Is there a shop in Snohomish County that can straighten a bent Toyota axle housing?

dma251 · Mar 18, 2011

My SECOND toyota front axle housing for my SAS swap on my 4Runner appears to have a 2mm or so bend in the long side...

Is there anything that can be done to fix this short of buying a new housing? Seems that it's getting harder to find a straight 25 year old axle housing....

Binder · Mar 18, 2011

2MM......you call that bent?

Boonie Buster · Mar 18, 2011

Bobby Long does them i think...:eeek:

CHOP SHOP · Mar 18, 2011

they rolled off the lot bent.

You will never be a happy customer.

WHITE TRASH1 · Mar 18, 2011

Binder said:
2MM......you call that bent?

CHOP SHOP said:
they rolled off the lot bent.

You will never be a happy customer.

No ****, when you have to cut the knuckle ball off to remove the birf it is bent. Otherwise it's just another day in the world of sheetmetal housings. :redneck:

CHOP SHOP · Mar 18, 2011

I been wheelin a bent front for years now.

The top of the drivers tire just keeps tippin in. I have reset the toe measurement a few times to keep up with the moving tin.

Ruffstuff here I come.

dma251 · Mar 18, 2011

So you all don't see a problem running it? I have a really nicely made Ballistic Fab upper truss I haven't welded on yet... If there was a way I could put some downward pressure on the axle when i weld up the truss, i would feel just fine about it, but I don't see how I can apply that flex while I weld it together....

http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb456/dma251/DSC06045.jpg

http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb456/dma251/DSC06048.jpg

Bill · Mar 18, 2011

put it in a press and weld it....

Bill · Mar 18, 2011

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1818946

Mark m. · Mar 18, 2011

Bad news they are all bent. Wheel it.

zukkev · Mar 18, 2011

Fixed!:redneck:
Now, how can you tell it's bent without something supporting the weight of the end of the axle sticking out by this pic????

dma251 · Mar 18, 2011

zukkev said:
Fixed!:redneck:
Now, how can you tell it's bent without something supporting the weight of the end of the axle sticking out by this pic????

Because if I rolled it upside down it would still be holding to the edge of the oil seal cavity. If I force it to the center, the splines in the 3rd start to bind up just a touch past the center position...

...If any of that makes any sense at all.

Hey, if you guys say its okay to run it like that, I'll weld on my truss and run it like that. I just don't want to damage my diff by running it like that with that side deflection on the Aussie Locker I have in there.

Mark m. · Mar 18, 2011

Ran mine for years bent. Finally had to cut it in about 4 chunks to get everything apart. Diff was fine biffs were fine.

rocktoy · Mar 18, 2011

Just heat and shrink it, heat a quarter size spot on the bottom side and quench it with water may have to do it in more than one spot. We do this all the time to straighten housings if they are bent or warped .

dma251 · Mar 18, 2011

rocktoy said:
Just heat and shrink it, heat a quarter size spot on the bottom side and quench it with water may have to do it in more than one spot. We do this all the time to straighten housings if they are bent or warped .

I actually thought about that idea. The only issue I can see is that my housing is an 85, and has the full length factory truss under it, preventing me from heating along the bottom.

Should I try heating an area near the outside of the spring perch? The bottom is what needs the heat, to pull the housing down, I am 95% sure of....

dma251 · Mar 18, 2011

Also, this new truss I want to weld on is a lot thicker (3/8") then my last one. I am afraid of warping the hell out of it again when I am welding it on.

Any suggestions for me for welding it on? Little stitch welds with long cooling periods? I don't want to spend a week welding this on....

zukkev · Mar 18, 2011

dma251 said:
I actually thought about that idea. The only issue I can see is that my housing is an 85, and has the full length factory truss under it, preventing me from heating along the bottom.

Should I try heating an area near the outside of the spring perch? The bottom is what needs the heat, to pull the housing down, I am 95% sure of....

Likely the area that's bent...:awesomework:

dma251 said:
Any suggestions for me for welding it on? Little stitch welds with long cooling periods? I don't want to spend a week welding this on....

Can't have it both ways...try heating/quenching the bottom side to straighten, then take your time welding on the top truss...

Poohbair · Mar 19, 2011

... if you think it is bent now, weld that truss on and see how bent it gets..

"S"-box · Mar 19, 2011

Binder said:
2MM......you call that bent?

damn, dude don't run it!!!:eeek: thats way bent. but if you want I'll give you 20 bucks for it?:awesomework:

dma251 · Mar 19, 2011

Poohbair said:
... if you think it is bent now, weld that truss on and see how bent it gets..

Well, Poohbair, I am all ears here asking for suggestions.... So are you suggesting don't bother with the truss and just run it the way it is?

My thought was to leave the axle mocked on the truck and tightened down with a floorjack under the center of the housing to keep tension on the axle housing, and lay down a couple of 1" stitch welds to the truss to hold everything in place. Then remove the axle and finish welding it on the bench with lots of cooling cycles and small welds...