Twisted Truck? UPDATE-Fixed!

[BFL13]

Update--21 May

In the photo you can see what is driving me crazy 🙂



Before I levelled it all ( I thought) the whole thing was low on the left and to the front. So I drove up on a Rhino ramp front left and fixed all that according to the levels back on the camper.

But now looking at it all from the front, it looks like the camper is leaning to the left, when in fact it is almost level, and the truck cab is leaning to the right.

So the truck must be twisted between the cab and the box? Is that possible? If so is it bad for the truck? Or am I going blind?

How should I be levelling it if that is bad for the truck? Use more Rhino ramps, set just so here and there, so it comes out right with the camper looking level vs the truck cab? What a PITA! Or does it matter?

Thanks.

[Grit_dog]

JRscooby wrote:

I must be hard of understanding. If I stack up 3 2X 12s all a foot long, I would think the tire would push top off instead of climbing. OTOH, put a 10 inch on top a 12 inch on top of a 14 inch, likely will walk up with no trouble. Even with my 13 inch trailer tires.

Sorry if I was unclear, yes, stair stepped. I jsut jamb all the boards against the tire and that stair steps them enough to climb up.

And like morsnow said, I have used 4wd or 4lo to ease up them (mainly because my old truck was a manual trans with a on/off clutch, not much slipping to be had to ease into something).

4wd aldo helps to pull the wheel up without kicking the boards out vs pushing a non driven tire onto the boards.

I generally used 2x6s or occasionally pull onto a 4x4 like bedlam.

[Bedlam]

I have some blocks of 4x6 I use to level. Put it in 4-low and creep right up the blocks. I am not going 2" increments and only use the 4" step or find a different spot.

[MORSNOW]

I use 2x6's under my tires s they're easy to store in my little cubbies. The key to driving up on a stack is idling up in 4 Low (4x4 low range), you can climb up a stack of three without any problem.

[JRscooby]

Grit dog wrote:

Same length? Sometimes. As long as they're long enough to get the tire fully on the stack, that's good. Sometimes they're pieces I cut for ramp blocks sometimes random lumber, sometimes they split and then start the next campfire!
I found bigger truck tires seem to be just big enough to drive up on stair stepped 2x material without kicking them out, if they're all shoved up against the tire. Wouldn't work with smaller diameter wheels like on my trailers, but leftover 5/4 decking (1" thick) works the same under smaller dia wheels.

I must be hard of understanding. If I stack up 3 2X 12s all a foot long, I would think the tire would push top off instead of climbing. OTOH, put a 10 inch on top a 12 inch on top of a 14 inch, likely will walk up with no trouble. Even with my 13 inch trailer tires.

[Grit_dog]

mkirsch wrote:


I don't see any post like that.

No, you're right, OPs update of his first post did not add the explanation of the adding 2 more ramps. Only mentioned further down in the thread, but of no consequence really.
I'd only "park" on a slope like that if necessary, not by design.

[Grit_dog]

BFL13 wrote:
No you drive up part way till height is right

Yes awkward to store

And really silly. That is the equivalent of parking your vehicle on like a 33% grade! Well 3 outta 4 wheels anyway...

[mkirsch]

BFL13 wrote:

mkirsch wrote:
So your subject says "UPDATE-Fixed!"

How did you "fix" it?

IMHO for leveling you should always put blocks under two wheels at a time. Need to level side-to-side? Put blocks under the front and rear wheels on that side. Need to level front to back? Put blocks under both front or rear wheels as needed.

This will mean that one wheel will have more blocks than the other three, and one wheel will have no blocks, but they will all be on the same level plane, and no twisting.

What you did here was lift the left front corner higher than the other three wheels. The truck is kind of "balancing" on the left front and right rear, with the other two wheels providing stability. Not a problem short term but as Grit Dog says you probably don't want to make a habit of it.

As reported earlier 21 May at 1117 (unless you don't have that post yet 🙂 ) I fixed it by using three Rhino ramps instead of just one as in the OP.

First I used one for the back left to get that end sideways level. That left the front low but no more twist seen above the cab. Then I used one under each front tire to get the whole rig level front to back.

The right rear is on the ground.

I don't see any post like that.

[BFL13]

No you drive up part way till height is right

Yes awkward to store

[Grit_dog]

Issue with OP using premade ramps is, you only get one height and it's a TC and having 3 ramps is not exactly portable or practical on the road.

[Grit_dog]

JRscooby wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
And to the folks that were like “you’re truck has a serious problem, check your suspension for broken springs…” ROFLMAO!

OP, not sure if you’re making “ramps” or using maintenance ramps, but suggestion, just cut a bunch of 2x6s or 2x8s the same length and you can stack them about 3 high at any wheel as needed.
Never gave this much thought when we had a tc. Just carried an assortment of scrap lumber cut up to build “ramps”. Sometimes they got used for firewood and replaced with more scrap lumber!

Same length? I would think it would be hard to drive up on the stack like that. Now in the board was a few inches longer than the 1 on top of it would work better?
OP says has stick on levels. (Drive in some small, short screws to be sure they don't trump you over time). Find a level piece of pavement. Pull both front tires on blocks. Now mark position of side bubble. On 2 blocks, mark again. Than 3. Repeat for rear tires. Then each side. Lots of work, but much easier when ready to set up. Park where you want it, add low front/rear to low side/side to know how tall stack needs to be under 2 or 3 wheels. Now build the stacks next to, and centered on each wheel. Move truck in straight line no farther then needed to get each wheel past ramp, (Better to up hill. Don't need to climb ramp and hill same time), slide ramps in line with tires keeping spacing. Pull back up on ramps.

Same length? Sometimes. As long as they're long enough to get the tire fully on the stack, that's good. Sometimes they're pieces I cut for ramp blocks sometimes random lumber, sometimes they split and then start the next campfire!
I found bigger truck tires seem to be just big enough to drive up on stair stepped 2x material without kicking them out, if they're all shoved up against the tire. Wouldn't work with smaller diameter wheels like on my trailers, but leftover 5/4 decking (1" thick) works the same under smaller dia wheels.

[JRscooby]

Grit dog wrote:
And to the folks that were like “you’re truck has a serious problem, check your suspension for broken springs…” ROFLMAO!

OP, not sure if you’re making “ramps” or using maintenance ramps, but suggestion, just cut a bunch of 2x6s or 2x8s the same length and you can stack them about 3 high at any wheel as needed.
Never gave this much thought when we had a tc. Just carried an assortment of scrap lumber cut up to build “ramps”. Sometimes they got used for firewood and replaced with more scrap lumber!

Same length? I would think it would be hard to drive up on the stack like that. Now in the board was a few inches longer than the 1 on top of it would work better?
OP says has stick on levels. (Drive in some small, short screws to be sure they don't trump you over time). Find a level piece of pavement. Pull both front tires on blocks. Now mark position of side bubble. On 2 blocks, mark again. Than 3. Repeat for rear tires. Then each side. Lots of work, but much easier when ready to set up. Park where you want it, add low front/rear to low side/side to know how tall stack needs to be under 2 or 3 wheels. Now build the stacks next to, and centered on each wheel. Move truck in straight line no farther then needed to get each wheel past ramp, (Better to up hill. Don't need to climb ramp and hill same time), slide ramps in line with tires keeping spacing. Pull back up on ramps.

[BFL13]

mkirsch wrote:
So your subject says "UPDATE-Fixed!"

How did you "fix" it?

IMHO for leveling you should always put blocks under two wheels at a time. Need to level side-to-side? Put blocks under the front and rear wheels on that side. Need to level front to back? Put blocks under both front or rear wheels as needed.

This will mean that one wheel will have more blocks than the other three, and one wheel will have no blocks, but they will all be on the same level plane, and no twisting.

What you did here was lift the left front corner higher than the other three wheels. The truck is kind of "balancing" on the left front and right rear, with the other two wheels providing stability. Not a problem short term but as Grit Dog says you probably don't want to make a habit of it.

As reported earlier 21 May at 1117 (unless you don't have that post yet 🙂 ) I fixed it by using three Rhino ramps instead of just one as in the OP.

First I used one for the back left to get that end sideways level. That left the front low but no more twist seen above the cab. Then I used one under each front tire to get the whole rig level front to back.

The right rear is on the ground.

[mkirsch]

Grit dog wrote:
And to the folks that were like “you’re truck has a serious problem, check your suspension for broken springs…” ROFLMAO!

Just to be clear for those that don't understand why "springs" aren't the problem, the springs would only affect the position of the WHEELS. It would not cause the cab to twist. The body is not on springs.

[mkirsch]

So your subject says "UPDATE-Fixed!"

How did you "fix" it?

IMHO for leveling you should always put blocks under two wheels at a time. Need to level side-to-side? Put blocks under the front and rear wheels on that side. Need to level front to back? Put blocks under both front or rear wheels as needed.

This will mean that one wheel will have more blocks than the other three, and one wheel will have no blocks, but they will all be on the same level plane, and no twisting.

What you did here was lift the left front corner higher than the other three wheels. The truck is kind of "balancing" on the left front and right rear, with the other two wheels providing stability. Not a problem short term but as Grit Dog says you probably don't want to make a habit of it.