I have a 01 V6 and was in a wreck 3 months ago. I hit a really tall curb going about 35, with my passenger side wheels. Of course alot of bad happened: front lower control arm was bent, both wheels were bent. Well, with all of ya'lls help in June i was able to get the front end fixed (what a pain of a job that was, taking off the lower control was easy, but putting it back on a whole different story. Balljoints were no walk in the park either).

Well, after i got the front lower control arm all back together and had new wheels and tires on the passenger side put on, I was ready to go. I drove the truck down the road and I heard a grinding noise on the passenger side rearend(also the truck was slightly wobbling up and down vertically, when in motion). I jacked it up and pulled the passenger rear wheel off and had my girlfriend push on the gas to get the rearend moving and I listened to the passenger side rearend, and it was definitely making a loud grinding noise.

Do you think the axle is bent? If so, will I need a whole new rearend or can i just replace that part?

On another note, I tried to align the tow manually with a tape measure and adjusting the tie rods. I drove the truck and the steering wheel was basically vertical when i was going straight.

Will an alignment shop beable to fix this?

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP I'VE GOTTEN FROM THIS SITE

Thanks,

Jesse D.

 

For the rear end, an axle shaft can fix the problem only IF it's just the axle shaft bent. Odds are you may have bent the axle tube as well. You're probably best off just getting a used axle assembly complete from drum to drum. Even if the axle tube is only bent slightly, you'll eat wheel bearings every few thousand miles.

For the front, get an alignment.

 

+1 that an alignment can fix the front. specifically ask that they straighten the steering wheel. they can do it easy.

on the rear, put it on jack stands with tires on. have g/f put it in drive and let wheels spin. watch for any out of round on the tires, wheels. if none, shut it down and try to take exact measurements from the axle tube to other points on the frame, to front, upwards, and rear. see if you can pick up on any bend in the axle tube. if not, remove rear diff cover, pinion shaft, c-clip and pull the passenger rear axle and see how it looks. let's see, can you run the truck on jack stands with one side rear axle out. i think so... if it runs silent with the axle out it sort of confirms the ****up. if axle is noticeably bent but axle tube is not, you can replace axle from junkyard. if tube is noticeably bent, get an entire assembly from junkyard. if nothing is noticeable, maybe pull pull the rear wheel bearing and check it. if its messed up, there is no harm in continuing to tear it down looking for the problem. it doesn't cost anything. if you can't identify the problem or fix it cheap, just replace the whole thing for $350 or less from junkyard.

 

I would just go down to the local JY and buy a new rear end.
Thats what happened to my sister, she took out a bus stop and a sign. Ripped the drivers side wheel and drum off, popped the tire off the front. Best part is that the drivers side wheel/drum slid under the truck, saving the undercarriage from damage.
1.5 years and a new rearend later, the truck is running like it was before she wrecked it.


BTW, where you from in ET???

 

i appreciate the help guys.

another question for you< When putting the lower control arm back on I had to do a lot of grinding on the rear bracket ,attached to the frame, to get the control arm to fit in there. Everything looks straight and looks just like the drivers' side, but the wheel is noticeably pushed back a couple inches. I mean when the wheel/tire is on and the truck is ready to drive you can notice that the wheel/tire is not in the middle of the fenderwell.

Does anybody know why this is? If so, is it fixable?

thanks

Jesse D.

 

at first guess it sounds like the frame might be bent.
have you taken it to an alignment shop yet ? they might could offer an opinion for free.

you might also want to visit a body shop with a frame machine and let them look at it. they might need to put it on the machine and pull it back straight. that's a common practice in fixing wrecks. if all they have to do is pull it straight, without removing anything, it shouldn't cost too terribly much. maybe an hour of time.