My rear wheels are sticking out to the passenger side.

jbspeed86 · 09-21-2006

I did the five lug conversion a while ago and the drivers side rear tire sat in a little and the rear passenger side tire stuck out a little. So it had all stock rear suspension when I did the conversion and I figured maybe something was a little wacky in the suspension. I had all the rear suspension parts, but i didnt install them yet. So I eventually put all the rear suspension in, not one thing is stock. And it still sits the same way. I bought the rear axles on ebay. The only thing I can think of is that maybe he mixed the axles so one was from one car and one was from a different one. I am not 100% sure but i think they were the same length. So it seems that the only other option could be that the rear end itself is sitting more toward the passenger side. How could this happen and how do i fix it?

This wasnt noticeable with the original wheels that were on it when i bought the car, but now I have 315's which fill out every millimeter of the wheel well. I attached a pic of each side, they arent the best cuz they are from my phone, but its all i have. Thanx for any help.

**tripleblack** · 09-21-2006

I think the axles are the problem. They are probably reversed (Left on right side, Right on left side). If they are, you'll need to swap them back. They should have been identified with a stamp on each one.

Its of course possible that you have shafts meant for another Ford product - some people use Explorer and Lincoln parts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbspeed86

I did the five lug conversion a while ago and the drivers side rear tire sat in a little and the rear passenger side tire stuck out a little. So it had all stock rear suspension when I did the conversion and I figured maybe something was a little wacky in the suspension. I had all the rear suspension parts, but i didnt install them yet. So I eventually put all the rear suspension in, not one thing is stock. And it still sits the same way. I bought the rear axles on ebay. The only thing I can think of is that maybe he mixed the axles so one was from one car and one was from a different one. I am not 100% sure but i think they were the same length. So it seems that the only other option could be that the rear end itself is sitting more toward the passenger side. How could this happen and how do i fix it?

This wasnt noticeable with the original wheels that were on it when i bought the car, but now I have 315's which fill out every millimeter of the wheel well. I attached a pic of each side, they arent the best cuz they are from my phone, but its all i have. Thanx for any help.

jbspeed86 · 09-21-2006

so there is one axle meant for one side and one meant for the other? I thought they were both the same length. Is that what you mean? I just dont want to swap them and end up with that not being the problem. thanks for your reply

**tripleblack** · 09-21-2006

Sorry, I wasn't very clear.

The stock size axle you need is 29 5/32" long on both sides (yes, they should be the same). To get conversion parts from junkyards, folks frequently pull axles from 86-97 AeroStar vans (R or passenger side axle is what is needed) and 83-92 Ranger trucks (L or driver side). Using the R Ranger axle or the L AeroStar axle will mess up the works, since they are different lengths.

Frequently people are confused as to the axles they are getting, and end up putting in the wrong part.

Here's a website with a lot more data:

http://mjbobbitt.home.comcast.net/mustang/5lug.html

Unfortunately, you might also have a problem with the entire differential being offset (this can happen from body damage improperly repaired in a wreck).

I still think you probably have at least 1 wrong axle in there.

sxrpGT · 09-21-2006

I am with TripleBlack on this, more than likely the axle. I went through the measurments when I did the 5 lug conversion a long time back and last week when I had to get a new axle for the driver's side since I had a bent one.

The measurments Tripleblack gave are also correct. The best way to check is to tear it apart and measure the axles. It sucks but that way you can be 100% sure.

Drew

jbspeed86 · 09-22-2006

yeah, thats what my first guess was, i was thinking that maybe the guy i bought them from sent me one from one car and one from another. thanx for your help. guess im pulling them out and doing some measuring....yay...haha

lxarlo · 09-22-2006

what you can do instead of pulling out the axles and having to buy new gear oil and friction modifier, check the clearance between the caliper brackets and the rotor. they should be the same on both sides. if you still have drums in the back then check the clearance between the drum and backing plate.

**tripleblack** · 09-23-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by lxarlo

what you can do instead of pulling out the axles and having to buy new gear oil and friction modifier, check the clearance between the caliper brackets and the rotor. they should be the same on both sides. if you still have drums in the back then check the clearance between the drum and backing plate.

This will work - you just need to know what the correct dimension SHOULD be. I don't have this data, but the link in my prior post has lots of information.

You can also just take the measurements and post them here - someone with a similar setup will probably be able to tell if they are off and by how much.

jbspeed86 · 09-23-2006

well thats what I was gonna do. I was gonna just measure from the plate the studs are in to the backing plate. The axle on the driver side is pretty much perfect so if it turns out that the passenger side axle is longer, then I will get another axle that is the same length as the driver side.

Are there shops that can shorten axles instead of me trying to find another one that matches the driver side?