Forum Discussion
flysar
Jun 17, 2014Explorer
I talked with Hallmark this morning they suspected bent tubes and/or faulty torsion bar(s).
As Hallmark suspected, bent and poorly aligned when welded bars were the problem - she's laying much better now.
Took a 2' & 4' straight edge to everything and found out the Drivers side (low in front) had a bent horizontal support bar forward of it's vertical support out to the roof bracket. But the real culprit on the drivers side was the forward vertical support bar (when the roof is up) was bent out or bent down (when lowered) which caused the front on the drivers side to contact early. After straightening those 2 bars it almost leveled out the front when lowered.
There were no bent bars on the passenger side (high in front) but I did see that the rear of the U-shaped support tube was not in alignment with the front, essentially twisted. I removed the passenger side assembly and as suspected the 8" tubes that are welded perpendicular to the horizontal top bar and insert into the U-shaped assembly were not in alignment with each other; either originally welded that way or possibly the torsion rod twisted the tube (not likely). Took the bar out to my trusty y-crotched tree that I use for straightening T-fence posts and twisted the tube putting them both in alignment. When assembled it raised the passenger side back end which pretty much leveled everything out when lowered.
Talk to enough folks, attack things step-by-step and with a little sweat equity this project is back on track; now I need to start laying fiberglass.
Thanks for the feedback.
As Hallmark suspected, bent and poorly aligned when welded bars were the problem - she's laying much better now.
Took a 2' & 4' straight edge to everything and found out the Drivers side (low in front) had a bent horizontal support bar forward of it's vertical support out to the roof bracket. But the real culprit on the drivers side was the forward vertical support bar (when the roof is up) was bent out or bent down (when lowered) which caused the front on the drivers side to contact early. After straightening those 2 bars it almost leveled out the front when lowered.
There were no bent bars on the passenger side (high in front) but I did see that the rear of the U-shaped support tube was not in alignment with the front, essentially twisted. I removed the passenger side assembly and as suspected the 8" tubes that are welded perpendicular to the horizontal top bar and insert into the U-shaped assembly were not in alignment with each other; either originally welded that way or possibly the torsion rod twisted the tube (not likely). Took the bar out to my trusty y-crotched tree that I use for straightening T-fence posts and twisted the tube putting them both in alignment. When assembled it raised the passenger side back end which pretty much leveled everything out when lowered.
Talk to enough folks, attack things step-by-step and with a little sweat equity this project is back on track; now I need to start laying fiberglass.
Thanks for the feedback.
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