Truck can't get aligned, pulls right

@eon_blue

Way too much to read so not sure this was asked; you're using shims you said?

What if one shim is installed backwards?

 

yep got the shims on there, both are on correct (pointed ends facing toward cab). I did just go out and double check though lol.

This was also going on with the Expos before the Alcans, initially thought maybe the Expos had a bent pin or spring but it's either the housing or the axle shaft, probably the housing.

If the housing is the case then all I can think of is that I need to re-install the leaf springs and pay more mind to the placement of the rear axle on both sides before I torque everything down. Short of the frame being tweaked, I can't see why else the housing would be askew. Unless the leaf springs themselves were different lengths but they're the same (measured).

 

Could the bed be on crooked and the vibration be a separate issue?

 

If you had a bent axle shaft it would kill the seal off pretty quickly, as that's what happened to mine.

 

I thought of that but the bed gap between the cab and the bed is the same on both sides

good to know, thanks. No sign of any gear oil on the wheels or drums so I think the seal is good, points more toward the housing than the axle shaft.

 

Update: got new U-bolts today, when I put those on I'm going to drop the axle a bit and see if I can't figure out what the issue is. Hopefully when I line it up and torque it down again with the new u-bolts it'll be good.

If not, I'm going to have my local 4x4 shop look at it and see if they can determine the problem.

Just gotta wait for a day that isn't so freaking hot, we got hit with a heat wave. Good ol socal

 

Maybe measure from the center of the diff housing to the end of each axle tube, use a straight edge or something that is known to be straight. If the numbers don’t match then your housing is bent.

 

The most accurate way to check the axle tube may be to use an alignment bar. You'll have to remove the center diff and the axles and use the alignment bar through the whole housing. Measuring will get you close but if you still can't tell. That's the best method. Heres a quick link for one. You'll have to find a shop that has one for Toyotas. Other than that I'm not sure which methods will get you the most accurate measurements...

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...czh4pbwvqa-BFR4NQuR7o6KZ4NlrA9yAaAjnUEALw_wcB

 

Thanks for the idea, I hadn't thought to measure it that way. I just went out and did it. Driver side front hub to rear hub is 122 inches and passenger side front hub to rear hub is 124 inches. This confirms the rear axle housing is the issue in my mind, also explains the strong pull to the passenger side.

So basically I need to see if I can resituate my rear axle to be an inch further up on the driver side, which would push it back an inch on the passenger side and theoretically be straight. Hopefully I can achieve this when I loosen it from the leaf springs to put in my new u-bolts. I'm skeptical though because I really don't know if there's any adjustment to be made like that, the springs sit on the axle where they sit. Not like there's room for movement there

 

This is one of those things at least one other person to help two would be better .

Dumb question mismatched springs I can`t recall if you checked that already .

Both shackles in the some position not one pushed back and one pulled front?

Just some ideas !

 

@Squeaky Penguin @Blackdawg who else has bent a shaft/housing that can help troubleshoot?

 

When I bent an axle shaft you could see the tire wobbling in the mirror. If the whole thing is crooked, it wouldn't be an axle shaft.

There's two holes in the perches from the factory, although one's smaller, wonder if you have one centering pin in the wrong hole OP. (how many jokes can be made on that sentence? don't know how else to phrase it )

 

Hope he lubed it up a little bit instead of just jamming it in there dry

 

Yea I noticed the smaller hole behind the mounting hole, but it's way too small for the center pin to fit. Both pins are centered in the right spot

I don't think it's the axle shaft anymore either based on what you said and others talking about how it vibrates, kills the axle seal, etc. I don't have those symptoms. My rear axle housing is misaligned somehow though and I gotta figure out why.

Front to rear hub driver side - 122in

Front to rear hub passenger side - 124in

 

That seems really odd. Measurement from the front leaf hanger bolt to centering pin same side to side? Lift height about the same/shackles at the same angle? Doesn't sound like leaf problem.

 

Wow, 2" difference is huge.

This was hard to get my head around so I had to go measure mine to see. FWIW, mine is 123.5" +or- .125" on both sides. I found it challenging to be more accurate than that using a tape measure and the 'center of the hubs'.

Ryan, if my numbers are consistent and normal, the side of your truck that is 122" is the problem side IMO. Your 124" measurement is pretty close to norm I think.

Just going to throw this out there because I don't think its been mentioned and for that matter, how it would even be possible, but is the leaf pack oriented correctly front to back? I forget the length difference between the center pin and the front mount and the center pin and the shackle end.

Were those leaf packs disassembled and reassembled?

 

After the first few posts I was thinking possibly the axle hub flange was to blame, but after reading through the posts doesn't seem like the case.

I didn't read everything very carefully, but what I would do is drop the axle, take measurements of The springs, hangers etc, verify that all is square/plum. If that's all good find, put the axle on jack stands and level it out, get something that is straight and clamp it to the rims, parallel to the axle, take measurements to verify everything is square and parallel to the axle, hubs, leaf mounts.

2in off is a lot, but just a small amount on one side will compound itself over the length of the axle. 1/32 can turn into 2in fast.

 

Yea I don't think it's the Alcans either, I measured both before install and they're equal.

They're brand new Alcans, and I had a bad pull with my Expos previously too. I had hoped when I installed the Alcans that the issue was with the Expos but when the pull persisted I knew I had to consider the axle housing or something else (frame, maybe? But the cab-bed gap is equal on both sides and I have no other signs of a tweaked frame).

Yea 2" seemed pretty severe to me at first but then I figured its really more an issue of one inch, right? Because if I am able to correct the axle 1" one way it'll move one inch the other way and be even. If I'm thinking about it correctly, at this point I'm planning on dropping the axle on Sunday to put on the new u-bolts and hoping I'll have a better look at it then

 

Sorry for the typos, I get carried away with the damn swipe text feature on my phone lol

 

Could be, but could also be all on one side. I'd say most anything right now is speculation until you pull the axle. Any measurements now could be skewed.