SpiritGael
New Member
- Joined
- April 19, 2011
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Charlotte NC
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1996 Aerostar
When nearly empty, and with bench seats removed, my van dropped an axle on the passenger side when I hit a bump in the pavement. Took it to a pro garage, they replaced it; loaded the van with furniture and household goods, left there and dropped the same axle one hour up the freeway after hitting a mild bump. Same shop replaced axle again, assuring me that the weight in the van was causing the problem ( yet first axle dropped out of nearly empty van) & all front end parts were in proper alignment. Drove 4 miles, and the axle dropped out again. Made it back home (2 1/2 hours up the road), unloaded the van, and took it to a shop.
They advised me to take it to a body shop, as the driver side axle had some play, but the passenger side axle had none. The axles had not merely dropped out - they were in so tight that they were being chewed up, then dropping out. Took the van to a body shop, where the tech told me there was nothing he could do, as the frame was straight and in proper alignment, there was no way to bend it out to give more room on the passenger side for the replacement axle. The engine is centered, and can be moved fore and aft, but is appropriately situated side-to-side.
Can anyone diagnose this problem ? Why are the axles too tight only on the passenger side, and how can I keep them from being chewed up and spit out ? (I replaced an axle when I bought the van in '06, five years later, it has chewed up three in a week, with less than 200 miles left on this fourth one.) What gives ?
They advised me to take it to a body shop, as the driver side axle had some play, but the passenger side axle had none. The axles had not merely dropped out - they were in so tight that they were being chewed up, then dropping out. Took the van to a body shop, where the tech told me there was nothing he could do, as the frame was straight and in proper alignment, there was no way to bend it out to give more room on the passenger side for the replacement axle. The engine is centered, and can be moved fore and aft, but is appropriately situated side-to-side.
Can anyone diagnose this problem ? Why are the axles too tight only on the passenger side, and how can I keep them from being chewed up and spit out ? (I replaced an axle when I bought the van in '06, five years later, it has chewed up three in a week, with less than 200 miles left on this fourth one.) What gives ?
