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Gladiator bent frame offroading with trailer? Why do you think this happened?

ShadowsPapa

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OK, I guess I stop jumping on my back bumper to check shocks......... my wife has been after me to lose a few pounds.

Seriously, though, WXman nailed it earlier. Physics, geometry, did I mention physics and the laws of motion and energy, mass, energy cannot be lost, only converted or transferred...... I suppose if he's into meteorology he might know a bit about math......perhaps just a little science.

Mythbusters dropped a piano - the piano weighed 700 pounds and was dropped 50 feet above the roof. They stated that right before impact, the piano would be traveling at 38 mph and in the end have an impact force of 12,000 pounds.

So, if you drop a 10 pound ball 4 feet (48 inches), and it stops in a quarter inch, then the force at the bottom of the fall is
Jeep Gladiator Gladiator bent frame offroading with trailer? Why do you think this happened? latex.php?latex=F+%3D+%5Cfrac%7B48%7D%7B0
.
2,000 pounds of force on your foot from a 10 pound ball falling 4 feet.

Imagine hitting a pavement dip with a 1,000 trailer tongue - up she goes, down she comes, STOP! The force would be crazy and the leverage of that hitch sticking out back there - more physics (levers)
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Radio Guy

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On my 2008 Tundra I sold to get my Gladiator I used to tow a 16ft Casita trailer, about 3,200lbs loaded and 350lbs tongue weight. After several years of towing off road and getting the entire trailer airborne many times I noticed the space between the cab and front bed wall kept getting a little larger over time. It grew from maybe 3/4" when new to 1 1/2" but there was no detectable bend as in an angled gap like seen on some Gladiators and Tacomas.

I now tow the same trailer with my Gladiator and take it very slow and easy off road after reading about the bent frames.
 

Jim SoG

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Friend just got back from long trip towing offroad and broke his frame. He did say there was some rough places he towed. No I am concerned for sure.......

Jim
 

Escape.idiocracy

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Friend just got back from long trip towing offroad and broke his frame. He did say there was some rough places he towed. No I am concerned for sure.......

Jim
See if you can get some photos and post them up.- specifically the frame section that’s bent…. Don’t really care how angled the bed is.
Frame reenforcement wouldn’t be terribly hard to cut out and weld up. 🍺👍🏼
 

chorky

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Friend just got back from long trip towing offroad and broke his frame. He did say there was some rough places he towed. No I am concerned for sure.......

Jim
Like said ^, but also include context. How big/heavy is his trailer? Tongue weight? any photos of it? What kind of roads was he traveling? How fast?
 

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Rusty PW

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The more info, the better.
 

Jim SoG

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HIs quote was "Heavy off Roading" and a packed trailer.

Unless really heavy and severe, I do not see where we should expect a frame to break/bend.... But I am just reacting fom fear as a JTR owner who has a trailer LOL
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