Rear Diff Housing. Anyone Ever Bend One?

Just had my taco in for an alignment (at a fairly decent shop I have been using for years with the same and only guy I let work on my truck) and apparently I have a bent rear diff. His machine is giving me a toe in at the rear at 0.91 degrees.

Anyone seen this before?

 

Is the opposite rear tire toe out 0.91 degrees? If so, the axle could just be a little off at the attachment to the leaf springs. If you loosen the u-bolts, there is a little bit of adjustment for the rear axle to correct for toe.

You can bend the rear axle but it takes a pretty good hit to do so.

EDIT: Just saw your post with the picture... That's a little concerning because camber is a little off side to side also. Did you take any substantial hits recently?

 

Pic should help a bit.
I have had thrust issues before. (haha thrust issues...)

But like you said "a hard hit". I think I could remember that.

 

At your age, you shouldn't be having any thrust issues, you should see a doctor.

For the axle, what did they recommend doing about it? I would think your only options would be live with it or replace it right?

 

He recommended replacement.
I am trying to figure out if others have had this issue. I see jeeps all the time with bent up axles (clearly not a jeep though).

Would this affect twear on the gears?

I will be doing a quick measurement to see how far in the front of the tire is in relation to the rear or the tire.

Apparently there are truck shops (commercial) that realign axles.

 

if you tear it apart an axle shop could insert an alignment rod they use to weld the tubes to the diff to see if your is truly bent. I have no idea how they could bend it back, but I guess anything is possible.

Ive seen some bent 8" rears but all were on built rigs with 40" + tires far exceeding the capacity of a small axle.

 

Could it be possible, when I welded the shock tabs on the axle it pulled it in slightly.

I've just measured it and it appears to be a half inch in at the front. Obviously my measurements aren't very accurate.

 

It would take a hell of a hit to bend it you would have notice it. point your front wheels dead ahead measure from the rear edge for the front wheel to the front edge of the rear wheel both sides and see what you come up with. Certainly not impossible judging from your pictures of how you like to drive it.

 

Are both shock tabs welded to the rear of the axle tube? Mig welded with lots of heat? If so, that's a good possibility.

Its also possible the alignment machine is in desperate need of a calibration. I'd confirm those measurements by scribing the rear tires (paint a strip on the tread while spinning the tire, then scribe a line in the paint) and measuring "toe" with the Lufkin method - tape measure between the two scribed lines.

If its really out .9 degrees, it won't take long in tire wear $$$ to justify finding a straight axle housing and swapping it.

 

This guy bent and subsequently cracked a 4runner housing in his 4th gen.