Bent Rubicon front axle housing
- Thread starter Hickey129
- Start date
Not cheap or easy and sometimes it just can’t be fixed without breaking the housing. There was a place in az that could do it, not sure in your area. Good luck
I had one that was bent maybe that much. I had it out of the vehicle and completely gutted. I used a pole that fit perfectly into the pumpkin to see how bent it was. I then made a jig and used pressure and heat to bent it back. When I was done it was straight enough to slide sleeves into it by hand (no pounding).
It was sleeved, then trussed and gusseted for good measure.
It can be done but is a PITA and not for the faint of heart. I don't think I would do it again. It takes tons of pressure and some good heat.
BTW, I asked around various shops within the LA area and no one would touch it. They said it was too bent. Maybe you can have new tubes put in with beefier Cs.
It was sleeved, then trussed and gusseted for good measure.
It can be done but is a PITA and not for the faint of heart. I don't think I would do it again. It takes tons of pressure and some good heat.
BTW, I asked around various shops within the LA area and no one would touch it. They said it was too bent. Maybe you can have new tubes put in with beefier Cs.
Look through the tubes with the carrier and shafts out. Did you do something to make you think it's bent? Any issues with how it was handling?
Mine had a slight bend to it when I bought it. I got it straightened at a place that specializes in frame repair on heavy equipment such as fire trucks, semis, and other large trucks. If you can get it bent back that will be much easier since you wouldn't need all new brackets. If you do have it retubed though it would be a great opportunity to have the outer C's turned a bit to gain caster after installing a lift.
if i had to try and fix this at home............i'd locate the bend try to bend it back or cut it out.
if you cannot bend it, you can cut out a few inches of tube and remove the bent material. then replace it with a new piece of tube weld that in place and then clam shell over the patch area with 1/4 DOM.
if you cannot bend it, you can cut out a few inches of tube and remove the bent material. then replace it with a new piece of tube weld that in place and then clam shell over the patch area with 1/4 DOM.
OP
Don't know how it handled, bought Rubi from copart , front end collision, sold everything that I didn't want
Not sure where you are in TN. Hudlow axle is in Rossville, GA. They are not the cheapest but they are good!
OP
45 min NE of Nashville TN but I will look them up , it's not a have to do anytime soon as I have hp 30 up front now just wanted to hopefully fix it so I can have a front air locker as well, thanks for the info
OP
Sounds right, I had him straighten a Dana 60 rear end for me several years ago and he did really good work on it.
For that much, I'd use a bottle jack and stout chain. Put the bend down, set the bottle jack on top of the chain with a block of wood under it so you don't break the base at the edges, chain around the ends, jack it up a bit and keep doing that until it is straight. I've done a few that way and they are still good.
OP
That what I did and added heat. It snaps back a bit so you must bend it a bit more than 1/4".
Totally agree with this which is why a truss helps.
fit a rod all the way through so you know where center is. I don't think you'll know how much you're off unless you do.
This... I did the same thing. Axle alignment jigs can get expensive, though... I talked to a local machine shop who suggested a "tight tolerance rod" from McMaster. He machined "pucks" to fit in place of the carrier bearings so the rod slid through.