Rear axle not aligned.

[jubreunig]

I have a problem with the center of my rear axle. The right tire sticks way more out than the left one. It's about a 1/2inch difference. I checked the alignment of the bed compared to the cab and the gap between cab and bed and it's almost fine. If i would move the bed to get the same gap, the right rear would stick out much more than now.
I had already loosened the U-bolts and had hope that it was just a tension, but the same.

What can I do to fix this?

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[THLONE]

What is a tense?

 

[jubreunig]

I meant tension,

 

[THLONE]

Was the vehicle in a accident. Were the location pins broken where the springs seat on the axle. You need to take it too a collision repair shop to measure everything.

 

[Rp930]

Are you sure both wheel offsets are the same?

 

[Samsquanch]

Are you sure both wheel offsets are the same?

Easy enough to verify by swapping the back to wheels.

 

[slowmachine]

I don't think.you'll ever get a useful measurement using the outside ground as a platform or a tire as the reference point. As mentioned above, a shop that does chassis collision repair will have the right setup and tools. Even a standard alignment rack with lasers would be far better than a driveway and tape measure.

 

[VAMike]

it's pretty common for the bed to not be level, and a plumb line from part of a slanted bed isn't going to be at 90 degrees to the bed/frame

 

[Ranger8729]

I fought a similar issue on my XJ for months. Unibody was straight, axle pads were equal, wheels square blah blah, man it drove me insane.

The spring eye wrap was twisted unwound shifting the axle over. Apparently i put enough torque down with that 4.0L after gear reduction to twist up the spring eyes on the main leaf. You couldn't see it bc of the box the leaves mounted into. I had to drop the axle for other modifications and when i took the leafs down, i bet i had one weird look on my face!

Odds are that this is NOT your issue unless you have played very hard offroad. But it could be a cause that you want to rule out.

 

[jubreunig]

I bought it new, therefore I can exclude an accident, no offroad just some dirt roads, the rims are OEM and I already swapped it.
What I can do is to measure from a certain bed position to the frame or to the break disc.
Before I moved to Germany, I had the car at the dealer to fix the 'lean' (I had a bit more than a inch difference), they replaced the leaf on one side. I'm not sure but I believe, since then I have the issue. Maybe I have a bended leaf.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I bought it new, therefore I can exclude an accident, no offroad just some dirt roads, the rims are OEM and I already swapped it.
What I can do is to measure from a certain bed position to the frame or to the break disc.
Before I moved to Germany, I had the car at the dealer to fix the 'lean' (I had a bit more than a inch difference), they replaced the leaf on one side. I'm not sure but I believe, since then I have the issue. Maybe I have a bended leaf.

Hi Juergen,

The axle has slots into which the center bolts drop. The key here is that you had a spring replaced and likely someone misaligned the center bolt and it not in the slot in the rear axle spring seat. It is called a spring seat for a reason. You need a shop that can loosen and lift the chassis off the rear axle and recenter both center bolts. Sorry you are having the problem, but the key here is the dealer fixing the lean...they did something wrong. A relative easy fix once the chassis and springs are lifted off the rear axle. Not the first time I have experienced this, but exceeding rare...

Good Luck!

Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engnineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[HenryMac]

I bought it new, therefore I can exclude an accident,.....

Uhm, no, not really. I ordered a new '85 S-15. When it arrived at the dealership the drivers side of the bed had been repainted. The truck had polishing compound splattered all over the rear of the cab.

Shippers often damage vehicles, fix them, and then deliver them to the dealership.

@THLONE 's idea is a good one. take it to a collision shop and have them check it out.

How are the gaps around the bed where it meets the cab? Consistent, side to side?

Seriously though... variations like this aren't that unusual. Ford was shipping Rangers for months that weren't level, they then installed 1/2" shims in the spring pack on one side to level them out.

 

[MTB-BRUH]

Uhm, no, not really. I ordered a new '85 S-15. When it arrived at the dealership the drivers side of the bed had been repainted. The truck had polishing compound splattered all over the rear of the cab.

Shippers often damage vehicles, fix them, and then deliver them to the dealership.

@THLONE 's idea is a good one. take it to a collision shop and have them check it out.

How are the gaps around the bed where it meets the cab? Consistent, side to side?

Seriously though... variations like this aren't that unusual. Ford was shipping Rangers for months that weren't level, they then installed 1/2" shims in the spring pack on one side to level them out.

HenryMac is feeling sassy this morning. “Uhm, no, not really” why the attitude lol it’s plenty reasonable to believe a new truck wouldn’t be in an accident

 

[WhyNot21]

...
How are the gaps around the bed where it meets the cab? Consistent, side to side?
...

One of the Lariats I looked at yesterday had an issue with the bed. It was pretty obvious just looking at the gap between the bed and rear window. I then showed the sales guy that I could fit both hands together between the bed and driver's side cab. On the passenger side, I could barely fit one hand. The truck was brand new.

 

[HenryMac]

HenryMac is feeling sassy this morning. “Uhm, no, not really” why the attitude lol it’s plenty reasonable to believe a new truck wouldn’t be in an accident

Believing, and facts. 2 useful items, hardly interchangeable.

A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Why settle for smart, when folks are here to make you wise?

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