Bent Frame

[piroman683]

Are you aware of the the other bent frame incidents that look identical to this one? It’s a thing, when overloaded and pushed beyond reasonable parameters.

Yup, am aware, and agree. My point was based on what we can see from the video a reverse bend is not plausible

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[rharr]

Are you aware of the the other bent frame incidents that look identical to this one? It’s a thing, when overloaded and pushed beyond reasonable parameters.

Is this a photo of a bent frame or a allegation of where a bend would happen?

 

[CrazyCooter]

Yup, am aware, and agree. My point was based on what we can see from the video a reverse bend is not plausible

This is the first pic I've seen up close of the potential failure location.

I did find a video a while back on you tube of a job someone did adding a plate to that area. The idea I think was pretty good, but the execution left some to be desired..........

 

[kgc]

Definitely not bent frame. Hitting whoops and jumps does not cause it to bend backwards. Also I'd expect the shock bolts to shear off or seriously bend, but due to bump stops you'd most likely rip the bumpstop off like I have done.

If the rear shocks are bottoming out before the bump stops, all of the force of the bottom out is being applied to the frame at the upper shock mount (which is right at the bed/cab break on our gladiators) I too would expect the shock mounts to get damaged before the frame bends, but the frame would 'reverse bend' at that point if the frame is the weak point. Add in leverage from a trailer or a bumper mounted spare, and there is a lot of force being applied at the upper shock mount.

It also seems that many gladiator rear shocks are underdamped, which would make the bottom out impact more stressful.

Proper bump stop lengths and appropriate rear damping surely would eliminate the potential for the frame to bend here, but I can 100% see why the frame would bend "up" if the rear shock bottoms before the bump stops, especially with a lot of weight on the rear bumper.

 

[Bjeepz]

Colorado

Raptor

F250

I think the take home is none of these factory trucks are truly ready for full on desert running! That 250 haha some fat tree took a rest there!

 

[CrazyCooter]

The thing I've been freaked out about is that I've added SO much valving in my rear shocks to control things when I tow.........Could that be enough to taco the frame during a severe high shaft speed moment? No way the shock could bottom before contacting the air bump on my truck.

 

[kgc]

The thing I've been freaked out about is that I've added SO much valving in my rear shocks to control things when I tow.........Could that be enough to taco the frame during a severe high shaft speed moment? No way the shock could bottom before contacting the air bump on my truck.

I've been wondering the same...I know your rear shocks are valved stiffer than mine but we're both on the 'very stiff' end, LOL. I'm thinking that it would be much less likely - the truck is going to absorb the same amount of force on a bump, but with a shock bottoming out, most of that force is absorbed all at once, and in these cases, by the frame, which folds as a result. Stiffer valving would create a higher impact force initially, but at that point it is probably still being absorbed by tire deflection, etc. while the shock shaft starts moving, and absorbing the remaining force.

When the shock bottoms out and transfers that force to the frame, the tire is probably as compressed as it's going to get (maybe even to the point of bottom out)

Thinking back to wrenching on high end mountain bikes, we only ever saw frames break from the shock bottoming out, never from being oversprung or overdamped.

 

[Xtream1]

Being that I have a gladiator myself and have identified a truck with bent frame/tilted bed at a show (owner incorrectly thought he was having suspension sag from not enough spring), I have started to pay attention for causes. During my last group outing, I saw a few glads flexing the gap between the bed and cab at slow speeds...they were climbing a sand hill and spinning the wheels at the top just before getting stuck. Flexing happened when the wheels and suspension started to chatter slightly (so no high speed hits or whoops). Not all glads flexed though. Mostly overlanding setups.

I think it's a combination of overloading the rear of the bed with overlanding gear/roof rack/rooftop tent (especially once it's opened and especially when it overhangs towards the rear of the tailgate area)/cooler extenders slides/etc. and/or heavy loads from a trailer. Given these extra loads far beyond the rear axle, add in some downward force and with suspension/shock pivots the frame gives and the rear bumper area goes down beyond it's limits permanently. Just my opinon though.

 

[piroman683]

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

This is the first pic I've seen up close of the potential failure location.

I did find a video a while back on you tube of a job someone did adding a plate to that area. The idea I think was pretty good, but the execution left some to be desired..........

They reference another gladiator that had a frame bend……

I definitely wish some close up photos of the bent frame could get posted.
I’ll message go fast campers and see if anything comes from it.

reading

https://www.thedrive.com/news/32511...ne-wrong-with-this-jeep-gladiators-bent-frame
The comments in the above link are interesting….
“

Tony0814165
2y ago

I just dropped my gladiator off at the dealer for the frame bending when I hit bumps on the road with my trailer. My trailer also only weighs 3500lb an I have a rubicon with a max tow of 7k. Also the bed is twisting from the tongue weight of my trailer. The driver side opens up an the passages side gap closes between the bed an cab. I’m not sure how much weight it is but I can pick it up so it is far less then the 700lb max.”

 

[Dougstdig]

In Go Fast Camper’s latest video on YouTube (South of the blowhole), racing across the desert, lost control, went off the road, crashing, resulted in a bent frame. I assume the added weight and leverage of the spare tire carrier plus 37 didn’t help one bit.

Sure looks like a big 37

 

[rharr]

So the theory based the the video above is Jeep has placed a crumple zone in the area of the shock tower and when pushed to hard it crumples aka bends.

 

[Rusty PW]

So the theory based the the video above is Jeep has placed a crumple zone in the area of the shock tower and when pushed to hard it crumples aka bends.

I got that idea too from the video.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

So I’m stuck on this topic…..
Is this factory frame knotch that was posted above- I can only assume that this is the post bend photo…. Because it doesn’t look like this “not bent”

My frame…. Though note the link is where the frame is bent in two directions from the factory…. An upward and outward angle (or inward ?? Coffee??)

Savvy looks to have ditched the mount completely ???? trailing arm setup.

Another badass rig….

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Another note- they reference spring in Baja in the beginning of the video…. This is old…. Wish there was more information out there on what they found……

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