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Whats wrong with my front axle? (Picture included)

us74k5

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Portland, OR
I replaced the passenger side hub assembly since it was toast, just parked the rig at school and noticed the passenger side tire seems to tilt inwards at the top. Anyone know why its doing this, and how to fix it?
UahIskh.jpg
 
Ball joints? Bad hub?

Yes I know you said you replaced the hub assembly. If it was a new hub, then you're good there.
 
I was doing an inspection before replacing brake pads when I noticed the hub was bad. I replaced it with a new Timken unit, after reassembling everything the unit was solid when off the ground. No evidence of wear on the balljoints... Any other ideas?
 
Looks tilted, or is tilted ? Have an alignment machine print out ?

Ball joints, or a bent axle can cause that, but you need to diagnose an actual problem before you try any fixes.
 
If you have a lift kit, and non adjustable arms..you will rotate the axle and that will cause the camber to change ,this is very common on lifted Jeeps. could just be that?
 
Lift kit was installed earlier this year, did not have this issue until I replaced the hub assembly. I am wondering if by some chance the hub assembly is directional?
 
Nope the hubs are not directional. My guess is still ball joints or something's bent.

Get your front tires off the ground and pry up/down on the ball joints and look for movement.
 
Already did that, no movement at the ball joints. I'm wondering if maybe the knuckle is bent. Just confused as to why it was straight before replacing the hub...
 
id suspect a bent tube before the knuckle... cast steal tends to crack/break rather than bend. a bad hub could have been masking these problem.

what PSI are you at? if your parked on a grade, the weight of the rig could be shifting the rim inside the tire giving it the appearance of being off, especially on the down hill side.

not to insult your intelligence... but did did you torque all the lugs in the proper order? proper ft/lb? are they tight?

if you dont think its any of the above... get a print out of your alignment.
 
I torqued in proper order, and I get it, gotta check everything. I checked the PSI earlier today and it was @ 35. However I did not check the drivers side. I'll do that first thing in the morning. And I checked that tube a few times, sure doesn't appear bent... Having such a shitty day already, I think its best to just keep drinking beer and forget about this until tomorrow.
 
Its not hard to get the hub bolted in but cockeyed, at least on the cars I've worked on. Since you didn't notice any problems before it appears most likely to be something you did. Take it apart, clean everything of rust and dirt, grease everything, and when you reassemble be sure to tighten in several stages to ensure the hub goes in straight.
And check runout, not with a dial but just eyeball spinning the tire around.ndoes it wobble or is it steady?
 
I torqued in proper order, and I get it, gotta check everything. I checked the PSI earlier today and it was @ 35. However I did not check the drivers side. I'll do that first thing in the morning. And I checked that tube a few times, sure doesn't appear bent... Having such a shitty day already, I think its best to just keep drinking beer and forget about this until tomorrow.


Did you also torqued the axle shaft nut properly? That could cause the hub bearings not to sit properly and cause pre-mature wear on the bearings themselves.
 
The inner C is forged steel not cast, so they can and do bend with enough abuse. If it's not obviously bent, check the tubes for straightness. If that looks good I'd still suspect ball joints. Have you tried a pry bar between the inner C & spindle? Sometimes it's not so obvious by just trying to rock it by hand and it needs a little bit of force to show the wear. I thought mine were good too until I did this. There was about 1/8" up and down play on the passenger side, and around 3/16" on the driver's side. Tires/wheels are now perfectly level after replacing all the ball joints. It's worth a shot to check into a little closer.
 
Gotcha. My misunderstanding. All the same though, I'd lift that wheel off the ground and double check with a pry bar. I'd have bet money mine were ok until I did that. It was an eye opener for sure.
 
Problem solved amigos, it was the nut that retains the axle. I torqued it to about 100ft lbs, and it was supposed to be 175. In the half mile journey to the university of Portland (go penguins) it managed to vibrate loose. I tightened it up, checked for bending, and everything is good to go. Thanks for the input guys, really helpful stuff!
 
Last edited:
Problem solved amigos, it was the nut that retains the axle. I torqued it to about 100ft lbs, and it was supposed to be 175. In the half mile journey to the university of Portland (go penguins) it managed to vibrate loose. I tightened it up, checked for bending, and everything is good to go. Thanks for the input guys, really helpful stuff!

Oh goodness... did you not put the retainer and cotter pin on????
 
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