crappy lift brackets?

swynx · Jun 16, 2016

so some time ago i grabbed some unknown manufacturer lift brackets off an older ranger. i put them on the pickup and realized that the passenger side shaft wasnt hitting the hubs, i could lock in the hub and it would still free wheel.

after looking, and measuring i found that the drivers side tire was about an inch or more pushed out and thats the reason for the shaft not contacting the hub.

i tryed to shim it up and bend the tabs on the bracket a bit, and i got pulled over about a 1/4 inch or so.

is this a common occurance?

4x4junkie · Jun 17, 2016

I don't see how lift brackets would affect anything to do with the axles and/or hubs... :icon_confused:

Are you saying the shaft isn't engaging with the hub? (like it's slid inward away from the hub?) If this is the case, then more than likely you are missing parts that hold the axle shaft in the spindle (specifically the splined thrust washer and C-clip, parts #61 & 62 on this diagram).
The driverside wheel being out of position would be a separate issue.

alwaysFlOoReD · Jun 17, 2016

If the lift bracket hole geometry was off to one side, wouldn't that create an axle shaft that was essentially too short? Like as if the axle beam pivot holes were an inch or two farther apart.

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swynx · Jun 17, 2016

it pushes the drivers side(pumpkin) further over, which means coming out of the pumpkin the passenger side iether contacts the hub, or the pumpkin. too short to do both.

i believe the driver side drop bracket to be the bad one.

for now i put the original brackets back on and raised the coil bucket up 1" and it works fine, but if i want more lift ill need a new bracket or to figure out this one. but it looks normal to me.

i guess when it was on i should have measure from the hub to the bracket.

4x4junkie · Jun 17, 2016

If the axle brackets were far enough off to create an issue with the axle shaft, you should see it as improper engagement of the slip-yoke spline (bottoming out, or it pulling apart, depending which way the bracket is bent).

The axle pulling out of the hub and/or diff means a retaining clip or something is missing (and you don't have a circlip-eliminator spring in place on the shaft).

.

swynx · Jun 18, 2016

4x4junkie said:
If the axle brackets were far enough off to create an issue with the axle shaft, you should see it as improper engagement of the slip-yoke spline (bottoming out, or it pulling apart, depending which way the bracket is bent).

The axle pulling out of the hub and/or diff means a retaining clip or something is missing (and you don't have a circlip-eliminator spring in place on the shaft).

.

i have removed the c clip inside the pumpkin, and i have a spring on the slip yoke spline, and i do not run the clip on the end of the axle shaft. with the original brackets i have no movement in the axle shaft without the c clip on the end of the axle shaft.

i do remember that when i first noticed this, i pulled the 3 shaft pieces as far apart as i could, and there was always atleast 1 spot where the splines wouldnt engage. whether it be the pumpkin, the slip yoke or the hub. i did put the c clip on the end of the shaft at the hub but then it would not go into the pumpkin far enough to engage the splines.

also im not sure if this matters but the kit came off of an 80s ranger. the the d28 had a shorter track width?

ill try and find the pictures i took for referance.

4x4junkie · Jun 24, 2016

I believe the D28 beams are shorter.

Is the slip yoke binding up maybe? (I've seen occasionally where water will get in past the boot and rust causing the spline to freeze up)

swynx · Jun 28, 2016

4x4junkie said:
I believe the D28 beams are shorter.

Is the slip yoke binding up maybe? (I've seen occasionally where water will get in past the boot and rust causing the spline to freeze up)

i was unable to find the pictures i had

now that you say something i do remember that after pulling that lift off that i did have to pull apart and clean up the splines on the slip-yoke, i added gear oil to them and now it moves real freely. pretty sure it got pressed in at some point during the install and i just hadnt noticed untill i pulled the lift off.

perhaps ill put the lift brackets back on and see what happens. running 33's with a 2 inch lift, i drag over most everything any ways.

4x4junkie · Jun 29, 2016

The slip yoke needs an extreme-pressure CV joint type grease. Don't skimp on it, fill up the yoke & the boot with several tablespoons worth (getting it down into the root of all the splines). Hose clamps work well to secure the boot if you don't have any metal band clamps like Ford originally used, just make sure the clamp head clears the edge of the axle beam (zip ties are worthless for keeping water out though).

If it's badly pitted from rust, I'd suggest replacing the shaft (pits create stress risers, and could prevent the shaft from sliding smoothly)

swynx · Jun 29, 2016

4x4junkie said:
The slip yoke needs an extreme-pressure CV joint type grease. Don't skimp on it, fill up the yoke & the boot with several tablespoons worth (getting it down into the root of all the splines). Hose clamps work well to secure the boot if you don't have any metal band clamps like Ford originally used, just make sure the clamp head clears the edge of the axle beam (zip ties are worthless for keeping water out though).

If it's badly pitted from rust, I'd suggest replacing the shaft (pits create stress risers, and could prevent the shaft from sliding smoothly)

does the driveshaft slip-joint use the same type grease? i would assume so. both of these were rusted up to where i had to place them in the vice, and beat the ends off with a bfh. i would have used some type of grease to begin with, but it seems that the gear oil helps to dissolve some of the rust.

when i tryed to reinstall my drive shaft i messed with it for hours trying to bolt it back on, only to fail and throw alot of stuff around, before i realized it would not collapse or extend!

4x4junkie · Jul 7, 2016

You could probably use ordinary (wheel bearing) grease on a driveshaft slip-yoke (ones that have that bright blue polymer coating on them), but the RH TTB axle yoke I recall specifically calls for CV grease (which is what I've always used).

crappy lift brackets?

swynx

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alwaysFlOoReD

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