did my X get dropped off the lift?

[jasonb]

did my X get dropped off the lift? help please!

ok.. i won't mention the dealer yet at least because they have had great customer service, at least i think they have. here is the deal... i found some more busted wheel studs on my rear passenger wheel. i replaced 2 on the front passenger myself and i believe this was caused by them overtighening them and stripping them very badly when i got a "free" tire rotation one day. ok.. so i take it to a dealer to put 2 new ones in that rear wheel and they first say they can't because only oil lube guys are there. there is a long line so i go home while my truck waits in line to get oil changed. they call me back to tell me they fixed the studs when a normal service tech came in and had to pull my axle out and take apart the diffy to do so. ok.. i don't care as long as its fixed. they know what they are doing right? i go get the truck and drive off.. its about 1 minute before they close. i get about .25 miles down the road and i hear a couple of clunk in the back and then some nasty squeling that matches the rotation of the tire and its coming from the passenger rear side. i go a bit more (my house is only 4 miles from the dealer) and feel the wheel seems to be a bit shaky. a few people actually pulled beside me to tell me my back wheel was wobbling. i went the remainder of the way at that point about .5 mile to my house at about 15 mph. called them the next morning to tell them about it. i get it towed back to them for them to fix.
i was hoping it was just that some wieghts fell off or maybe something small, but i feared the axle was bent. called today to check and yep.. the axle was bent and a new one will be here tomorrow. ok.. here is my question.. what could they have done to bend the axle?!? i'm worried they dropped it off the lift from some distance or something and didn't tell me.
my main concern is other components that could be broken or damaged that i won't notice for a while. what should i look for? i'm going to ask them tomorrow how the axle got bent and if they are honest with me, or i feel they are, i'll be happy and work with them. but if i don't feel they are honest, you guys will all get to know who it was. thanks for any comments.

it really sucks driving the old honda while my truck is in the shop. i feel like i'm in a bobsled or something.

 

[TarHeel085]

i would look at the backing plates (the caliper i mean) on the old axle, and also the bottom of the diff.

 

[mrboyle]

It would be almost impossible to drop a vehicle off a hoist without causing major body damage. It sounds to me like the genius that felt it was necessary to pull the axle in order to change the studs is the one to blame. Whoever he was, he must not have a whole lot of experience with fixing wheel studs. You don't have to pull the axle to change them, you just drive the old ones out with a punch then use a washer and an old lugnut to reinstall the new ones. What it sounds like he did was to use a press to remove and install the new studs, and in dooing so he bent the axle flange.

 

[jasonb]

mike, yeah i explained that method after they told me the axle was pulled. the guy looked at me as if i was crazy then had that look like "hmm.. that would probably work". i should have just done it myself in the first place.
and i didn't mean dropped as in like it fell off at 6' up or anything. i just meant maybe as it was being raised that side slipped off or something and hit the axle.
your idea sounds much more likely. thanks!

 

[offroader_69_me]

Originally posted by mrboyle
It would be almost impossible to drop a vehicle off a hoist without causing major body damage. It sounds to me like the genius that felt it was necessary to pull the axle in order to change the studs is the one to blame. Whoever he was, he must not have a whole lot of experience with fixing wheel studs. You don't have to pull the axle to change them, you just drive the old ones out with a punch then use a washer and an old lugnut to reinstall the new ones. What it sounds like he did was to use a press to remove and install the new studs, and in dooing so he bent the axle flange.

EXACTLY

and if they dropped it enough to bend an axle then someting else would be messed up i.e. windows blown body bent something else would have gone axles are stronger than any body part or glass!

 

[mattadams]

Ryan and I saw them drive an oldsmobile off the front of a lift at meineke one day. They towed it back and I don't think they ever told the owner.it didn't cause any obvious damage but who knows what it really did?

 

[mikefox]

When I worked at a local Ford dealer in 1990, I used to change oil and undercoat vehicles. Well, the guy in the bay next to me was lifting a brand new 1 ton diesel crew-cab 4x4 (very heavy truck) on his hoist (single post air type). About 3 ft off the ground the 2 front hoist pads that were put up to raise the truck broke and the truck slammed down on the hoist and slid foward. He stopped the hoist as fast as he could and we just stood there saying holy sh$t. We had the service manager come to see what had happened and what he wanted us to do. The customer was coming in a couple hours to take delivery after the uncercoating was done and had dried.

The damage to the truck included a broken grill, dented hood and bent rear drive shaft. They ended up using a grill, hood and drive shaft from other new trcuks on the lot. I don't know if they ever told the customer or not. After they replaced the parts they brought back to the guy so he could undercoat it still while laying on his back.

After that happened, we never put that big of truck on the 2 hoists we had again.

 

[taxx]

Originally posted by mrboyle
It would be almost impossible to drop a vehicle off a hoist without causing major body damage. It sounds to me like the genius that felt it was necessary to pull the axle in order to change the studs is the one to blame. Whoever he was, he must not have a whole lot of experience with fixing wheel studs. You don't have to pull the axle to change them, you just drive the old ones out with a punch then use a washer and an old lugnut to reinstall the new ones. What it sounds like he did was to use a press to remove and install the new studs, and in dooing so he bent the axle flange.

actually on the second gen you have to pull the axel to get the new studs all the way in(to do it right). There isn't an easy way to do it.