02 Silverado 3.73 Axle Problem

gmchevroletruck · July 8, 2009

Question...if anyone can make sense of this:

Have an 02 Silverado, has 130k on it now, problem started probably...25k ago (yes, I know...save that for later)....

Problem is this: left rear wheel has too much negative camber, the wheel is "in" at the top, and "out" at the bottom. Left rear wheel only. Was not like this when I bought the truck, and not exactly sure when it happened, I just noticed it one day. Of course, that tire is worn on the inside badly, while the other 3 are still decent. I would like to figure out what the problem is, before I spend money on tires that will just get chewed up immediately.

What I had guessed that it was is, that I had overloaded the bed one time (put way too much weight, delivering wood flooring pallets for a customer), and I assumed that maybe I had bent the rear axle by doing this. However, several fellow truck owners I have talked to, have insisted that an axle housing will either break, or not break, but since it is cast, it will not bend. It also does not appear to be bent, and the more I look at how "close to the edge of the axle" that the "bump-stop" is, which is what would make contact with the axle anyway, it appears pretty unlikely that you could bend anything that way, unless it just put too much weight on the wheels, which are of course connected to the internal parts of the axle, inside the housing, and caused the shaft to bend?

Anyone experienced with rear axles, have any ideas on what is causing this? It does not appear to be affecting the rear right at all, and that tire is just fine. Only the rear left.

Thanks for the help, in advance

Alljackedup408 · July 9, 2009

kinda confused here.. if the axle inside the housing was bent.. your wheel would wobble. if the wheel was bent it would wobble as well.... do you drive your truck loaded alot?

redvett · July 9, 2009

The center housing is cast iron but the tubes are mild steel tubing and will bend.

markw8 · July 10, 2009

You might have some very unhappy bearings on that side too. The axle tubes are pressed into the center section. I'm not sure if the tube bends, if they shift within the center section.

Mark

Alljackedup408 · July 10, 2009

im thinkin the over loading is bending the tubes some while driving... but that would cause some binding in the rear end... the bearings are at the ends of the tubes.. they could be giving in... its just not a normal issue.. lol. do urself a favor and get a heavy duty or stick a 14 bolt in it