[djed]

just got back from a trip to the cape and i notice that it looks like i have a lot of camber in the rear. I am guessing that the diff housing is bent. any ideas?? has this happened to anyone else? anyone ever tryed to fix? is there any other cause of camber in the rear?

I had a wheel alignment done before I lef. The rear camber results were: left -0°38’degress, right 0°01’.
From a wheel alignment about 18 months ago the rear camber results were: : left -0°33’degress, right -0°22’.

The only think I can even think of that may have caused it were some of the really big dips on the development road and the weight packed in the back and on the roof rack. I was probably only carrying about 140 kg in the rear. Tho it was about 60kg less weight then i normally do to fraser.

On the way back need cairns the inner face of the rear passenger brake drum started scraping on the rear backing plate when i went around a roundabout or took a hard right hand corner. i had both wheel bearing replaced. The mechanic said the right seal and bearing was pretty bad. He though that most likely the water crossing and the corrugations stuffed it. He noted that the drivers side bearing and seal was fine. I am assuming the bearing went due to the water and the corrugations tho i am also thinking the bearing failure could have been related the axle and all the camber but if the was the case it is stand the driver’s side bearing was good.

I am guessing the cheapest easiest way to fix it would wait until the bears and diff go due to the extreme camber and use the time to source a second hand diff.

i have attached some images with board flat on the ground against the tires. there is about 10mm diffence between the top of the rim and the bottom of the rim on both sides.

[Fatzook]

Not the most scientific way of determining straightness, but when I place a rule against my monitor, it appears the diff is bent.

[djed]

haha. yeah taking measurments off the ground show that the diff tube is about 320mm off the ground near the drum and just before the weld near the diff centre it is 310mm. when i put a metal edge ruler to that section it is stright, just slopping down towards the diff

[Gwagensteve]

You're lucky, normally the housing splits during a cape trip, based on the experiences of our club members. At least that one got you home.

Steve.

[djed]

Shit! So what did they put it down to? Corrugations, weight ?

[Gwagensteve]

Combination of both.

Steve.

[Dec]

Hi mate, not sure if it's any help but after i was run into i was told by the tyre shop up where i live that my front axle was bent, however during replacing it i discovered that the axle was fine but passenger control arm and drivers side shockie were the issue, which was the cause of massive discomfort and unable to get a wheel alignment. I've no idea why they didn't check everything prior to blaming the axle.

Cheers Dec

[djed]

Thanks dec, yeah I checked the control arms and all the mounts. The axle doesn't have any vibration so i looks like it is most likely the housing ATM

[djed]

Taught myself an expensive lesson tody, not to rush into things.

the guys at Bob Jane said when they get a chance today they will put my car on the wheel alignment machine for free and tell me ("confirm") how much I have bent the rear axle based on the camber data from before the trip.

In the meantime i went to look at diff housing that I had found at a 4x4 wreckers out of town. The diff housing looked good. the guys at Bob Jane guys still hadn't had a chance to look at it but i though going off my measurements my housing is super bend and i need to do something about it before i chewed out my bearing, tires and stuffed my diff.

Got the diff house and then headed back to grab my Suk. I was guessing the rear would be at least 8' degrees negative camber..... . . nope it was only -1.3' degrees negative camber on each side. So increases of 1’degree camber from the trip. Their mechanic said this wouldn’t really chew my bearings and tires anytime soon.

So I guess at least I have a new housing and plenty of time to spend on fully bracing it and the diff mounts and to do it right

[KEENSY85]

Being bent it may deteriate at a exlarated rate so probly best u have a spare know u should take the time to strengthen the spare diff housing know