Bent axle

J

jus10

New member
UPDATE: Axle replaced with a used one and all problems have gone away.

So I bought a 4runner with a bent rear axle. Super fun since the used car dealer is unwilling to do much to help out.

Rear toe is +1.34° on one side and +.04 on the other so I'll chew through tires really fast.

Multiple alignment shops called and two looked at it. General consensus is I need a new axle housing at a minimum. Question is do I go with a used one from junk yard (~$900) or something new? Are upgrades outrageous expensive? I do a little 4 wheeling here and there and minimal towing so I'm not too hard on it. Thanks!
 
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You sure it's the axle and not a control arm or arms? What year? How many miles? $900 for a used axle is insane either way, look for someone parting one out in your area.
 
2016 4Runner SR5 said:
You sure it's the axle and not a control arm or arms? What year? How many miles? $900 for a used axle is insane either way, look for someone parting one out in your area.
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It's the rear, solid axle. No alignment adjustments or control arms unless you know something I don't.
 
jus10 said:
It's the rear, solid axle. No alignment adjustments or control arms unless you know something I don't.
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I’m a YouTube mechanic, but my understanding is the rear control arms are those big ass bars in front of your rear wheels. And I think there’s one behind the axle too if I’m not mistake.
 
simple said:
I’m a YouTube mechanic, but my understanding is the rear control arms are those big ass bars in front of your rear wheels. And I think there’s one behind the axle too if I’m not mistake.
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If I am not mistaken they may be called the rear upper control arms.
 
I suppose I do then. You have 4 control arms, 2 upper, 2 lower. They can't be adjusted but they are responsible for keeping the rear axle centered. If one is bent, your rear axle will not be aligned properly.
 
The rear axle has lower and upper control arms, plus the panhard bar. The lower control arms are fairly easy to bend, especially if your 4Runner ever made it to Moab. Check the arms for scrapes and dents. Hopefully you only need to replace the lower control arms, even stronger aftermarket arms are $250ish for the pair.
 
simple said:
I’m a YouTube mechanic, but my understanding is the rear control arms are those big ass bars in front of your rear wheels. And I think there’s one behind the axle too if I’m not mistake.
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Good call! But it's not those I don't think. Otherwise it would be a thrust angle issue and not toe I think. If I measure between tires the front part (left to right tire) is an inch closer than the rear. Though I could be wrong in what I'm looking for. All alignment shops say axle.
 
Monkey Wrench said:
The rear axle has lower and upper control arms, plus the panhard bar. The lower control arms are fairly easy to bend, especially if your 4Runner ever made it to Moab. Check the arms for scrapes and dents. Hopefully you only need to replace the lower control arms, even stronger aftermarket arms are $250ish for the pair.
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Undercarriage was treated before purchase so no obvious scrapes noticeable.
 
Rear axles in these trucks are VERY strong and are not easily bent. If it is bent, your truck has been through hell and back. That or it was hit in the side and not properly fixed. For your sake, you should hope it's a control arm and not the axle.
 
You're not dumb and we are right. You're on a forum to learn, those of us with knowledge are here to teach. No such thing as a stupid question, just make sure you're willing to listen to the answer. It's not impossible the axle is bent but if it is there's a whole lot more to that story. Like said above, the axles are VERY strong but the control arms aren't, they're pretty cheesy actually. Check all 4 arms, check the mounts on the axle and the frame, check for broken bolts. You clearly bought from a dishonest dealer and the fact they coated the frame is very concerning.
 
You guys are getting closer... I think a more accurate name for them are rear links. Upper and lower links LOL.

Anyway, a cheap fix might be to buy adjustable lower and upper links and adjust the length on them so the tires are aligned properly, or at least closer in line. You will still be off .7 degrees on each side right? Rotate your tires regularly and call it good after that?

Find a junkyard diff housing or come and pick mine up so I can upgrade... No other cheap options, an upgraded housing with Land Cruiser 9.5" gears or one with Dana 60 gears is quite a bit more than $1000. Easily $5k+
 
"links" is incorrect however it gets the point across. They're control arms, every solid axle coil spring truck has them. Leaf spring trucks don't simply because the leaf spring holds the axle in place.
 
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Inv4drZm said:
Not that it really matters but:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_arm

"A link differs from a control arm because it can only control one of the degrees of freedom by itself."
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Looks up replacements, they're UCA upper control arm, LCA lower control arm. They control the position of axle and keep it in place through the range of motion. Track bar keeps the axle centered side to side, control arms keep the axle centered front to rear. Off topic, call them what you want, we still know what they are.
 
Thanks for all the quick replies. I checked all the links or arms and they all look about as straight as can be. Even put a level on them just as a flat reference point.
 
That much toe is definitely a damaged axle housing. There is no harm in getting a used one. They are relatively overbuilt for general duty and a used axle with new bearings and seals will last longer than you need it to. That said, whatever caused the damage probably wasn't limited to the axle housing. You pretty much have to get the truck airborne or slide it into something (or get hit) to bend the axle. There is a good chance whomever fixed it already replaced the ancillary parts.

Inv4drZm said:
a cheap fix might be to buy adjustable lower and upper links and adjust the length on them so the tires are aligned properly, or at least closer in line. You will still be off .7 degrees on each side right? Rotate your tires regularly and call it good after that?
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This is certainly viable (and relatively cheap) but 0.7* of toe-out is still a lot and it might be squirelly at highway speeds. You're not going to damage the diff or bearings by driving it this way. Tire wear will definitely accelerate but it's hard to say how much.
 
ElZilcho:

Was hoping you were wrong. The rear end is pretty squirrely, especially when it's wet or on loose dirt.
 
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