Bent Axle housing repair?!

JeepCherokeeGuy99

JeepCherokeeGuy99

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New Bern, NC
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As you can see, I took the jeep out in the dunes today before work and jumped it a few times. The last jump (in the pic) I was doing about 45 mph when I hit this jump so I went pretty high up and slammed hard on the front end rather than landing smoothly like the previous jumps. :doh:The housing isn't as bent as my last housing was so I'm hoping I can revive it. I have new mini-skids, 4:10 gears, OTK steering, ball bearings and ujoints up there so I'd really like to be able to just get the housing as close to normal as possible. Question is, how to go about doing so? I'm thinking I could heat it up till its red hot and with the tire off and jacked up, have a jack on top of the housing and one below it and offset. I'd then jack it enough to bend the housing back. Is this a plausible theory?

Unfortunately, I went out and did this today when I was planing on fully trussing the axle next payday :banghead:
 
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I would start checking things as is might just be the knuckles that are bent instead of the entire housing.
 
dave92cherokee said:
I would start checking things as is might just be the knuckles that are bent instead of the entire housing.
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Ya the knuckles are bent for sure but on the passenger I can visually see a degree change on the tube. The drivers side seems to be ok since there's not as much leverage over there to bend it like the pass. The knucks both look a little tweaked but I'm wondering if I might be able to remove the tire and stick a jack on top and another jack below the housing and try to bend it back.


ericfx1984 said:
nice jeep, bummer about the axle
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Thanks man
 
I really don't see you bending it back close enough to work. The only way I could see to do it RIGHT is to replace that side of the axle and BOTH C's. Honestly, there is no D30 worth that effort.

Everything off of that axle can be swapped over to another jy axle except the mini skids and they can be replaced cheap enough.

That particular axle will never be right again...without way more work than it's worth.


How do you plan to put a jack on top and bend it down?

Fix your axle, then go buy a dirt bike... :)
 
lowrange2 said:
I really don't see you bending it back close enough to work. The only way I could see to do it RIGHT is to replace that side of the axle and BOTH C's. Honestly, there is no D30 worth that effort.

Everything off of that axle can be swapped over to another jy axle except the mini skids and they can be replaced cheap enough.

That particular axle will never be right again...without way more work than it's worth.


How do you plan to put a jack on top and bend it down?

Fix your axle, then go buy a dirt bike... :)
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You definitely have some valid points. If I could get the housing strait, I was thinking of replacing the knuckles with the WJ ones. If a stock part needs replacing, I tend to just upgrade it with the next best thing. As far as the bending back, maybe I could take a forklift and push down on the knuckle and with stable support on the bend? Idk...I'm just trying to brew some ideas up so I can start on it manana. Thanks for the replies guys!




p.s. who needs a dirt bike when you have a jeep? :D
 
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The weight of a forklift forks wouldn't be any more than the weight of the wheel... It doesn't use any force pushing downward...

Jeepcherokeeboy99 said:
If a stock part needs replacing, I tend to just upgrade it with the next best thing.

p.s. who needs a dirt bike when you have a jeep? :D
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:) I've seen several Wagoneer D44's for sale on here. I'm sure you can find one to get started with. Since it's the next best thing...


p.s. I love my dirtbikes. I would kill to have dunes and a paddle tire...
 
Jeepcherokeeboy99 said:
not even a wee bit optimism????
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sorry no.

i think he's talking about inner-c's. not the knuckles you would swap in a wj swap.

my POV, is that time = money. you'll spend waaay too much time on that thing to stay ahead. theyre EVERYWHERE in the junkyard...

HOW FAST, could you fix this axle? 2 days? 3? thats $600+ in labor for me, and a junkyard axle wouldnt go over $200... and in the end, that fixed axle is now weaker than the junkyard peice...

it doesnt add up.
 
lowrange2 said:
The weight of a forklift forks wouldn't be any more than the weight of the wheel... It doesn't use any force pushing downward...




:) I've seen several Wagoneer D44's for sale on here. I'm sure you can find one to get started with. Since it's the next best thing...


p.s. I love my dirtbikes. I would kill to have dunes and a paddle tire...
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Damn your right! I'd love to but the D44 is more expensive to build though and right now the woman has come down hard on the jeep funds.


p.s. I loved my old dirt bikes too but after the deaths I've seen from working out here the last 3 years, It's more safe in a jeep.
 
that being said, i'd love to see your progress, and i wish you the best of luck. jeeperjohn from socal recently fixed a bent 30, maybe pm him.

whatever you do, post pics.
 
xcm said:
sorry no.

i think he's talking about inner-c's. not the knuckles you would swap in a wj swap.

my POV, is that time = money. you'll spend waaay too much time on that thing to stay ahead. theyre EVERYWHERE in the junkyard...

HOW FAST, could you fix this axle? 2 days? 3? thats $600+ in labor for me, and a junkyard axle wouldnt go over $200... and in the end, that fixed axle is now weaker than the junkyard peice...

it doesnt add up.
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your totally right. However, I'm obsessed with fixing things (why I own a jeep :)) So the time I spend on my jeep is fun to me and is my hobby. "Time is money" doesn't apply to me when it involves the jeep so if it takes 3 days to fix it then it was time worth spent in my opinion. But yes, replacing the whole assembly is definitely a smart option. I think I'm just going to check it out tomorrow with a level and see how off it really is. the 4wd still works so thats gooood. not that ill be using it anytime soon lol. Thanks you guys for all your input!
 
xcm said:
that being said, i'd love to see your progress, and i wish you the best of luck. jeeperjohn from socal recently fixed a bent 30, maybe pm him.

whatever you do, post pics.
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Thanks bro! im going to need it lol. Ill shoot him a pm and see what methods he used to fix it. Ill definitely post some before and afters if I decide to repair it. Thanks again!
 
bending metal back after a bend leaves it weaker than it was, be aware of that if you plan to try and fix it. I'm with XCM here just swap it out and upgrade the new one.

On the other hand, My old d30 was bent worse than that I still drove it for 2 years before it started to leak oil :D You'll start to eat up tires soon from the negative camber though ;)
 
well mike I was going to have it fully trussed if I can straiten it out, that should compensate for any weakness occurring in the metal I believe. Ya it drives fine just pulls slightlyyyy to the left. These tires are shot already! haha. Ill keep my eye out for a cheap D30 and you do the same ;)
 
You're just covering a problem though, a truss on an already weakened axle is still not as strong as one on a housing that wasn't bent to begin with. It's like putting gauze over a fresh tattoo - it's still going to hurt when one of your jerk buddies slaps it :D
 
ya but the axle housing had to be bent to get strait from the factory :D
 
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