another axle question

[pineneedle]

Some one raised the question of putting Scout II axles under an 800 on the BB. A guy responded that virtually all Scout axle housings are bent. So, he went on, unless you have them straightened, you will be burning through bearings.

Is this an exaggeration? Since I am installing Scout II axles of unknown pedigree on my 800, how would I measure to know if the tubes are bent? If they are bent, how do I get them straightened?

Pineneedle

[scoutboy74]

I could be wrong, but my BS detector is pointing towards yet another possible example of BBS on this one.

[Greg R]

Yeppir, mine's in the yellow zone.

[ihojeff]

Actually its true. 9 out of every 10 rear Scout II axle housings we check are bent. We find front housings bent from time to time as well. Yes they can be repaired but the boys on BBS were correct on this one.

To check a housing you have to have an alignment jig otherwise you're just guessing if the housing is bent or straight.

[Craig]

Ok, so jumping your Scout might bend the housing a bit But how much before the bearings will be burning up? It's not like these rigs are even seeing 10,000 miles a year.
I guess that brings up that most used axle housing are in risk of being a bit bent. I would have suspected the front would be bent before the rear, as that where the 800 pound IH motor sits.

[Michael Mayben]

Dave, Jeff, and I have had a major discussion regarding the use of heating/shrinking techniques used on the rear housings to do minor straightening/alignment.

Same as for putting the housing inna press fixture if ya have a press frame large enough to handle a housing.

If ya look closely at many of the pics Jeff has posted regarding axle work/mods, you will see his alignment bar installed which can be used for either checking housings initially for damage, or for component alignment during an axle build operation.

Dave does the same thing though he won't press 'em as he no longer has a press/fixture that large.

The rear axles IH spec'd for SII were at the upper end of the GVWR range rating, in other words, they had NO "fudge factor" on GVWR. If the rig was grossly overloaded, then axle housings were bent, same as for whackin' rocks, holes, bouncin' a rear wheel off a curb inna turn, etc. Again, ANY IH vehicle is significantly more MASS than a comparable offering from any other source, that's what kills suspension components over time, brakes, axle/hub bearings, AND "fuel economy"!

[Matt Main]

I've been lurking and posting from time to time here and on BB and had not run across this bent axle deal until now. Im looking at getting at least a front D44 for my '71 800, but this AM ran across a rear D44 and though it would be good to have a spare, or something to build up a little better and badder than the one thats in the rear now. I've seen axles straightened before, but never had to "pay" for it. Lets say the D44 rear is tweaked a little, any idea as to what it would cost to make the thing true? I wouldnt imagine it would be very expensive.
Is it worth putting that much into the axle if Im planning on a decently built V8 for rock crawling in the future, or should I just get something better (Ford 9", D60, etc.)?

[ihochad]

Just build the 60, why polish a turd if you are going to make it into a wheeler. Build it right and you should only have to build it once.

[Matt Main]

So the D44 is kind of a turd huh? Good to know, wont waste my time on that then. Now shifting gears toward a D60... Now I'll have to dig in an find a good source for one of those!
Thanks Chad.

[pineneedle]

If I may return to the original point, where would one go to find out if the axle is bent, and any ballpark guess as to cost?

Here is an addendum on the basic question: is there a similar problem with the Scout 800 rear D44s? I have two of these, and one of them would be easier to use, and it would only marginally narrower, not enough to notice in my opinion.

Pineneedle

[ihochad]

As stated above the only true and correct way to tell if a tube is bent it use an alignment bar. For this you need to completely disassemble the axle. The cost is subjective to several things, if you were to drive up with a bare housing in the back of your truck it would probably be reasonably cheap, if you pull up in your Scout and have to pay to have the housing removed and stripped well as you can imagine the cost will go up considerably. I know this isn't a dollar figure which is what I am sure you're looking for but every case is different. If you are local I would call Jeff and see what he has to say. As far as the 800 axle, they are all the same I would always assume that your axle is bent and go from there. I will say that it is much more noticable to drop a 800 rear in a Scout II than the other way around, you would be suprised what an inch looks like.

[ihochad]

Originally Posted by Matt Main

So the D44 is kind of a turd huh? Good to know, wont waste my time on that then. Now shifting gears toward a D60... Now I'll have to dig in an find a good source for one of those!
Thanks Chad.

For Rockcrawling with anything larger than 33's yes basically. For just everyday use, no they are a great front and rear end. Of course like anything else it all depends on your driving style.

[pineneedle]

My Dear Chad,

Your answer is helpful, except it does not say where I should "drive up." I have the axles disassembled down to the housings. What sort of shop would I take them to in order to have them checked for straightness?

Pineneedle

[ihojeff]

Look for a shop that does axle gears in your area. Ask them if they have the correct pucks and alignment bar to check a Dana 44. If they don't maybe next try a custom offroad shop - the kind that are building rigs from scratch. Expect to pay $200 - $300 to have a housing fixed.