Body lines dont line up STRAIGHT?

[LANCE65]

Alot of the bumpsides I have seen, the bed and cab never seem to sit straight. The bed is always going upward in the rear.Kinda like the frame is bent between the cab and bed. Are they all that way? If so WHY?
Thanks.
-Lance

[BobbyFord]

Rusted out cab mounts and/or sagged out cab mount insulators.

[FORDification]

Right...it's not the bed that's angled, it's the cab and front sheetmetal that have rusted out and sagged.

[LANCE65]

I thought the same thing, but most of them had "0" rust. I have taken a string level and the bed actually goes up in the rear. Maybe it could be body bushings,but it seems that the cab would be higher than the bed. Just confused. Thanks
-Lance

[AustinTom]

If the truck is not on level ground or one of the rear tires is low, that will cause the frame and therefore the bed to twist slightly. Maybe this can account for the unevenness you've experienced?

[4x4x4crewcab]

Right or wrong after reassembling and adjusting all the panels on my truck by using different used front doors, rebuilt rear doors, a different box and aftermarket fenders my lines were a bit off too. We used a small amount of filler on some of the front and or rear bump edges to reshape. It worked really well. It doesn't take much and it sure brings the lines back in shape.
Just a idea it worked good for me.

[fordman]

you know i have seen the same thing happen to my truck. it looks like the frame has bowed down in the middle. i did get up under it and checked the rubber cab mounts and they dont seem to be crushed. my rad support bushings arent any more mashed than they were. the bed mountings arent rusted either. i am just as unsure as you are lance. it all makes sence but you never know i might be wrong about the rubbers under my cab.

[1971ford]

i though the rear was higher for more capacity or something like that.

[fordman]

we are talking about the bed and cab bowing down in the center of the truck. it makes the truck look like its got a bent frame in the center. so the bed looks like it sets up higher. the frame sitting hiihger in the air make the truck able to haul more weight because of the springs pushing the truck up in the rear.

[1971ford]

oh ok.
"the frame sitting hiihger in the air make the truck able to haul more weight because of the springs pushing the truck up in the rear.
"

thats what i was thinking of.
thanks

[69twotone]

I am seeing the same thing here my bed tilts toward the cab.

[BobbyFord]

I got my frame laser-straightened after I got rearended. I replaced my cab insulators before I took it to the frame shop. My cab and bed line up exact.
These beds are solid mounted; they cannot move on the frame unless something has been structurally compromised (frame bent, bed rusted, etc.).
It's the cab that can cause the appearance of the bed tilting forward toward the cab. It made a big difference (to me) when I replaced the 35 year old cab mount insulators.

[LANCE65]

I KNEW I wasnt crazy! Are these frames weak? OR is it the body mounts? I cant imagine that FORD would have used an inferior metal in these truck's frames?
-Lance

[BobbyFord]

I KNEW I wasnt crazy! Are these frames weak? OR is it the body mounts? I cant imagine that FORD would have used an inferior metal in these truck's frames?
-Lance

If the truck hasn't been mashed it's the cab mounts or insulators.
The frames are pretty stout. Trust me as hard as I got rear ended, my frame wasn't all that out-of-square.

[foghorn]

They also made shims that were as big as the cab rubbers with a little handle like portion on the back side some were even thicker than others. They kinda look like over sized front end shims.




Foggy