The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop how the level rear of bed????

My bed isn't level from side to side.

when viewed from behind my bed rises to the right corner.

what is causing it to be out of level & how do you fix it?

Thanks

Carl

Bed mounts..we hope...rather than a bent frame that is. New mounts should do it. Not sure what year, but look under and you will more than likely see uneven rubber mount wear. Should be cheap. Just loosen and do a side at a time with a floor jack should work...good luck with the old bolts!

What of all the mounts were new?
tweaked frame?

thanks

how about one weak spring? or broken leafs, or even bad cab mounts, making it look like the bed is the problem?

get out the tape measure and start checking, and if all the mounts are new, that's the first thing to check!

Bill

My truck does the same thing do to how the guy I bought it from lowered it...by taking out leafs, and heating them up....it is really noticeable when you try and take the left back tire off, you can't unless I lower the stand on the right side of the truck...something else I have to replace later.......So Red58 probably has the answer weak spring or broken leafs.

My truck is all stripped down now, but the first time around I remember the bed always looked crooked. Thats with new springs, new bed mounts, new wood, new crossmembers. Cab mounds were fine.

Guess i'll have to investigate it more once.

(sorry Carl, not trying to steal your thread)

When that is the case, measure frame to the ground on each side to see differences. With a tape you should find a difference in measurements somewhere, that that will isolate the problem.

the wood parts being rotten will make the bed sage also

Carl, why don’t you clue us in to what flavor truck your working on? All the suggestions are good here. Just establish a datum on the garage floor and start checking the symmetry from there side to side. When you run into a difference, you have found the bent/broken/worn/rotted part that needs to be replaced. I would check the level of the frame with the truck sitting down on the suspension, that would eliminate the tires, wheels, springs, bent frame from the equation. Then as the guys suggest replace the mounts, or possibly some wood that is rotted.
We kind of need to know what you’re working on though. The guys here have lots of experience and a lot of manuals to reference to.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I recently took the rear leaf springs off my 49 1/2 ton (swapping rear end as part of putting in an open drive shaft/t-5 conversion).

Anyway, I put the two leaf springs side by side and the passenger side spring ends were a good inch lower the other side (passenger side had "de-arched" more over time). That's enough to cause the bed to sag an inch on the passenger side, all other factors being equal.

I was curious, so when I was in the shop yesterday I got out the tape. New springs, shackles, bed mounts, wood..and so on.
Measures the same from frame to the ground at the back so once I get the disc brake rear in, i'll investigate it further. -shrug-

thanks anyways.

If the frame is the same to the ground on both sides, I can't help but to think a keen eye should be able to locate the differences. Look down both frame rails and you should see some irregularities from side to side..you have to considering the frame is OK.