Anyone want to see my rear-end....not my butt you perv!

[skrit]

made some progress today....

WH stock height leaf springs
WH HD leaf U bolt kit
WH Bilstein 5100's
Quick Performance Explorer rear disc conversion for 74-75 Torino housing ends
Ebay Yukon Nodular 3rd with Yukon posi, 4.56 gears
WH (Yukon) 31 spline axles
Stock 9" housing
10 year old 33x10.5x15 BFG A/T with maybe 100 miles on them that I had before the frame off
Older Tom's 23 gal tank modified with replacement stock explorer fuel pump/pressure regulator/sender

 

[Broncobowsher]

Looks crooked. As in the driver's side is further back. Might just be camera angle, but even trying to correct for that it still looks off.

 

[skrit]

Looks crooked. As in the driver's side is further back. Might just be camera angle, but even trying to correct for that it still looks off.

@Broncobowsher ...You are right... eagle eye! What would cause this?

 

[skrit]

@Broncobowsher ...You are right... eagle eye! What would cause this? View attachment 931381

It's like maybe a 1/2" difference

 

[skrit]

It's like maybe a 1/2" difference

Dang it. Forgot "bolt-on" is a relative term when doing rebuild. I had the frame in the air when I bolted the suspension on. I'm going to loosen the U bolts to see if there was a bind.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I would start with double checking the leaf springs, make sure you didn't get one in backwards. They are NOT symetrical.
Then start measuring stuff.
Worst case, swap springs side to side and see if that changes the angle. In case the center pin of one spring is off from the other.

 

[Shimmy]

maybe you have the leaf springs mounted on the wrong spring perch hole?

 

[skrit]

Ok, I might swap them but I'm not happy about it. Unbolted the shocks, loosened the leaf retainers...karate kicked the tires in both directions and Parkour'd off the frame to bounce it around. Looks like it got a little better?

 

[skrit]

maybe you have the leaf springs mounted on the wrong spring perch hole?

I only have one perch hole.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I only have one perch hole.

That's not it. The leaf springs have one end that is supposed to bolt to the front spring hanger. The other end should bolt to the shackle. You can bolt the shackle side to the frame hanger, and the hanger side to the shackle. That would be putting the spring in backwards. If the axle locating pin is slightly offset, putting one spring in backwards would be slightly offset to the other direction.

Now the fact that you have moved the axle by loosening and kicking stuff around, you may not have the right diameter center pins in the leaf springs to the hole size on the axle spring perch.

At this point I would have the leaf springs out and on the ground side by side doing comparisons. Measuring the center pins and the axle perch diameters. At this point I don't know exactly what it is. Side by side comparisons, and tape measure work is what it is going to take.

 

[.94 OR]

Looking at the top photo again, the front spring mounts don't look like they are on the same location of the frame (front to back), but again, it could be camera angle.
Might be worth measuring these mount locations before you start tearing everything off.

 

[skrit]

Update......

I just removed the rear axle from the suspension and put the tires back on dollies. I kept the leaf springs on the chassis. Since I have the front end hanging from the ceiling with chain hoists, when I unbolted the rear end, the chassis swung a little and centered it self.

With the rear end unbolted from the chassis, I measured from

1. shock mount to center pin
2. rear leaf mount to center pin
3. front leaf mount to center pin
4. rear mount to front mount.

The measurements were all equal for both sides.

Now that the chassis was equalized and centered in the air, I rolled the rear end assembly into place under the leaf springs. Had to use a ratchet strap between the 2 leaf springs to get the center pins lined up with the perch holes but with only a few clicks of the ratchet. Installed the u-bolts and slowly torqued them until the center pins dropped into the perch holes.

Finished torqueing everything down and now it's not crooked anymore. I have a feeling that with the way I have things hanging with the chain hoists, it was throwing it all off a little by putting unequal pressure/tension on the suspension and the tires weren't on dollies so they couldn't move. It probably would have worked itself out once I get the front-end on but better safe then sorry. Thanks all for noticing the crookedness and for the advice.