Rear axle alignment
- Thread starter Peach462
- Start date
Shuttlesworth
TJ Enthusiast
Fair, but a Dana 44 is symmetrical as well, ha.
Pics and measurement, it’s always something simple, maybe not easy, but simple.
Shuttlesworth
TJ Enthusiast
Well.....that's a little different. Is the transfer case off or the axle? Rhetorical, because you are asking because you don't know. It looks like the TC is bolted to the skid, which is bolted to the frame, I'm sure there are ways, but that should make it centered. If the wheels are centered in the wheel well, and the differential is 3" off center.....then the wheels are not equidistant from the differential.....which means somethings up....I'm pretty sure. (On the rear)
Looking back at the first picture posted, it looks to me like the transfer case is way off centerline. Note the 4 TC mount bolts on the skid which I believe are on center, and that the TC yoke is way off to the left from there. From this perspective the rear yoke seems to line up with the mount bolts, and therefore looks centered. Now admittedly it's been a while since I've seen a stock TJ driveline, but any chance you've got a failed TC mount?
Perhaps your rear axle was replaced with a different axle whose pinion is offset to the side when compared to the OEM Dana axle the factory installed. Probably a Ford 8.8 axle whose pinion is offset around 2.5" when compared to what the factory installed. It's not a big deal when the driveshaft is able to accommodate that additional offset.
Take a look at your rear axle's differential cover and compare it to these to see if you have one of these.
Ford 8.8, which is what I'm guessing your rear axle has been replaced with.
Dana 35 has a rubber lube hole fill plug, Dana 44 has a steel bolt in the lube hole.
Take a look at your rear axle's differential cover and compare it to these to see if you have one of these.
Ford 8.8, which is what I'm guessing your rear axle has been replaced with.
Dana 35 has a rubber lube hole fill plug, Dana 44 has a steel bolt in the lube hole.
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Man....you may be correct.....picture angles can be weird, but TC looks not lined up.
My thought is that there is an 8.8 in there....
Edit: After looking at it closer, I agree with NashTJ that the t-case looks off. Check to make sure you still have a transmission mount and also check the motor mounts. Something is definitely out of whack....
Edit: After looking at it closer, I agree with NashTJ that the t-case looks off. Check to make sure you still have a transmission mount and also check the motor mounts. Something is definitely out of whack....
From my perspective the transfer case looks off, but if it were to move over the drive shaft would likely hit the muffler. So that cant be right.
The cat/muffler is attached to the tranny mount so it makes total sense. You move the tranny/tcase back over and the muffler goes with it.
You are correct about the exhaust mount. However, wouldn't at least one of the engine mounts have to be broken so the whole thing could pivot over?
Transfer case looks fine to me. As so many have requested, photos of the rear axle from multiple perspectives is necessary to understand what is going on here.
Exactly. For that to happen there would need to be both a broken transmission mount and a broken motor mount.
The plot thickens...HA. Took my wife for Friday lunch and Margaritas....this all makes sense now.