[SidWho?]

Getting my 9.25 rebuilt at a local shop and the guy tells me the housing is slightly bent and cannot install a locker without it tearing itself to pieces.....wants $2000 to straighten and install.  Is this bullshit?  Wondering if anyone has had this experience or any advice.  Coulda bought a pair of 60's for $1800 but now it's at the shop immobile

 

[Elwenil]

It's bullshit to pay to straighten it, since it will never stay without a truss, especially when you can pick up another 9 1/4" for as low as $50.  I regularly scrap them because no one wants them and I despise them.

 

[jerseybud]

No kidding.  Unless you live in Hawaii or australia, hop on carparts.com and peruse your junkyards for one. It may mean a 7 hour trip but still cheaper than 2k.  Strange eng could build you a custom dana 60s for that much that would be indestructible. 

 

[SidWho?]

Yeah, feeling' pretty dumb at this point, could have bought a complete 3/4 ton 4x4 a few weeks ago for 2K....

 

[dodge82273]

myself , I would PAY a tow company to remove MY truck from that fella's shop , wheels or no wheels , have em put the axles in and tires on or the tow company to "dolley" it onto their flatbed ... the fella in that shop is what gives mechanic shop's a bad rep .  in order to bend the housing in/on a ramcharger , you would of had to had a violent rock which would have left marks ...... the part about installing a locker .... was the rear working ok when you brought it in ? if yes , know a locker installed works IN the axle the same way .... I smell a BIG rat . I would NOT have ANY work done there , I'd RUN . SERIOUSLY ........... TOW company's cost will SAVE you money in the long run
write it all off as lesson learned , 2 k to "FIX" a bent axle ! fix ? answer , yes it IS bullshit . 

 

[SidWho?]

Thanks guys.  After "negotiating" they're "straightening", complete rebuild, and using an Auburn for 1200.  Still pricey but parts alone were 800 for the kit and LSD.  The shop has been around for a long time and are known for the best work at the highest prices.  Still not happy but at least it'll be done right and warranteed from them.  Thanks for the advice-

 

[Elwenil]

Why not just pick up another housing?  You are having it rebuilt anyway so used condition is not much of a concern.  Also, I'd make sure the shop knows about the design issues with the 9 1/4" and they are using a solid pinion spacer kit instead of the shitty crush sleeve.  Hopefully they also know to over torque the side adjusters.  At the end of the day, I would have a heard time justifying putting $400 into a 9 1/4", much less $1,200 with a bent housing.

 

[SidWho?]

Ah, I've gone through the junkyard deals, guys doing work out of their trailers, etc...Sometimes it works out sometimes it doesn't.  Same with paying top dollar...sometimes.....With working 15 hour days and barely time to do my own laundry, I'll just stick with what I started.  If I had more time, different story...thanks

 

[dodge82273]

you are correct , some shops just charge alot . But best wishes with it , and please let us know , hopefully its a good ending .......

 

[u2slow]

Still not happy but at least it'll be done right and warranteed from them.

Warranty is your biggest take-away.

I have one of those rear end shops around here. I can't afford their work, but they sell parts and specialty tools, which has been a huge help over the years.

 

[SidWho?]

Came out nice.  New Auburn, complete rebuild and (still calling BS) straightened housing.  Still have a bit of "clunk" into reverse though....I'm wondering if I adjusted the band a little too tight...idle and everything is perfect, goes into D without much issue...

 

[dodge82273]

clunk changing directions is slack in driveline , so anything from the ring / pinion clearance , loose slip joints , bad u joints will transmitt the clunk loudly ... a larger amount of backlash in a diff will out last one that's too tight .. BTW

 

[Uncle John]

So, in trying to understand how, and exactly what section of the rear axle got bent. I'm assuming it's the diff housing? That's a new one for me, and was unaware such a determination was realized.  Was the "clunk" before the repair was made, because I guess I understand what I'm reading that the "clunk" is still there while selecting reverse. Just trying to understand a little more. Was the 9 1/4" known for this?


In GM, sometimes if the rear diff is low on fluid, a clunk sound can be heard while shifting forward or reverse. I never noticed any of these sounds in all of the many all-gear drive trucks I had. Just in the auto's, like my Dodge truck makes when shifting into reverse. I'm starting at inspecting the engine mounts, and trans mounts. I'm reading of the importance of the propeller shaft alinement, along with the u-joints being parallel.


From what's been mentioned so far, is that the trans could be safe, and the noise stems from a propeller shaft. Hope you can figure out the problem, or maybe it will be something you could live with at the moment.

 

[dodge82273]

ok your gear drive or stick shift trucks didn't seem to have a clunk , but the automatics do/did , here A reason why , the ring and pinion are in contact , passing thru neutral to change direction with a "gear " drive takes enough time , the ring/pinion have time for the backlash ( clearance between gears ) to center , when next direction is applied it takes up 1/2 the lash distance and the r+p are again in contact . with an automatic , even stopped in forward there is pressure on the r+p  ,( often the same with "park" ) the full amount of back lash is behind that contact of the r+p , the auto trans changes from forward contact to reverse contact allowing the full backlash clearance to be taken up rapidly , making a clunk .  your operation of a clutch , the gradual engagement takes up that back lash slower , and you usually are slightly stepping on the gas . that back lash if taken up rapidly , like "DROPPING" the clutch is what helps create "shock load" and "blows" the r+p when you do that  ... 

 

[Elwenil]

Usually when a axle is "bent" it is tweaked where the tubes are pressed into the cast steel housing.  This is what makes it a pain to fix and keep straight as there is now clearance between the tube and the casting.  It can be welded, but welding the mild steel tubing to the cast center is an unusual operation and is frequently done wrong.  A truss braced to both tubes over the center section is about the only way to keep it from bending again in the same place.  This type of bend is probably the most common and can be from abuse such as an accident, jumping or hard off road use.  The other type is a bent tube, which is less common in our trucks but seems more common in heavier trucks like 3/4 and 1 tons and is usually related to overloading though it can be caused by an accident.

As for determining if an axle is bent, many you can see with the naked eye, at least enough to say it's tweaked.  Other times once it is disassembled you can look down the tubes and if the light at the other end is a bit oblong and not perfectly round, it's safe to say it's bent.  More careful measurements can be taken with a string down the center of the tubes or with a laser.

 

[Uncle John]

I'd like to say thank you to the original author of this thread, and to dodge82273, and Elwenil for the opportunity to ask questions about the 9 1/4 Chrysler. I found that the problem, solutions, and answers given to be informative and interesting. One of the very first things about this rear axle I noticed was that distinctive taper into the diff. . I never quite noticed that on my 60's - 80's GM and Ford trucks. Learning much about this 9 1/4 !