Is my rear axle bent.

[FarPoint]

Iââ,¬â,,¢m posting this question here after the potential problem was highlighted in the towing section. Part of a discussion around tongue weight and overloaded Dana 60 rear ends.
How do you tell if your axle housing is bent, and possibly putting stress on the diffs side gears?
Maybe pull the axles and see how easy the come out?
I canââ,¬â,,¢t see how to get a meaningful measurement otherwise - especially while lying in the gravel.
Donââ,¬â,,¢t want my side gears to go bang!

[Rickf1985]

Simple answer? You can't tell in your driveway unless it is REALLY bent. The axles will usually come out of a bent one without any problems due to the fact that the bearings will already have worn and there will be enough play that the axles will slide. You would have to pull the gear set out and inspect the side gears and the bearings and even that is an educated guess. To do it right you need the fixture that bolts to the hubs and aligns at the center of the housing. This isn't something you buy at Harbor Freight! The chances of yours being bent with the shorter chassis and a class 2 hitch are really slim. You have to really overload a 60 to bend it and I don't think you would be able to do it with that setup without there being some obvious other damage such as suspension damage.


BUUUUT, While typing this I just happened to look at my pistol with the laser on it and I though about something. If you really wanted to go to a lot of work you could pull the axles and the differential and rig up a jig to hold a laser from a gun or pointer that just barely kissed the bottom of the tubes and it should do so all the way through. Do that bottom, top, front and back. If it is bent from overloading the center section will be higher than the outer ends. But if the rear is quiet I really would not worry about it.


I was just thinking about my laser idea and the 60 has welded on spindles so while you could still do it you would have to set the laser to touch the inside of the spindle on each side and then measure the distance from the housing to the laser at the bearing journal in the housing. Still doable but a little more work. If you have a magnetic holder for a dial indicator you might even be able to rig that to mount on the outside face of the hub and index it to shine right on the edge of the inside of the spindle. If you can do that and the bearings are set with 0 play you should be able to rotate the hub and the laser will track around the spindle perfectly, if it stays inline with the other side then no measurements are needed.

[FarPoint]

Hmm.
I think Iââ,¬â,,¢m going to go with the last sentence in your  first paragraph, do an inspection of the rear suspension and assume itââ,¬â,,¢s OK.
Maybe even pull the cover, change the oil and look for shiny bits or chunks floating around.
Refill and call it good.
Having fun mounting my backup and blind spot cameras though.
Got one low mount, and one high mount rear view installed.
Working on blind spot cameras now.
I removed my passenger mirror, mounted the camera to the mirror base, drilled a hole under the mirror base for the cable to pass through into the cab, and it works great and the wiring is invisible.  Oh yeah- I chopped the cable end connectors off so the holes could be a lot smaller.
Think Iââ,¬â,,¢ll do the same drivers side.

[FarPoint]

Rick - you are truly the fountainhead of diagnostics and innovation!
But Iââ,¬â,,¢m gonna change the oil, look for obvious signs of damage, and call ââ,¬Ëœer good.
I found the following in the Alignment PDF for the P30ââ,¬â,,¢s:


ââ,¬Å"One last item to check before attempting to measure the ride height. You are looking for a bent rear axle housing. Indications are found by noticing the inner dual tires wear more than the outer ones. Also look for grease lube leaks at the bottom of the axle housing at the differential. A split gasket near the bottom area almost always indicates an overload, or flex and housing distortion, which destroys the gasket between the carrier and the housing. Failed rear wheel bearings may be another possible indication to prompt a check for a bent axle housing. They can also fail because of a lack of rear differential lube. (You didn't forget to check this during the last lube did you?) A couple of potholes at high speed on a heavily-loaded motorhome can do the trick. However, if the previous owner of the motorhome took care of these leaks and replaced bearings, it is difficult to spot a bent housing except for inner tire wear.ââ,¬Â

[Rickf1985]

Any of those oil leaks are a definite sign but by then you can pretty much see the bend visually. If the gasket is split so is the housing. Inner duals will wear more than outers on almost any dual wheel vehicles, on a turn the inner turns slower than the outer. One tire or the other is going to scrub on turns.

[FarPoint]

There's something weird going on w my IPad and I Phone. I always see your avatar upside down Rick - but today I'm on a PC and you are no longer standing on your head. May explain my sideways pics earlier....


Here's a couple of pics of my towing setup. One is the blindspot camera  I installed  - really it's to watch the wheels coming off the trailer.
The other is the double level mounting for the motorcycle (or bikes), with a lower level trailer ball. Rated for 500lbs tongue weight.
I didn't bother uncovering the Warrior completely and moving it to hook up the boat, but I'm sure you can see the hitch ball lower down and get the idea.

[TerryH]

There's something weird going on w my IPad and I Phone. I always see your avatar upside down Rick - but today I'm on a PC and you are no longer standing on your head. May explain my sideways pics earlier....

Thanks to his knowledge and experience Rick can answer most questions and advise whether standing on his feet or his head. :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao

[Rickf1985]

And at one time I could also ride that trials bike! Man I miss those days!!!! That almost looks like an old Gas-Gas.

[FarPoint]

You nailed it Rick.
A very dirty and well abused 2010 Gas Gas 280 TXT Pro.
Gets me to some very out of the way places.
Iââ,¬â,,¢ll post a pic a bit later...

[FarPoint]

Can't get anywhere near this place on an enduro bike!

[Rickf1985]

I have raced everything that moves under it's own power just about with the exception of road race motorcycles. I never ran trials bikes in competition, I was a motocross and enduro rider. But a friend of mine competed in trials and he was good. Some of the places he took that bike were amazing. I bought one of his Gas-Gas bikes just to play with and I could throw that bike around like a bicycle it was so light. You really have to learn a new way of riding since the weight of the bike helps you in the other classes where in trials it is the lack of weight that helps. I don't even remember what year the bike I had was, late 70's? It was one of their first bikes.

[FarPoint]

These bikes are pretty kind to our old carcass. Generally weââ,¬â,,¢re travelling pretty slowly, although up and down some steep terrain. And the lack of a seat makes them super easy to step off of. Rather than enduros and motocrossers with super high seat heights.
I ride with a group of ââ,¬Å"older gentlemenââ,¬Â in my area, and the odd get off is usually a source of humour rather than injury.