I'm at a loss

[Wvumountaineers1]

Here the USA Today edition of the situation in currently in. Last week I lent my 2002 explorer sport (not sport trac) to a friends so he could tow a small uhaul trailer and move. He was in the way back to return my explorer and in the rain he somehow ended up smacking a curb pretty hard. Hard enough that he bent the axle shaft. 3 days ago I finally put a new one on and this was on the driver side rear and got all new rims. The axle is 30.5 inches same as the stock so I know the length is right but that wheel and tire in inward by about 2.5 inches compared with the other side. It doesn't look like it used to. When you stand behind you can tell. Car drives smooth and pretty straight but it is inward. The best visual I could give would be someone with I crsible strength pushing in on that wheel assembly and this is the end result. Any ideas what else I could check for and hopefully replace to bring it back out?

 

[drdoom]

Check the rear toe link to see if it's bent. Also pull a piece of string from front wheel to rear for a quick reference of straightness.

 

[Number4]

2 door or 4 door?

Don't know setup on 2 door, for 4 door:

I agree with @drdoom, the toe links are long skinny rods. If the wheel and axle were damaged, there's no way the toe link wasn't.

Each of the rear wheels have one. They meet up at the same point near the middle of the rear end. At the knuckle, they'll look like a tie rod.

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

Thanks for the replys. Unfortunately no toe links on the two door. Here are some pictures. Again this happened on the left rear and in the pictures below I'm sure you can tell. The suspension pictures are all from the side effected. I must add that the sway bar link that has the crooked bolt is the same way on the passenger side.

 

[Turdle]

wow, I would say the frame is bent. The axle housing has locating tabs, which may be broken, but to me it looks like the leaf spring shackles are swingin to the right, which means the frame is tweaked. The rear diff "pumpkin" should appear centered in the sway bar ---the upper end of the u bolts look like they are shoved to the passenger side.

A frame shop should be able to pull it back to straight in about 2-3 hours.

Your 2002 sport is actually made off the 1995-2001 2nd gen platform, so, i am moving this thread to the 2nd gen sub forum.

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

Oh boy not what I wanted to hear. Would it even be worth it to have the frame bent back. I have no idea what the charge could even be for that. I'm assuming if they bend it back if that's the case then the wheel would go back out like it's supposed to be?

 

[Turdle]

what a frame shop can do in a hour time would amaze you. I doubt it would be over 100 per hour. They do this sort of thing every day,

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

Appreciate the insight! No fun when this happens to a poor college student haha. I should find a frame place and at least take it in but in the interim if you or anyone else has any ideas what else could cause this let me know. I can provide more pics as well but you seem pretty confident

 

[koda2000]

Lessen to be learned... NEVER LEND YOUR VEHICLE TO ANYONE.

 

[Turdle]

1 other question for the OP
What about the wheel? Certainly if the axle was bent, that wheel was also???

Could this issue of symmetry be exaggerated by a replacement wheel with different backspacing or offset?

The axle is off center, of course, but I wonder about that wheel--


also, check the leaf springs. take a string and stretch it tight end to end to make a straight line and see if the leafs seem to bow toward the passenger side-

 

[RandomNerd2000]

That frame looks tweaked, frame shop should be able to make quick work of that, lesson learned, eh? I don't lend mine to anybody, not even my parents.

 

[koda2000]

I was also wondering if the wheel back-spacing between the left and right wheels were the same?

 

[drdoom]

Pretty nice driveway for a poor college student ;-)

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

Pretty nice driveway for a poor college student ;-)

Haha home for winter break. My parents driveway!

As for the wheel spacing and axle offset. For my year vehicle the axle shaft for the passenger side is 28 5/8 inches. The driver side which was the side affected is 30 1/2 so yes the differential housing is offset by nature. Yes the factory wheel was tore up so I got these rims at discount tire. No spacers behind them or anything like that just a direct fit into the hub.

 

[koda2000]

Haha home for winter break. My parents driveway!

As for the wheel spacing and axle offset. For my year vehicle the axle shaft for the passenger side is 28 5/8 inches. The driver side which was the side affected is 30 1/2 so yes the differential housing is offset by nature. Yes the factory wheel was tore up so I got these rims at discount tire. No spacers behind them or anything like that just a direct fit into the hub.

But that doesn't insure the back-spacing between the 2 rear wheels is the same. What if the guy at the tire place grabbed one wheel that looked the same as the other 3 but wasn't?

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

But that doesn't insure the back-spacing between the 2 rear wheels is the same. What if the guy at the tire place grabbed one wheel that looked the same as the other 3 but wasn't?

I did have the spare in there after the shaft replacement to goto the tire shop and the spare looked exactly the same. I'm trying to find a piece of string to measure the leaf springs also. Maybe that will give some more insight also.

 

[96eb96]

Friend should be ready to pony up for repairs now!

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

The leaf springs to goto the right. Very hard to tell with the string but when you get behind the car and stand directly in line with the driver side and then passenger side you can tell the is a decent slope to the passenger side ones

 

[Wvumountaineers1]

Once again I appreciate all the suggestions. I am going to get the frame looked without a doubt. Now is it best to goto a normal colllsion shop for this?

 

[koda2000]

Once again I appreciate all the suggestions. I am going to get the frame looked without a doubt. Now is it best to goto a normal colllsion shop for this?

Normal as long as they have a frame straightener machine/table.