Ok so the front axle still won't line up, and now I know why.
Back in the 70s my father slid on ice with the car and one wheel clipped the curb. This put the steering out of alignment and he had to get it fixed. Well the car was fine after that, the steering worked well ect. Now that it has come to putting on a new front axle things just don't line up. The chassis rail on the nearside was buckled and so was the actual axle, both being about 2-3mm out on the hole on that side. This has amounted to the new axle being about 5mm out on the hole, this might not sound a lot but when you try and bend an axle or chassis rail back into position it doesn't matter if it's 2mm or 50mm, you wont be able to get it to budge.
There is filler all around this hole and, the hole itself seems to also be wrong, with the sleeving inside being diagonal so that the bolt doesnt run straight through but at an angle. This might be hard to visualize so I have taken some pictures. You will also be able to see some "rippling" from the hole up the chassis rail.
How it should be
Bolt quite clearly going up at an angle
So as you see, I have quite a dilemma here, I cant afford for the chassis to be straightened, and don't have the facilities to rebuild the old chassis, plus I'm not sure that it would even fit (or if it would be right to put back a slightly bent axle).
So I need ideas, ways or someone to help! Please how do I do this, i've tried brute force to get the new axle to line up, ive put the top mounts in first, but the back dont line up, ive put the back first but the top dont line up, ive taken the top out to try and bring the axle up to the mounts but nothing....
The only thing we've thought of is to move the position of the hole on the buckled side by welding a new hole and sleeve in. or to maybe even do the top mounts in a new position (GOODBYE PAINT...)