What the heck is this on my Axle??

[91Sploder]

In a few weeks I'm gonna be installing a 5.5" Superlift on my truck and so I decided to do some pre-inspection on the car to see that everything is in good shape. Upon looking at the rear axle I noticed an object bolted to the side of the pumpkin. Does anybody know what this is? Is it a damper of some sort? And would it be alright to take it off?

 

[DocVijay]

What!?! You don't know what that is? Come on, everyone knows what that is. It's so easy! It's... umm...

OK, so what is it?

 

[j602]

Wow, that's odd looking. I don't have one of those on mine, so I can't tell you what it is, but I'd like to find out.

 

[XplorerKid]

Isnt that one of those things to help prevent Vibrations or whatever??

 

[91Sploder]

Anybody have any clue on what it is?

 

[explorer4x493]

It's a piece of metal, duh.....

 

[91Sploder]

Metal?! No way! I thought it was plastic. lol. Do you guys think it would be alright to take off? I guess its worth a shot

 

[AlaskanJack]

hahaha yep that's just the harmonic weight on the axle to reduce vibrations. I also had one on my t-case. take a look at the t-case you should find another.

I removed both of mine

 

[91Sploder]

When you took it off did you notice any difference in the driving? My car already vibrates enough when I do 65 so I really dont wanna make it worse.

 

[AlaskanJack]

well once you lift it you will get used to feeling vibrations. I noticed nothing when it was removed

 

[91Sploder]

Alright, well thanks alot AlaskanJack. I'm gonna go unbolt it and take a test drive to see if theres any difference. Thanks again

 

[nak4af]

Like AlaskanJack stated...It's a vibration dampner. It was a fix done years ago to correct the common explorer vibration woes! They are heavy little suckers. I use it more as a place to place my jack when lifting my rear axle on the passsenger side.

 

[j602]

Hey nak4af, haven't seen you around the boards very much. You truck looks pretty sweet. Got any pictures I could check out?

 

[nak4af]

Yeah! I've been in transit! Moved to Omaha Nebraska from Alaska. Boy! My wife and I sure do miss it! Our baby will be born any time now but we will deffinatly be out on the trails soon after. I have to see what this place has to offer.

 

[91Sploder]

Who ever put that on there welded it in place so it aint coming off. Hopefully I wont get caught up on anything because its there, but thanks everybody for telling me what it was.

 

[nak4af]

Can you take a chisle or a grinder to the welds, or have they made it a permenant part of the truck? If so, it has never held me up on a trail. You should be more worried about the shock mounts snagging than anything.

 

[cjbarron5]

it is a counter weight i havent quiet figured out for what but the t case has one too

 

[97BlackX5.0]

yeah its kinda freaky to get under there and see that... the 2nd gens have that as well as a third shock..... that goes from that attachment point to the frame rail.... kind of a lateral shock

 

[jimbo74]

some f150s have those on the exhuast too.... for no apparent reason at all....

 

[glfredrick]

They are there just so that the factory engineers can crow about Ford's being the quetest trucks built. They will work fine without the weights - albeit with more vibration (that is there anyway, just counterbalanced to make it less noticable).