Dodge Pickup with Twisted Bed

[bucky89]

Have an old 01 beater Dodge pickup. I'm trying to fix it back up. If you look at the picture you can see the bed is lower on the right side and isn't square with the cab and the front of the bed. Any idea what would cause that? Surely the coil spring isn't worn out. It's never been wrecked or anything. It looks just like that when it's on flat concrete. The driver side of the front is about an inch lower than the passenger side. I can't find anything wrong with it. Looks bad. Any ideas about what it could be?

 

[Junkyard]

Looking at the bed in relation to the window line the front looks level, parallel whatever you call it. The rear looks close to the same in relation to the bumper which I assume is mounted level. I wonder if the bed isn't tweaked. They're like pop cans now so somebody could have had tool boxes, a camper etc that tweaked the right rear corner. At least that's what the pic looks like. All the bed mounts straight etc? If you have a good level spot, park the truck and get the frame level front to back and side to side. Then measure the bed in various places and see if you can find the issue. I've seen frames tweaked ever so slightly from being overloaded.....

Junkyard

 

[92U 3406]

I had an '01 that had a similar tweak (not quite as bad as that though). I chalked it up to Chrysler's pathetic build quality and just lived with it.

 

[oarwhat]

I would jack up the right side and put blocks under the frame. then push the left side down with a loader or??.

 

[Delmer]

I would jack up the right side and put blocks under the frame. then push the left side down with a loader or??.

Fill the bed with a foot of sand, then lift the low side frame with a hydraulic jack? lower, eyeball it, and repeat as needed.

 

[kenh]

Front of bed appears to be parallel with window.
Problem area is right rear.

 

[lantraxco]

Empty it completely and park it on a flat level slab. Measure convenient points on each corner of the frame, not the body and measure on the rear axle from the axle up to a fixed point on the frame on each side, in the front if it has coils measure from the lower A arm like at the ball joint up to the bottom of the spring tower, see where it's off.

The road crown makes everything lean to the right and sometimes the right springs will relax more than the left. The frames on these trucks are strong but flexible so it's not unusual to see some twisting with the terrain and over time it can take a set, but my bet would be the springs first.

 

[fast_st]

Saggy spring on that side possibly due to wheel hop or age, or using it like a truck. drive the right wheel up atop a 4x4 block and see if that fixes it. Could also be that the cameraman has lost his right shoe.

 

[PJ The Kid]

I would look at the bed mount bushings, had an old ford that way and the rubbers were gone from between the bed and frame. Used to see it on cabs alot too.

 

[tpitt]

I agree!

I would look at the bed mount bushings, had an old ford that way and the rubbers were gone from between the bed and frame. Used to see it on cabs alot too.

 

[Willie B]

Start with a ruler on flat concrete. left/right comparisons. Tires? Springs? spring bushings? frame twisted? body mounts? body sprung? Once you know why, figure out how to fix.

Willie

 

[old-iron-habit]

A friend twisted his bed like that pulling a 30 ft trailer into a mountain camp site. Set the corner on the bed and never left a mark but still tweaked it. It was a Dodge also.

 

[bucky89]

Good info. Ordered new front coil springs and rubber pads, will try that and see. It straightens out when the front driver side is jacked up a smidge