Rear axle alignment off

I'm posting this for an older friend.

2005 DC Sport longbed Auto
2.5 inch lift spacer front
1 inch iron blocks rear w/o TSB
17 x 9 rims w/ 285/70/17 Revo2s

He went camping and when he returned he noticed the rear driver's side axle is much further back than the passenger side(see photos). He works at Firestone tire center. They put his Taco on the alignment rack & sure enough the rear is not within spec. While driving straight, his Taco looks like it is in a constant drift.

He stated the techs at his work(Firestone) loosen the u-bolts, settled the suspension, & re-torqued. No change. Any ideas on the cause?

passenger side OK


Driver's side, axle sits further back.

 

Yeah....The axle wasn't bolted back up correctly after the blocks were installed.

I had to use a hammer to fix mine.

 

Someone also stole 4 of your blue lugnuts or 2 of your chrome ones from each wheel.........& how much cheaper are blocks than AALs?

 

Not sure why this would be the problem, but thought I'd mention it anyway.

Look at your leaf springs & shackles / position while at rest. They should be relatively in the same position on both sides.

 

Thanks everyone, I've passed on the information to my friend.

 

First off, tell your friend he needs to get an account here so you don't have to do his problem solving for you!

Second, I've been in his shoes before...but much more extreme:


I ran into a giant rock at 25+ mph. It sheared the centering pin and bent up the U-bolts a little bit. Not having enough money to afford the OME Dakar leaf packs, I just unbolted all 4 u-bolts, took apart the problem leaf pack, removed old center pin, used a nut and bolt I had lying around that fit perfect, and then put it back together.

It still wasn't a perfect 100% aligned job, but it's supposed to be temporary anyways. My steering wheel is still not perfectly center when going in a straight line, but the U-bolts I put back on were still bent.

Check the centering pin first to see if it's still straight.

I would then try loosening all u-bolts, and then using ratchet straps hooked to something on the forward part of the truck to bring that side forward.

 

i went to alignment shop and they said i have the same problem. They said just this that the u bolts must have not been tightened back up all the way after i did the aal

 

Damn! Did the rock hit the wheel, diff, or axle at 25mph?

 

Ugh, spacers/blocks.

This is advertisement #1 on why if you're going to lift a vehicle, it needs to be done right with a suspension lift.

 

Just the wheel! Thank god for my beefy Mud-Terrains, if I had P rated tires they'd probably have punctured.

If I had hit it just a few inches closer, I'd probably eff up the axle pretty bad...so good thing I only damaged the spring.

x2

 

And I had to same problem with my AAL...It was easy to fix. As I assume that the OPs problem will be.

 

Old thread but how did you fix? Just did a AAL and my driver side is almost half an inch pushed forward

 

Having the same issue if anyone has a fix after a leveling kit installation

 

Blocks in rear or springs. Sounds like everyone is having issues with centering pin- if you used blocks they may be drilled off center.

 

You can go to your local hardware store and get2 socket head cap screws (allen head socket drive) that are 3/8" and 4 inches long. I think I got 3.5 inches b/c I just have a standard leaf pack with an aal.
Get 2 nuts for them and it's much cheaper than buying the centerpins online and paying $10 to get them shipped to you.
I found my 2 plus nuts for less than $5.00 for both at my local store. PS: home depot and lowes didn't carry them (too short)