Typhon Backyard engineers

[iualum1989]

Anyone ever straighten a bent shock tower or driveshaft with an anvil and sledge? Asking for a friend…

 

[Tex Koder]

Anyone ever straighten a bent shock tower or driveshaft with an anvil and sledge? Asking for a friend…

Give it some heat with a blowtorch and tap tap tap with a hammer..

Good as new!

 

[Dan B.]

An anvil and a sledge? Are the shock towers and driveshaft from your earthmover?
You can straighten bent parts, but anything that spins (driveshafts, center shafts) will exhibit vibration afterwards sometimes unless you get them really straight. Usually ok on off road bashers, although your bearings service life might be impacted. Most definitely not ok on an on road car that sees high speed.
And a sledgehammer will not be necessary.

 

[Mike'sGN-Kraton]

You have a vice? And some duck bill vice grips? Good as new.... With a little patience that is. Mike

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal]

Sledgehammer and concrete garage floor straightened my Kratons shock tower no problemo.

 

[RC Steve]

How about asphalt and a tire iron, been there and done that. It's a temporary solution to get your truck running again. Once your parts are structurally damaged you should replace them.

 

[Rowdyray]

All sorts of pieces and parts. And whatever tools at arms length. Sometimes you get creative away from home.

 

[Johnny b]

C4 works also.

 

[Dan B.]

 

[ahr43]

Did that with an aluminum front shock tower back in the day racing 1/8 nitro bug.

My roll-cab has sheet steel fit to the top. It served as a 'surface plate' backup for the bent tower. Flattened the bend out with smacks from a 4lb hammer. Tower was 6061 Al and held its hardness. Did not deform. Fortunately.

Already had a replacement on order, so when it came doubled up on front shock towers. The old straightened one and the new one. Never bent either again.

 

[Bustedaw11]

You do what you gotta do with what you've got to do it
Heck yeah I've done it.

 

[dure16]

driveshaft

Look up the 3 bolt method for driveshafts

 

[TRIOXIN]

I straightened this rear shock tower by setting it on a 10 pound steel weight and whacking it with a hammer. I might have initially sandwiched it between two weights and stepped on it a few times hard, to flatten it some before the hammer.

Did not come out perfect, and of course strength will be compromised, but I won't be bashing it hard. I got this second hand damaged so did what I could to make it work cheaply. I do not recall if I used any heat.

After beating on it for a while (it is not completely straight, I know, but close enough and can drive it).

 

[Tex Koder]

I straightened this rear shock tower by setting it on a 10 pound steel weight and whacking it with a hammer. I might have initially sandwiched it between two weights and stepped on it a few times hard, to flatten it some before the hammer.

Did not come out perfect, and of course strength will be compromised, but I won't be bashing it hard. I got this second hand damaged so did what I could to make it work cheaply. I do not recall if I used any heat.

View attachment 313702
View attachment 313703



After beating on it for a while (it is not completely straight, I know, but close enough and can drive it).
View attachment 313706

If you're not speed running, it's Good enough

 

[iualum1989]

thanks for all the advice! Had to move to the garage floor on the tower because the anvil was too small. Got both pretty close but the drive shaft just bent again after about half a battery. It’s a basher so we will see how the shock tower holds up.

 

[Bustedaw11]

One thing to remember-
Aluminum doesn't like to bend multiple times. The more you work it the more brittle it will be. Best with a tower to lay it with the high side up and use a big faced hammer that can hit the whole thing at once. One good flat smack to flatten. If you go back and forth at all your gonna be having a tower snap off on ya pretty easy.

 

[Tex Koder]

^^^
Agreed.

Something simple and flat ,like so

to place on top of your bent piece and good hardy wack!

 

[iualum1989]

Just to follow up, have another couple of battery packs on the straightened shock tower and it’s holding up well. I can’t believe how much abuse this rig takes. I did the “tap tap tap” method, not the “single whack” method, but so far, so good.