rear end issues, tire rubbing on drivers side

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169dart4y

169dart4y

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So here is my issue, I have a 69 dart that I swapped out the /6 904 and 71/4 SBP for a 74 dart 318/ 904/ 7 1/4 BBP . I did the swap about two years ago and have had a little tire rub on the passengers side rear tire only if I hit a sharp right hand corner to fast. Very minimal issue.
Last night driving though San fran at 10:30pm the drivers tire started to rub the side of the tire on the drivers rear. The out side of the tire rubbing against the inside of the fenderwell. I stopped and checked it out and you could just get your fingers between the tow and the drivers rear seemed a little lower on that side. I decided not to have it towed and drove on only to have more rubbing about a mile down the road, but it seemed to happen like something shifted and then rubbed so I steered the car back and forth to make the rear sway back and forth and it seemed to do the trick because I made the rest of the drive home on the hwy 50 miles without an issue of more rubbing?
I'm looking for suggestions as I got home late 11:30 last night and had to work all day today.
I was thinking the rear end axle shifted, or a blown shock or the rear sway bar stock from the 74 shifted.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Ted :prayer:
IMG_1193.jpg
 
A shock would not cause this unless you are running the coil/ over overload shocks, or air shocks.

The only thing which locates the axle is the leaf springs, so......

broken hanger or other hanger hardware

loose/ broken rear shackle

cracked/ broken leaf spring

loose u bolts holding axle to leaf springs

Could chrome trim have come loose?
 
Well I just climbed under the car with a flash light and everything seems the same from right to the left side. I checked the leaf springs and they seem fine. Whats weird is I wasn't doing anything when it started, I had just been on the freeway doing 75mph on hwy 280 from San meteo. Not sure why anything would shift at those speeds?
The spacing looks like it's the same on both sides now, but last night when it was rubbing and I stopped to check it you could only get your fingers between the tire and well now there is like an inch?
 
No the chrome isn't loose and I checked the front and rear hangers for the leaf springs. Unless the leaf springs shifted back?
I'm running stock shocks, the car looks level now and the fender line looks even on both sides of the tires.

67Dart273 said:
A shock would not cause this unless you are running the coil/ over overload shocks, or air shocks.

The only thing which locates the axle is the leaf springs, so......

broken hanger or other hanger hardware

loose/ broken rear shackle

cracked/ broken leaf spring

loose u bolts holding axle to leaf springs

Could chrome trim have come loose?
Click to expand...
 
67Dart273 said:
A shock would not cause this unless you are running the coil/ over overload shocks, or air shocks.

The only thing which locates the axle is the leaf springs, so......

broken hanger or other hanger hardware

loose/ broken rear shackle

cracked/ broken leaf spring

loose u bolts holding axle to leaf springs

Could chrome trim have come loose?
Click to expand...

Like leaf spring bushings.
 
Actually any of the bushings or hardware, front or rear.

You added anything in the trunk, like a big heavy toolbox?
 
67Dart273 said:
Actually any of the bushings or hardware, front or rear.

You added anything in the trunk, like a big heavy toolbox?
Click to expand...

True, but the front ones can be bad without being able to see it unless you look real close.
I was hoping he would notice a shackle being that far off.
 
Well , I checked again today but didn't have a chance to jack the car up and put in on jack stands,
It might have been caused by the leaf springs shifted? Then shifted back?
Do you think a front end part would make the rear tire move over an inch closer to the fender well. I haven't checked the front end but the steering seemed fine, nothing different . I'll give you an up date when I get a chance to check it out a little more.
 
I'm with Trailbeast here. If a spring perch /axle tube popped,should see visible gear oil traces,cracked welds.Pull both shocks,match side to side. Maybe one died,on you. Thinking,loose front hanger bolt,rear shackle snapped. Possible bushings gone,as well.
 
My guess would be U-bolts not torqued properly and the center pins broke on one or both leaf springs.. That is if all other bushings are tight and not dry rotted.
 
Well I got off early and jacked the car up and grabbed the tire and rim and you could move the axle in and out 3/4" . Took the rim off and drum and you could grab the axle and move it in and out 3/4". I called the rear end shop that did the pinion seal, axle seals and bearing and they said it sounded like a failed axle bearing. Any though on the subject. No I didn't have any more weight than normal, all my windsurfing gear which is pretty light.
 
well i am glad you found the problem when so thing like that happens you have to put it in the air and check every thing from u bolts to all the hangers to the axle bearing that happened to you it sucks that this happened but at least you got it home last time i lost and axle bearing, in the front i was on the trail in the middle of a water mud hole with my old bronco had no choise but to rebuild it there. good look with fixing it
 
hope the outer bearing shell didnt rotate in the housing end. when that happens is tears up the housing and they never seal after that. do you have the green bearings (sealed, non adjustable) or the tapered bearings (with preload adjusters)? could be that the adjuster retainer clip bent and let the bearings back out.
 
I did the same swap on my 1967 valiant. the bbp 7 1/4 had larger and wider brakes than my Slant 7 1/4 sbp rear. It made my wheel go out a little further almost hitting my rear fender. It didn't thought.
 
younggun2.0 said:
hope the outer bearing shell didnt rotate in the housing end. when that happens is tears up the housing and they never seal after that. do you have the green bearings (sealed, non adjustable) or the tapered bearings (with preload adjusters)? could be that the adjuster retainer clip bent and let the bearings back out.
Click to expand...

Yes I hope it just needs new bearings, This is a stock 7 1/4 BBP when I swapped the v8 k member with disk front brakes out of a 74 dart onto the 69.I had a rear end shop do the pinion seal, new bearing and seals before I installed the rear. It was in 09 so there warranty is probably not gong to take care of this. You would think new bearing would last! the old ones on the 69 were stock ones and lasted 28 years. Just stock seals and they didn't leak yet and ruin my brakes.
 
Now the rear end shop I took my car to said that it needs a new axle? I guess you can slide the bearing on by hand?

Should I waist my time with the 7 1/4 or install the 8 1/4 I have at my house?
The guy I bought it from said it was fine and didn't have any problems. He switched to a 8 3/4.
 
You'll need to shorten the driveshaft if you install the 8 1/4. I would also pull the axles and check them out before installing the 8 1/4
 
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