Axle Housing Warp, How Much Is Too Much?

[Team_Jake]

Did a bunch of welding on a 2004 Sterling 10.5. Looking down the tube from one side it appears it may be warped very slightly. Using a digital angle finder I found the tubes on each side were bent up 0.3°. Is that okay to run, or should I fix it?

If I were to fix it my plan is to weld a ~3” bead on the bottom side of the tube on each side, let it cool, then measure for warp again. Keep doing that till there’s no more warp then I grind the weld off. Thoughts?

 

[Beat95yj]

Yes.

When you waste wheel bearings every trip, that’s too much.

 

[total newb]

Brgs will be fine.

If its bent enough to keep loosening up/breaking the axle flange bolts, then kts too much.

 

[DannyK]

If I am doing the math correctly, 0.3 degrees over say 36" would mean the end of the tube is out by 0.19"

 

[DannyK]

I saw a trick a long time ago on the internet about taking an old lamp, take the lamp shade off and stick the bulb up to the end of the tube, then look at it from the end of the other tube. Something like that.

 

[Provience]

Eventually, you'll get tired of the significant leaks at the housing seals.

so use fancier seals and run it some more

 

[arse_sidewards]

If it were out of the truck I'd say weld away.

Since it's in the truck you'll be time ahead to just fish an I-beam under the truck and get cracking with some chains and a jack.

 

[Team_Jake]

I got it (mostly) un-warped. It took three ~3” beads of weld (1/4” settings) on each tube close to the center section on the opposite side I welded the truss. After each bead I soaked the weld with a cold wet rag. My digital angle finder now shows the tubes are within 0.1° from straight (my angle finder probably isn’t even that accurate so I’m calling it straight).

Before (looking down the tube from one side, it’s probably hard to tell from a camera but the center section appears to be slightly lower than the tube ends):

After:

Welds:

Ground clean and paint:

 

[Motiracer38]

Crazy that little weld would help correct it so much. Thanks for sharing

 

[RunningProblem]

Long video documenting the process.

 

[Winchested]

Long video documenting the process.

I'm guessing welding along the length of the tube does far more for getting it to "bend" than welding around the tube.

Should you do the quenching or let air cool?

 

[tsomctl]

I'm guessing welding along the length of the tube does far more for getting it to "bend" than welding around the tube.

Should you do the quenching or let air cool?

Quench.

I found a really good document one time that explained the physics of heat straightening a shaft. Of course I can't find it now. But basically, you heat up a spot, which causes the metal to expand (obviously). But the metal expands in all directions, including out. In other words, the metal is now bulged out. You then quench it, keeping the bulged out metal. Since some of the metal moved out to create the bulge, it is now sucking in the metal from the sides.

 

[ORTitan]

Be forwarned I don't know shit about fuck, but this guy does marine shafting and explains stuff pretty well. Keith Fenner on youtube.

 

[RunningProblem]

I'm guessing welding along the length of the tube does far more for getting it to "bend" than welding around the tube.

Should you do the quenching or let air cool?

Que ding probably does more to bend it in one direction than air cooling, is MY guess having never done either.

I thought the insert he had to measure how bent it was came in handy.

 

[AKnate]

Brgs will be fine.

If its bent enough to keep loosening up/breaking the axle flange bolts, then kts too much.

My F350 does that if I load it heavy 🤣

 

[FleshEater]

I fixed a lower link exactly like that and pressed it flat in a press as it was cooling to help.