can a housing be straightened ?
passenger side is bent up about a 1/2 "from what I can tell!
THANKS!
and great site!!!!!!!!

I watched a guy straighten a roundy-round 9" yesterday with a rosebud and a hydraulic press.
He has a shaft sized like the axle as well as a socket type guage that fits over the full floater ends. It was slick. You know, I was kinda like a kid in a candy store watching him. pdq67

Yes it can. Some rear end shops have the tools to do it. I have straightened a few with my press. I built a fixture to hold the housing and set up a dial indicator on the tube so I could measure how much I was bending it.

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'69 RS/SS396 pro street
427/4spd/9"

Take the rearend out of the car,put the tires back on.Get 2 old rims,set the rearend on top of the rims.Your rearend will not roll around now.Set the dial indicator up against the top,sidewall of one tire.Now grab the pinion,and spin it while watching the gauge.When the gauge shows the furthest out,mark that spot on the tube.Heat a spot cherry red about 1.5" in diameter,if you want a thrill,watch the gauge while you heat,it moves real fast the wrong way.Then quench it with old motor oil,keep a water hose handy,it will start on fire.Keep doing this on top of the tube till it's straight(less than .05 out) I've straightened tubes that were 1/2" out this way. You have to be patient.After you finish with one side,check the other,you will probably be surprised that it's not straight either.I,ve seen brand new housings that were out .100".It's amazing how a bent, but visually straight housing will make your car handle like a f%rd! Seems like a lotta work,take it to a professional,cost- 125-150$. good luck, Dale

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68 z28 68 rs 327 73 454 vette

I have a home made engine pulling stand,looks like a kids swing set without the swings. I thought I might be able to chain each end of the rear to the top bar and put a bottle jack in the middle and pess it staight ,it is an empty housing

does this sound like it wuold work?

[This message has been edited by 4 speed (edited 01-31-2001).]

You want to straighten the tube that's bent,if you could chain it on either side of the bend it would work. This will take A LOT of force, without heat.Also,eye balling the straightness is not good enough. A slightly bent rearend,one you probably could'nt see will have a large effect on handling. Not to mention, hard on axle bearings.

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68 z28 68 rs 327 73 454 vette