because the knob on the welder was jacked up or something. I know it started out straight because I checked it at the scrapyard before pulling it, I have not checked it recently but am pretty sure thats the problem(what else could it be?)
My main question is is it possible to pull those tubes back down by heating the bottoms?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I still reeeaaalllllyyyy doubt that it distorted welding on the tabs and perches.....

 

[kozak]

Your best bet is to get another rear axle from the junk yard.
And you would probably be more likely to blow holes through the axle tube before having any chance of distorting from that small amount of welding.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i dont see those small welds warping it either, do you have any pics of the welds that we could scrutinize?

 

[CountryBoy704]

I can get some for you, it didnt blow holes or anything he just told me it was too hot for the thickness of the tube and he did three passes on each weld, I might be missing something but I don't know of anyhting else that would do that. It was straight when I pulled it and its only been through mud since then no crawling or anything that should come close to bending it, mostly its been my DD thats why I noticed the wearing on the tires. I'll try to post up some pics this afternoon after I get home

 

[86 slo-vo]

It's very easy to warp a housing welding a full length truss..

Almost every rear end is "pre-loaded" so to speak. I learned this the hard way when I trussed a 9". Some guys use lasers to shine through the tubes, some use other primitive techniques to ensure the housing is straight.

Before trussing a housing you need build a fixture for it and take the pre load out...

I have seen a fully truss 9" that was warped get straighted out. It took stands anchored to the floor, a come-a-long and strategic heating with a rose bud.. You can do a little straightening with a rose-bud alone..

i used to straighten up a few 8.8's a week when i was working at bivins race cars.

its crazy how many of these things arent straight right out of the factory, we used a long solid 1.5 bar and cut the end of the axle tubes off with solid steel "bearings" inside the housing and coned shaped bushing on the housing ends.

alot of them we pulled most of the curve out with some strategic welding of the tubes to the housing

 

[AaronC]

did perches and spring tabs with a stick welder, I think he did 3 passes on each weld back to back - I didn't tell him to do that btw but I wasnt there when this went down - and apparently it was too hot because the knob on the welder was jacked up or something. I know it started out straight because I checked it at the scrapyard before pulling it, I have not checked it recently but am pretty sure thats the problem(what else could it be?)
My main question is is it possible to pull those tubes back down by heating the bottoms?

If the axle tubes are curving towards the ground put it in the truck and set some weight on it and check it again..

If the axle tubes are pointing upwards, heat the area on the bottom of the housing where the spring perches were welded. Get it glowing and let it fully cool off. Check it.. If its still out, make a fixture and use a come a long to get the thing where it needs to be..