ok i have a 1995 f150 with the dana 44 front axle. for some reason, my passenger side wheel seems to be flopped out a little bit on the bottom. when looking at the front of the truck, the front wheels look like this / |

the truck also pulls to the left pretty bad. I got the truck aligned awhile ago because of this and it didnt help. about a week ago i jacked the truck up and put jack stands under the frame and i let the front end of the truck hang off the ground. when i shook the front end the whole axle moved. i looked closer and noticed that the axle pivot mount in the center was loose. i tightened it up and set the truck back down. would that mount cause the wheel to flop out like that? and if so, would it be fixed when i get it aligned again???

 

You need to take it into a frame and axle shop and have the bushes replaced. The pivot bushings wears, the coil springs sag and causes this. Please do not wait get this truck in to have the front end serviced it will get increasingly harder to control and the wear of the UJ on the long side makes things ever more dangerous In my opinion the Twin Traction Beam Dana 44 is the sorriest excuse for a independent driven front axle that was ever been installed in a 4X4 truck. I dislike this front end so much I don't care what kind of deal I might get with a Ford truck so equipped I will never own one.

 

Sounds like the alignment shop didn't do you any justice. The angle you are talking about is Camber, the tilt of the wheel measured vertically from the ground while the wheels are pointing straight ahead. I believe this is adjustable on the Dana Axle. The negative camber will cause the truck to go left. Need to find a good alignment shop. I mean a good truck shop, not a dealership, a good truck shop. Here comes the war story, you know, my scar is bigger and badder than yours. Bought my 1973 F250 with the hated twin axle design. This thing looked like a duck taking a dump. Dealerships at the time, "its normal for that axle design". Took it to a large truck center, you know, 18 wheeler stuff. The mechanic (thats what we called them back then) put his bender on the axle and like it was hot butter put the positive camber back into the truck. I still have the truck and although not many miles, 100K, she sits as pretty as any. Take it for what its worth. Pics in my photo album.

 

okay so if i replace the bushings then it will be fixed?? i'm assuming this is something that i can fix on my own. do i really need to take it to a shop? the pivot mount isnt that hard to get at and i have the tools to replace it. is there something that the shop might need to do besides the alignment??

 

In my long time consuming post about my war story, Transmaster posted exellent advice, (what you were looking for). That Dana axle is not the axle that was corrected by the 18 wheeler shop. Mine is a 2 wheel drive truck not a four wheeler. As I said , "believe kits are available". Use a good alignment shop.

 

okay so what your saying is the alignment shop cant fix the axle by bending it and to get the bushings replaced and have an alignment shop (one that specializes in trucks) align the front end? i also have quite a bit of uneven tire wear. will that effect the alignment process?

 

Yes - replace the bushings if you want to do it, then take it to a reputable truck shop to align it. If you don't want to do the bushings, have the same reputable truck shop do the bushings and align it.

Don't go to the local car alignment shop - that truck doesn't work like the Honda Civics that those guys usually work on, so you might as well just pay your neighbor to screw it up...

The uneven wear is because it's driving sideways. It won't impair your alignment, but a good alignment will stop the truck's tire eating habit.

BTW - Bill, your truck is a beauty. If that boat takes up the whole garage, I have room in my garage to park that truck. Just leave me the keys in case I need to move it!

 

okay sounds good. changing the bushing is no big deal. i can do that on my own. a friend of mine told me of a place that he goes to that specializes in trucks (tri axles etc...) he said that they do great work and they're prices arent that bad. for an alignment and a tierod replacement, he spent 140 dollars.

 

Yes a new set of bushing should do the job, use polyurethane bushes they are much better then the stock parts will keep things much tighter the stock bushes. You might give the outfit below a call and see what they can do for you.

http://www.accuautoparts.com/

 

ok so i took the truck to get aligned today and they found alot of problems with it. it needs both tierods, pitman arm, the lower drivers side ball joint had minor play and the passenger side u joint had alot of play. those are all little things considering that the frame where the axle mount bolts to is cracked causing the whole axle to shift excessivly. so i'm getting rid of the truck and getting a 2008 wrangler. i dont feel that the truck is worth fixing anymore. i already had to weld the rear bumper back on due to frame rought. also had to change all the spring hangers. i'm tired of laying under it every day off i get.