Unlevel/uneven bed and tailgate?

[WillSquared]

This has irked me for a while now and since Ive added the new bumper Im determined to figure it out and correct it.  Ever since I bought the truck the back end has been unlevel or just crooked looking.  As you can see in the pic below, the bumper looks bent but it is brand new and straight.  The bed is higher on the passenger rear corner by about 1/2" or more.  Then the tailgate seems to be sagging over on the drivers side and the triim doesnt line up there which adds to the crooked look of the whole back end.

So having all that said, whats my solution here to get everything lined up and looking nice?  I figured maybe some shims over on the drivers side to bring the body up a bit?  Maybe some new hinges on the tailgate?

The strange part is that it was worse and I already removed some shims from the passenger side.  The tailgate seems to be sitting even on the top but the trim is off on the bottom.  Its all just driving me crazy.  Any help is appreciated.

[VileZambonie]

Put two jack stands under the back of the frame. If it sits level you have fatigued leaf springs

[WillSquared]

How would the leaf spring effect the body and not the bumper?  They all mount to the frame.


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[Irish_Alley]

is it your problem? we dont know but it could be and its a easy way to check.
how does the bed line up with the cab?

[WillSquared]

What?  I appreciate the suggestions or ideas.  I'm just thinking logically about it.

The bed lines up with the cab pretty good, lines wise.  It's a little shifted to the passenger side but the body lines are level.


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[Irish_Alley]

talking about a fatigued leaf spring. theres no sense in thinking logically if you havent came up with a logical answer yet.
just like this quote
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

i know its from homes, but to me thats logical.

[WillSquared]

If it was uneven side to side, ie one bedside sat closer to the ground than the other then I would think a worn leaf on one side.

I fully admit to not being mechanically minded, I just don't see how the leaf springs bolt to the frame, the body bolts on top of the frame and the bumper bolts to the end of the frame.  So if the bumper doesn't align with the bed, and they are bolted to the same frame, then the issue has to be one of their alignments with said frame.  If it was leaf springs then they would need to bolt to the body to effect it's alignment with the bumper which bolts to another entity in the frame.

Anyway, I do appreciate the suggestion and I am planning on new springs soon.


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[Irish_Alley]

well your bumper is lower on the left side and the bed is lower on the left side. the bumper mounts to the side of the frame and the bed mounts to the top side of the frame. frames will twist if there is enough stress on them. this is why cross members are riveted in not welded they are made to let the frame twist to a certain point.

so lets just say the frame is twisted on one side and the top part where the bed mounts to is almost still where its supposed to be at except the left rail if tiled down a ¼" but the sides are towed in on the bottom then it would allow the bed to be sitting close to its original spot only ¼" off and the sides will be pointing down a little more maybe ½". the bed will now (on the outside) be 1" lower and the bumper will be 2" lower.

i know that probably confuses more than helps but i dont want to draw a picture right now. maybe later

[WillSquared]

No, that makes sense to me.  I'm just not sure what that means as far as a solution.  Check my bed mounts I suppose?  If the frame is twisted I figure I'm screwed.  Idk if that's even fixable.


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[Irish_Alley]

metal likes to return to its natural shape as long as its not bent or twisted too far. if you jack up the frame like vile said and the frame returns to its original shape then you might be good with a new set of springs. but you prob need to readjust the bumper and bed bolts to let the frame relax

[HAULIN IT]

I'm going to start by saying: "You have to remember when working on these trucks, quality as to fit & finish was NO WHERE near what "we" expect 30-40 years later" We are used to looking at "new" vehicles with near perfect 3/16" gaps & every point, groove & edge being smooth & correct. They weren't this way new...let along after 30-40 years of fatigue, use, even abuse or collision damage.

I see several things in just the one picture, but more info could really help. Start with the truck in the garage (or looks like you have a nice, flat driveway. I would like you to do for each side: Center of Front wheelwell to the ground, bodyline @ fender/door gap to the ground, bodyline @ front of bed to the ground, center of the rear wheelwell to the ground, bodyline @ front edge of tail light to the ground & center of rear bumper bolts to the ground.

Do not rule out the spring idea completely...However, in this case Two new springs are going to make everything line up for some of the reasons you have touched on & others that I see, HOWEVER as has been mentioned...the frames on these trucks are like a wet noodle & things move all over the place! Just for fun, put a jack under the Left rear corner, give it a couple pumps & watch the top of the Right tailgate to bedside gap...better yet, get a helper to do the jack & you watch each pump. I may not fix a thing, but will sure make you understand how quite often parts (as you mentioned) all bolted together can/will change alignment.

On to "The other things" & some questions: For starters, I went through Three new bumpers rear bumpers before I got one straight enough for me to bother putting it on the truck. New & not wrecked, doesn't automatically make it straight. It seems that the pressing of the license plate area made them out of shape...from what I remember it was just to the Left side on both bumpers. Take a nice straight piece of cardboard or heavy paper & lay it on your the top & bottom of the picture on your computer screen...I have & it sure looks de-formed to me. Your bumper looks JUST like the one's I refused. Is it just a shadow/reflection, it seems to be somewhat like an upside down "V"?

Much of what I'm seeing is in the trim...not all of it, but most of it. That stripe on the Right bedside to tailgate NEVER lined up the day it was made unless the gate was raised at a later date to "fix" the fact that the bodylines previously didn't  line up. Ignore the stripe...it is wrong, the top & bodyline on the gate appears to match the Right bedside.
Next, The applique (big wide aluminum panel on the gate) looks to be slightly bent or something on the lower Left? It also looks like it needs raised slightly on the Left side...based on the gap right above it & it needs "up" to better match the tail lamp. The tail lamp lowered, as it has less gap above it & the bedside compared to the Right. These Two things will make them match much better.
The lower molding on the tailgate is REALLY tilted down on the Left...look at the gap between the applique & the molding PLUS I want you to raise the applique a little more! To validate the lower molding...look at the Gray portion of paint showing under the molding side to side. Looks to be a good 1/4"-3/8" inch.

If you want/expect your old truck to have the fit of a more "modern" vehicle...bending, cutting, welding, grinding, shimming, ect. ect. is often all needed to get you there.   

Look at some of this & go from there, Lorne

 
 

   

[WillSquared]

When I first got the truck the tailgate wouldnt open.  I got new hinges on that side to get it functional again.  I hadnt thought of that but I ordered some for the drivers side last night.  And you are right on (well about everything) but about that molding.  Ive had to remove and reapply a few pieces due to dry rotting of the old tape and i hadnt noticed that it was basically waving at me back there.  And it's also not straight as youd said.  I guess Ill just go through one thing at a time and try and get it worked out.

[enaberif]

When I first got the truck the tailgate wouldnt open.  I got new hinges on that side to get it functional again.  I hadnt thought of that but I ordered some for the drivers side last night.  And you are right on (well about everything) but about that molding.  Ive had to remove and reapply a few pieces due to dry rotting of the old tape and i hadnt noticed that it was basically waving at me back there.  And it's also not straight as youd said.  I guess Ill just go through one thing at a time and try and get it worked out.

What you have to remember is that unless you are using original parts from an original truck anything "new" from places like   or of the such will never have the same fit and finish as OEM pieces. So whenever you are installing "new" pieces you are always going to have to try and make things work properly if you want that straight as an arrow fit and finish.

But honestly when your driving these trucks its only the owner/driver who is OCD enough to know the stuff. The people around us just think "wow what a nice truck" and don't realize that it can be almost 40 years old in some cases.

[robzkombi]

Bringing up another oldie.... on my 74 SWB stepside three corners appear level it's just the rear most passenger corner that is lower by about one inch and it's bugging the crap out of me. A little OCD? yeah probably  . Springs have been replaced along with new shocks. Would shimming that rear corner cause any damage to the bed or frame?