Bent Dana 80?

[u2slow]

Finally fought the seized brake drum off this mofo.

I put some 35" pizza cutters on it, marked the tires with a paint pen, and the distance changes 3/8" when I swing the housing around. Makes sense from being overloaded from above.

Ok... so it's bent.

How bent is too bent? Would you run it?

 

[Jmmorriso]

I-beam, chains, and a bottle jack to correct? I tried to get the toe out of a bent housing not long ago. It won the first round but we pulled it and sent it out. Badass old guy pushed both tubes out straightened them and welded em back in. 3/8” total on camber probably wont hurt axle splines. That would be my first concern.

 

[total newb]

So i reality is only 3/16" bent.

How special/$ is that axle to you?
Whats it for?

 

[u2slow]

I'd like to butter this dually one up with fresh brakes etc and toss in my utility truck instead of overhauling the srw version in it now. Width, bigger bearings & brakes, and heavier tubes are all attractive as its getting springs to handle 2-ton comfortably.

Yeah, I do realize the 3/8" is measured over 17" away from the axle center.

Honestly don't think I'd throw any money at straightening it. Guess I'm looking for a go/no-go answer.

 

[TRINDU]

I wouldn't trust the wheels/tires.

Clamp some steel to the hubs and verify

 

[Firstram]

I wouldn't trust the wheels/tires.

Clamp some steel to the hubs and verify

I don't think the rims are rotating so it wouldn't matter if they were bent. It couldn't hurt to try a different method though

 

[arse_sidewards]

I don't think the rims are rotating so it wouldn't matter if they were bent. It couldn't hurt to try a different method though

This. Like turning between centers. Because the centers (spindles) are fixed into the ends the ends must move in relation to how far off of concentric your centers are.

3/8 at the rim seems like a lot. I'd try to make it less than that either by bending or welding.

Somewhere in CC around May/June 2021 (I'm like 90% sure it's in the "useless things about your day" thread but it might be its own thread) I went through this with like a 4ft wide trailer axle. Wound up welding and quenching to get it "pretty close" which IIRC was double or so the spec for what the runout on the rim of a 90s Windstar (the easiest thing for me to find the specs of at the time) was supposed to be.

 

[TrailTamer]

I’d think it’s ok as long as you can get axle shafts’ flange to sit flush to hub when hand-tight bolts.

Worst case can try weld a bit where tube enters the center section to straighten and per internet these D80s like to spin the tube on sled pullers so it can be a fix for two things.

 

[Dan]

Pull the carrier and bolt your axle shafts back onto the hubs.

If it’s bent it will look something like this.

 

[u2slow]

3/8 at the rim seems like a lot. I'd try to make it less than that either by bending or welding.

It not at the rim - measured at the top of a 35" tire. Like total newb suggested, I'm realizing the actual bend must be half what I'm measuring. A little math and I should be able to figure out how many degrees the bend is.

Pull the carrier and bolt your axle shafts back onto the hubs.

I like that idea, except i wasnt planning to pull this thing apart.

 

[arse_sidewards]

So under .100 at the rim?

I'd run that. I wouldn't feel great about it but I'd run it.

It probably won't blow up faster than you can wear out the inside edge of a bunch of tires and realize you have a problem.

 

[Dan]

I like that idea, except i wasnt planning to pull this thing apart.

It’s easier than getting the drums off. Probably take 5-10 minutes to check if you have an impact handy.

 

[total newb]

I wouldn't trust the wheels/tires.

Clamp some steel to the hubs and verify

Yes those tires are shit.
But i feel the way hes doing it is right.

Bar resting on the tires and he rotated the housing, no matter how out of square the bare is to the housing he is measuring the gap change between the bar and housing as he rotates it.


I wish he was close to me as i have a bar jig.

If its not spitting axle shaft bolts or loosening up and leaking its probably ok.

I worked at a mdt/hdt shop for a short time and we had a big gruman truck that kept leaking at the flange and loosening the bolts. After the 3rd time i pulled the shaft and measured run out on the flange. It was .005-007" out of square on the flange machined face. Recut the face and that was the last of it.

If it is bent at the center id bet that the side gear handles the defflection issue and is just fine.

I bet it would blow peoples minds at how bent every axle housing is. I have yet to jig a gm d44 front that wasnt bent. My last oe d60 i built was 1/4" out. I had it straightend because wtf not.

 

[u2slow]

I have at least 3 weeks to let this marinate.

I don't reckon the truck this came from did any miles after it was fucked up.

It's a factory powr-lok... I don't think it'll be as fussy as a real locker might be with housing tweak.

 

[total newb]

I may have missed it but what dirrection is it bent?
Down i prob wouldnt worry about to much.

 

[u2slow]

Ya, down. Thanks.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I've never done a D80, but it's pretty easy to make an axle move with a big I-beam and a bottle jack.

 

[u2slow]

I'd like that solution more if i had a big I-beam