My diff doesn't seem to be centered it seems to be about 10-15mm more to the right then it should be. I'm wondering how do i actually measure to check and if its out where do i start? There has been an impact in the passenger side rear but i don't think it would of been enough to bend any thing. Any help would be great cheers chris

Using my psychic powers I will tell you that you have recently lowered the car and not invested in an adjustable panhard rod.

Using my psychic powers I will tell you that you have recently lowered the car and not invested in an adjustable panhard rod.

 

LOL! Nice- that is very astute, but it might be his panelvan...

 

Which car is it Chris?

 

Oh- to be serious, if it isn't that problem, first check the backing plates are secure behind the brake drums and that an axle isn't coming out.

 

Then get a wheel alignment. The guy should be able to tell you straight away.

Edited March 11, 201214 yr by altezzaclub

yes its my panel van.

backing plates are all tight, is there any way i can check with out needing a wheel alignment. i can't take it any where and i need to know if its out for the guards.

So it relies on the leaf springs to keep it straight. Pop the front eyes out of their chassis mounts and see if they line up OK when they're relaxed & hanging. There may be a bent mount or kink in the chassis. Also, loosen the ubolts and push the springs around a bit to let them sit where they should. See if they line up any better.

 

What I have done in the past is to stretch a fine string around the tyres right down on the garage floor such that it grips under each tyre edge. Then I mark for floor with chalk where the string is and move the car. I grab a tape to see if the rectangle I've drawn actually IS a rectangle and not a paralellogram!

Hmm. Handy trick.

I'll have a look at the leaf springs. did some ruff measurements and its diffidently out by at least 10mm out. I'm trying to get a mobile wheel alignment but this is proving harder then i though.

 

thanks for the help

Can you loosen the u-bolts under the axle, loosen the spring shackles ane have the diff suspended with the chassis on axle stands??

 

Give the diff a kick from each side then do it up again and see if it has relaxed back into the proper shape.

Yea ill see if its just not sitting right. I really just don't want any of the moments to be bent or anything, see how we go i guess.

We not only did that to a mate's Landcruiser when we were replacing the spring shackle bushes, we also loosened the spring center bolt that holds the leaf pack together and whacked the leaves around with a hammer! Mind you, someone had lost a wheel off it years before and ground the disc & backing plate along the road! Things were a bit out of place!

So I've pulled every thing out and checked if the body is square. Every thing is pretty much square only ever out by 2mm max and that's nothing to worry about. So i'm quite confused what else it could be, any ideas?

cheers Chris

Depends how you measured "everything is pretty much square"

 

So you had two paralell lines, one down each side of the car, & you measured the diff being 10-15mm towards one side...

 

Did you find the spring hangars set to one side?

 

Maybe its meant to be like that!

I used diffrent points tgat where the same on each side of the car. Then measured to a point on the mounts on both side and compared.

 

With the hangers do you mean not sitting in the bush probally or actually bent?

I wondered if the actual mounts on the body were square of not. If one chassis mounts is bent out of line it means either accident damage or the factory made it like that.

 

I don't know what the factory tolerance was, but I've just measured mine and its within a mm. I put a tape on the outside of top of the tyre, looked down and lined the guard up with the bottom of the tyre and read it.

 

22mm & 23mm, so the diff should be in the middle. I'd say you're up for a 4wheel alignment sometime.

I have one more idea to make sure its actually is not square. thanks for the help