Front axle sticking out on passenger side

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Hks575

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So I've got a 2010 Power Wagon, stock ride height. I've just finished installing a moog non adjustable track bar because I thought there was an issue with the adjustable Carli track bar I previously had on(which was adjusted as short as it could go). My axle is still sticking out on the passenger side, around an inch. I recently had a shop install the synergy HD steering upgrade, Carli ball joints and dynatrac freespin hubs. I figured there must be an issue with the hubs as the driver side doesn't stay locked anymore when I try to lock it. So I went under the truck to look and my passenger side axle shaft doesn't look all the way seated to me. I took a picture of the passenger side and driver's side. Before I go back to the shop that did the install, is this normal or is this what's making my tire stick out on the passenger side? My steering is also kind of sticky when the wheels are pointed straight, and loosens up when the wheels are pointed one direction or the other...
 

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MartyZ

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Something looks off in the Left Side Picture. Like its missing a bushing or not seated all the way. Does the spindle have play in it? (The part that goes into your axle that hold the U-Joint)
 
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Hks575

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Thanks for the reply!

I took it back to the shop that did the work and they told me the axles are designed to float in and out... They also said they've seen new trucks with their axles up to 5/8" off center... Can anyone confirm this?

Before i noticed what you can see in the pics I had taken it to a different shop to look at the wandering issue it has. They checked the ball joints(Carli) for tightness by disconnecting the tie rods and moving each tire from lock to lock. They also checked for binding in the gearbox(Redhead) by turning the steering wheel from lock to lock with the pitman arm disconnected from the drag link. They ended up having to loosen the box up a bit cause the steering was tight around when the wheel was centered, and he said the ball joints were right between being too tight and just fine, but should break in and loosen up over time. They didn't mention any play of any kind. The wandering had improved a little, but I still feel like an 8700lb ping pong ball bouncing from one side of the lane to the other going around long corners.
 

Brian2081

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Ok, the possible cause of your axle being off center is the front springs are wore out. And by that I mean they have lost some of their ability to support the weight of the truck.
When taken out and put side by side with the new springs they may be the same length but can not support the same amount of weight, thus allowing the frame of the truck to sit lower than originally and pushing the axle assy to the right.
One quick question, before you started all this, was your steering wheel turned slightly to the left ?
 
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Hks575

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You know, that does makes a lot of sense. The truck does have what i feel is a ridiculous amount of body roll for a 2500. The previous owner was Montana fish and game, so im sure it's seen a lot of abuse before I got my hands on it.

The truck had a lot of play in the steering wheel and was wandering, I don't remember which way the wheel was pointing at this point.
 

Brian2081

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You stated the adjustable trackbar was bottomed out (as short as possible), I would replace the springs. As for the hard steering, replace the steering box, the reason I say that is it appears you have addressed the rest of the steering components.
 
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Hks575

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The box has been replaced with a redhead gearbox. It needed to be loosened up cause it was contributing to the sticky steering, but it's good now.

At this point it's the Carli ball joints that are the stickiest part of the steering. I'm debating on replacing them with moog ball joints, I heard those aren't as tight as the carlis. But the tech did say they should loosen up over time.
 
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