Rear axle shifting to one side after installing lowering blocks

[kerrdog]

Hey guys reaching out for some help put bags on my truck and 3 inch blocks on the rear after I did my rear axle is shifted to the passenger side about 2 to 3 inches any help would be nice thanks

[R.S.S.]

Sounds like you need an adjustable panhard bar.

[kerrdog]

Forgot to mention that I do have one that's why I'm so confused

[R.S.S.]

is it to the stock location or to the opposite trailing arm? The longer the panhard rod the less side deflection you will get while your suspension is moving through its limits.

[kerrdog]

It is a early classics bar that runs from drivers side frame to passenger side trailing arm.

[Boog]

Hey mississippi. A pic might help.

[R.S.S.]

Seeing as your axle has saddles that the u bolts go through (unless you've swapped axles) the only thing I can think of that could be causing this is your panhard bar. You've got to adjust it so your axle is centered at ride height. However, once this has been done it will still move your axle left to right when going through its range of motion.

[AnotherWs6]

Yeah, you have to adjust the bar with weight on the truck or it's no bueno.

[chevy_mike]

Did you leave the bracket that mounts on the trailing arm, at the trailing arm or did you move it up on top of the lower blocks? You want to keep it between the trailing arm mount with the blocks and axle on top of it (and the spacer on the other side).

As other said, you must adjust this with the full weight of the truck on the ground, ready to drive (i.e. bed on, drivetrain installed, basically ready to drive).

[kerrdog]

Maybe these pics will help

[AnotherWs6]

So are you saying that the passenger side is pushed forward in the wheel well? That's what it looks like in the pic.

I'm a noob to these older trucks, but this happened twice to me on my 99 Silverado. The bolt that goes through the leaf spring pack sticks out on top. When you tighten the u-bolts that little head has to be positioned in a little hole in the upper bracket in order to keep the axle and u-bolt from walking up the springs and causing what you seem to have. Long story short that bolt has broken twice on me and I knew both times because one wheel would be wy out of whack in the wheel well.

So what keeps the wheel from walking on these things? You added blocks to it, my bet is that something is wrong there.

And yes, one side of the axle can move while the other stays in place. A lot.

[R.S.S.]

I am no expert as to where the panhard bracket should be located however, it you put it back in it's original location (under the block/sandwiching the trailing arm) that should fix the issue. Alternaitly it looks like you still have some adjustment in the panhard bar so by brining that in you can rec-enter your axle. not sure if there is enough adjustment left though.

[chevy_mike]

You are supposed to leave the bracket on the trailing arm location, not raise it with the blocks. That will totally shift the rear end over since you changed the arc of the parhard bar. Move it back to the trailing arm. Blocks are only supposed to lift the axle itself.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by kerrdog

Hey guys reaching out for some help put bags on my truck and 3 inch blocks on the rear after I did my rear axle is shifted to the passenger side about 2 to 3 inches any help would be nice thanks

Have an alignment shop in your area put it on the rack and do a 4 wheel alignment. That will tell you where your wheels are in relation to each other and what direction their pointing. Once you know that you'll know what to move were and how far. Getting it to look right in the wheel well only may have you dog tracking down the road. Fix your alignments and then adjust the bed if needed for looks

[AnotherWs6]

Brief hi-jack, apologies. My friend was following me the other day and said that my all stock c10 was dog tracking a little. How would I check & correct that if I decided I had nothing to do on day?

[R.S.S.]

Measurements from a known point on both sides of the frame to the centerline of the axle on both sides. that will tell you if you're out of whack.

[kerrdog]

Chevy Mike I think that's going to be my problem I did not even realize that I had done that I'm going to change it and I will post the results