Ya do realize torquing to 185ftlbs on each leg will NOT do that. In roughly 40 years in this hobby I’ve yet to see a 3”schedule 40 pipe collapse like that with standard U- bolts. Those bolts are not even that strong. Not sure what that axle was used in but I’m pretty sure that standard bolts would stretch long before indenting the tubes like that.
IMHO.
Right they must not have been too standard of u-bolts! Not sure how else you would get a perfect u bolt indent in an axle tube like that. I’ve only installed 2 rear ends and have never seen that.
