Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Got a question for you seasoned drivers with older rigs. I have a 1999 F350 Dually Quad Cab Long Bed. I've been driving it for thousands of miles and for the most part, it's been fine. However, while ...
Forum Discussion
valhalla360 wrote:
Yes, frames will flex but big difference between a low speed off road once in a while vs repeated 2inch flex for hundreds/thousands of miles cruising down the freeway
Look up fatigue loading failures on google to get an understanding. In a fatigue failure, the item typically looks and operates perfectly fine...until it doesn't. Most of the damage is microscopic and internal to the metal until it finally gives way.
Dude, Forgetting for the moment I can't think of ANYONE who puts 100's of 1000's of miles hauling their camper with their trucks, I put over 40K miles on that 97 and it was flexing all the time. IMHO: Not a issue.
Considering all three OEM's use the same frame for their 10-14K GVWR trucks I think its a non-issue.
Given the 'top heavy' nature of hauling campers something has got to give right? Be it the suspension+tires or the frame itself. Since most of us ADD to the suspension to make it stiffer guess what the side effect is?
Also given most of us have N/S Queen beds (~80") and the foot of the bed is ~6in+ forward of the truck bed portion of the camper and nose of the camper can be ~6-12in beyond the head of the bed.
So I'll let you math experts figure out how much actual 'flex' equates to 1,2,3-4" of nose movement 92-100" away. I'm guessing it is not much.
- Mark0.
