Bent rear axle...are you kidding me?!

[2012sr5]

Man, I hate to ask this but have the wheels been swapped side-to-side.
I can't imagine your mech didn't do that first, but you didn't say.

It looks like a bent wheel.

I rotated my wheels last week (I do this every 5k miles). This was well before My mechanic told me I have a bent axle. Rotating wheels didn't change the squeak at all.

 

[SR5Bart]

Or what happened is the previous owner hit something and traded the car in. dealership didn't do an alignment which would tell them something is off and then u bought the truck

 

[wfo9]

Like everyone else in Nashville, I am driving through my fair share of construction zones and generally crappy road conditions. If that can damage a rear axle, then I no longer want to drive this truck. But if it can't, then it happened before I owned it, and who knows what else we'll find in time...
:frusty:

No way it happened in a normal use scenario.. Someone slid it into something at a high rate of speed. No other possible explanation.

 

[e60ral]

Man, I hate to ask this but have the wheels been swapped side-to-side.
I can't imagine your mech didn't do that first, but you didn't say.

It looks like a bent wheel.

did you watch the second video?

 

[TEujunga]

After watching the videos, I stand corrected -- if the rotor has already been replaced, it sure 'nuff looks like a bent axle flange.

Seems like somebody must have slid that wheel hard against a curb or a rock. Surprised the axle flange is what gave way and not the wheel itself, or the rotor.

 

[Jetboy]

Bummer. I was certainly wrong in guessing it wasn't a bent axle. Looks like pretty compelling evidence to me. It's weird that the caliper moves with the rotor as it goes around. The whole backing plate area is flexing all over the place.

It takes a lot to bend one. I've broken a wheel before and not bent the axle - on a tacoma. I was doing doughnuts at 30ish mph and hit a tall curb sideways. Didn't bend the axle, but the wheel breaking was the only thing that kept from rolling the truck, so in the end it was a blessing. I was young and foolish... main point being that it takes some effort to bend an axle like that. It's unlikely you did it driving on normal roads.

 

[wfo9]

After watching the videos, I stand corrected -- if the rotor has already been replaced, it sure 'nuff looks like a bent axle flange.

Seems like somebody must have slid that wheel hard against a curb or a rock. Surprised the axle flange is what gave way and not the wheel itself, or the rotor.

I'm sure it all gave way.. They just replaced parts, but not all. Just part of buying a used vehicle. You really have no idea what all has been done to it unless it was claimed under insurance....

 

[2012sr5]

Or what happened is the previous owner hit something and traded the car in. dealership didn't do an alignment which would tell them something is off and then u bought the truck

At this point, I want to give the dealership the benefit of the doubt. I had this aligned a few weeks ago, and it was easy for the tech to get in spec. I just want it fixed and over with.