The other day, it had been raining and as I took a lefthand turn, I totally spun out and ended up on the curb. Luckily, no oncoming cars were coming (as I had pulled a full 180 and was facing the wrong way). I didn't notice any visible damage and the car seemed to drive the fine, so I didn't think much of it.

But I noticed that I started to hear a squeaking when I was driving, so I put the rear on jackstands and put it into gear with the engine on. I noticed that the right rear wheel was rotating a bit off-center (i.e. it appeared to wobble)--and this was also where the squeaking was coming from.

I'm thinking that I must have bent the axle, but I'm not too sure--is it possible I might have just bent the rotor? Certainly, the axle would have bent before the wheel, right?

If I have to replace the axle, what am I looking at in cost?

Thanks in advance.

 

Most likely you just bend the axle flange the rotor and rim seat against. Easiest way to check would be to remove your tire, caliper, and rotor. Get a peice of heavy wire (like a cloth hanger) and find a place to mount it securely to a stationary spot on the rear end. Then bend the wire around so the wire will just contact the surface of the axle flange.

Put the car in neutral and have a buddy turn the tire on the other side and watch where the wire is in relation to the axle flange. If the flange is bent it will either push itself into the wire or there will be a noticable gap at one spot on the rotation between the flange and the wire.

You should be able to get an axle from a bone yard really cheap and swapping them out is no big deal if you have some mechanical ability. I have no idea what a shop would charge to swap it out, but the entire job does'nt amount to squat.

Pull diff cover and drain fluid, remove set screw holding pin in place in the carrier and remove the pin. Push the bad axle towards the center of the car, remove the C clip, then slide the old axle out. Might as well replace the outter wheel seal at this point since your in there-heck do both sides. Then just reverse the process to put it back together.

 

Yeah I have this same problem actually. I've had it the whole time I've had the new rearend. I've been beginning to think its the axle flange that's bent as well. About a month ago or so I slammed the other tire into a curb and cracked the rim, but with the new rim and remounted tire, that side is perfect.

Actually if I remember right, I think I saw my right tire wobbling on the emissions dyno and my mom said something about it once maybe as well. I've just been kinda holding off. I figure if I'm going to rip into the differential again, I might as well put my 3.42 gears in.

 

I had a similar problem, check it out.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=271806

 

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Thanks for the replies, guys; it sounds like I probably bent the axle (and not the wheel) as I thought.

I'm thinking it's not possible/worthwhile to fix it. So, failing that, and I have to buy another one, do I need to be concerned with what kind of rearend my car has? In my case, I know it's a Borg/Warner rear, and I know those tend to be a bit "hard to find"... will that fact affect my ability to find a replacement, or will all axles be more-or-less standard?

 

this will affect it in a bad way. they are harder to find. i already sold both of my spare 9 bolt axles i had. i'm sorry i can't be of help now.

 

I bendt my axle too, and cracked the rim. It was very easy to replace the axle though, it's done exsactly the way IHI stated.

I managed to locate a used axle in a couple of days here in Norway, so I think it won't be any harder to get one where you'r at, even being a 9 bolt.

Fixing this is nothing to be afraid of, it's actually a very very easy job, and I guarantee you'll feel the same when done with it.

 

It's hard to believe you bent the axle and not the wheel first.
Either way, you should have a vibration now. Run your car up to 65 and feel for it. I would get another wheel (spare tire or what ever) and see if it helps. If it doesn't the axle is bent. Fortunatly, third gen's axles are dime a doz. at the bone yard for not a lot of $. good luck!

 

Not true, I had a bent axle in my frist rear end and did triple digits through the 1/4mi/ plus logged tons of street miles. Only tell tale that axle was bent-people asking why the rim was wobbling when I was driving.

 

I agree with IHI on this one, I didn't feel any vibration at all, even with that cracked rim! I drove it home that way, kept it a bit low though, about 40 mp/h or so.

The only reason I found out that the axle was bendt, was because I mounted on a really wide rim, 11,5 inches, and peeped out the window to see how close it was to the fenderlip. That's when I spotted it.

 

If you have a bent axle, you have a bent rim! unless, someone has replaced the bent rim before you bought the car. It's kind of hard to bend a hard axle without bending a soft steel or alloy rim.

 

back when I was young and stupid, I was messing arround in the rain (read doughnuts) and I slammed it into a curb, I bent the axel, but not the rim(15" stock alloy wheel), I also jacked up the wheel bearing, it was easy to replace, just get one from the local junkyard.

 

Your nickname must be lucky!