Did I just bend my front axle?

[leadpot]

Used my floor jack in the center of the front axle to raise car which I have done before. Later the A was sitting in driveway and looking at the front from a distance it looks like my front tires are toed in. Have not done any measurements but to my eye it looks obvious. Did I screw up?

[Ron in Quincy]

You are suppose to have 7 degrees of camber on each front wheel, it is built in ; providing your axel is not bent, the only thing you need to do is making sure you have the toe in correct as it effects tire wear and ease of steering.

Ron

[leadpot]

So it is ok to jack up the car by the axle?

[George Miller]

Originally Posted by leadpot

Used my floor jack in the center of the front axle to raise car which I have done before. Later the A was sitting in driveway and looking at the front from a distance it looks like my front tires are toed in. Have not done any measurements but to my eye it looks obvious. Did I screw up?

Maybe the tie rod.

[Mitch//pa]

U can jack it up by the axle

[SeaSlugs]

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Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

U can jack it up by the axle

yup, just don't go pulling stumps or wrap a tow strap around the middle of it...

[Charlville]

Always jack mine up on the axle
I'd be worried if you were able to bend it with the jack

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

"Maybe" you positioned the jack wrong & bent the tie rod, but that would cause it to be toed OUT!!
Bill Puzzled

[Bulligen]

I think it would take quite a bit more to bend an axle like that. The ford I-beam is a very tough animal. Think about the force it takes to drop an axle for a hot rod.

[Dollar Bill]

Have you moved the car since letting it off the jack? Worn king pins would allow caster change until the car is moved. Of course if they were worn that much you would have driveability problems

[RonC]

The axle is very strong vertically. However horizontally they bend very easy as when you hit something with your tire. The good thing is horizontally they are easy to bend back on a small 20 ton+ diy garage press.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I believe Ron answered the question in #2.
I think the OP meant CAMBER rather than TOE IN.

[katy]

You are suppose to have 7 degrees of camber on each front wheel, it is built in

Methinks camber on an A is 2° per side, NOT 7°.

[Tinbasher]

Just jounce and rebound the front of the car. In other words push down on the front bumper a few times. This will settle the front spring and you'll find the problem may go away.

John Poole