Straightening crooked cab & bed

[jetdriver73]

Hi,

Just a quick background before I ask my question. I am an ex-mechanic with a solid background in general automotive repair. I’ve done a complete frame off restoration on a ‘69 Corvette. I’m also an OCD individual, who likes things to be the way they’re supposed to be. That being said… I just realized that my cab and pickup bed are mounted askew on the chassis. The cab is a good 3/4” off center towards the rear. I want to fix this. I have already read the other threads on this subject, but I haven’t read anything about a solution. I’m just wondering if anyone has attempted to loosen the body mount bolts and try to get the cab/bed to nudge over to a centered position. It also seems as though most people’s cabs & beds are all crooked in the same way. Is this done on purpose by the factory? Are they mounted crooked on purpose to clear something? I’ve seen the video someone posted which shows a robot mounting both the cab and bed at the factory. I would think the robot would have gotten it perfect, but maybe not. What I don’t want to hear are comments such as “just drive your Jeep and enjoy it”. If anyone has fixed this, let me know how the job turned out. If anyone has been down this road and discovered that it’s not possible, I’m open to that also. Thanks!

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[BlueScapegoat]

Just my two cents: I worked at an automotive supplier a while back and almost everything was automated, mostly ABB. It wasn't uncommon at all for a robot's drop point to be manually moved to adjust for a part that might have been a bit askew from normal but still within spec, or even just misplaced on a pallet, and sometimes those adjustments would stack. It's possible a misplacement on the frame like that came from an earlier adjustment and then whatever parts were used for locating walked back over resulting in the cab being off location. That was about 10 years ago now, but even then the whole automated process was a lot more hands on than you'd think, given the available technology.

Anyway, point being human error gonna human error. I doubt it's that way intentionally but I don't really know.

If you've got a specific reference point(s) to go off of I can take some measurements on mine when I get home in a couple hours, just for the sake of curiosity if nothing else.

 

[jetdriver73]

Just my two cents: I worked at an automotive supplier a while back and almost everything was automated, mostly ABB. It wasn't uncommon at all for a robot's drop point to be manually moved to adjust for a part that might have been a bit askew from normal but still within spec, or even just misplaced on a pallet, and sometimes those adjustments would stack. It's possible a misplacement on the frame like that came from an earlier adjustment and then whatever parts were used for locating walked back over resulting in the cab being off location. That was about 10 years ago now, but even then the whole automated process was a lot more hands on than you'd think, given the available technology.

Anyway, point being human error gonna human error. I doubt it's that way intentionally but I don't really know.

If you've got a specific reference point(s) to go off of I can take some measurements on mine when I get home in a couple hours, just for the sake of curiosity if nothing else.

Thanks very much for the reply. I’m on the road so I can’t get those measurements to you at this time, but I really appreciate the offer. The most obvious indicator that something is off is the gap between the cab and bed. Standing at the tailgate looking forward, the passenger side gap has the cab sticking out way more than the driver’s side. At first I thought the bed was on crooked, but after careful measurements, it’s the cab which is most off center. Very frustrating that a $50k vehicle would be so sloppily put together.

 

[jac04]

At first I thought the bed was on crooked, but after careful measurements, it’s the cab which is most off center.

Well, I'm right there with you on the OCD thing. I've fully restored several award-winning vehicles, including my 68 Camaro convertible. So, I like things done the right way, and I know that I'm capable of fixing almost anything.

After taking a bunch of measurements, I found basically the same thing as you - the entire cab is actually off center slightly to the RH side. Mine isn't nearly as bad as yours. I estimate that I would only need to shift my cab about 1/8" to fix it.

I ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the potential problems to adjust the cab position.

Here's some of the things you'll need to watch out for:

1) There is a real possibility of breaking the body mounting bolts during removal. If you search around, you'll find people reporting that the bolts have broken during rock slider installation. To minimize this possibility, you should heat the bolts using an induction heater. However, if you get them too hot you can damage the rubber bushings.

2) Even if you get all the body mounts loose, you need to figure out a way to push (or pull) the entire cab over. My concern here is that there are body mounts up front, and I'm not sure that the front part of the body structure is strong enough to 'follow' the cab. So, you might have to figure out some way to make a fixture to push (or pull) everything at once.

3) You are going to have to watch panel alignment. My concern is not the doors, it is the front fenders because of 2) above. If something flexes too much, you might crack the paint.

4) What if you get everything loose, but can't get the cab aligned?
I looked at dozens of Gladiators, and they have all had the cab shifted to the RH side by varying amounts. I have never seen one aligned perfectly or shifted to the LH side. This makes me think that something else might be 'off' other than the assembly process. You might find that some of the body mount holes need to be opened up.

Anyhow, those are just my thoughts.

If you undertake this project, please take some before/during/after pictures and let us know how it goes.

 

[Gvsukids]

Hi,

Just a quick background before I ask my question. I am an ex-mechanic with a solid background in general automotive repair. I’ve done a complete frame off restoration on a ‘69 Corvette. I’m also an OCD individual, who likes things to be the way they’re supposed to be. That being said… I just realized that my cab and pickup bed are mounted askew on the chassis. The cab is a good 3/4” off center towards the rear. I want to fix this. I have already read the other threads on this subject, but I haven’t read anything about a solution. I’m just wondering if anyone has attempted to loosen the body mount bolts and try to get the cab/bed to nudge over to a centered position. It also seems as though most people’s cabs & beds are all crooked in the same way. Is this done on purpose by the factory? Are they mounted crooked on purpose to clear something? I’ve seen the video someone posted which shows a robot mounting both the cab and bed at the factory. I would think the robot would have gotten it perfect, but maybe not. What I don’t want to hear are comments such as “just drive your Jeep and enjoy it”. If anyone has fixed this, let me know how the job turned out. If anyone has been down this road and discovered that it’s not possible, I’m open to that also. Thanks!

You're not the only one to notice.
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/anyone-else-notice-their-bed-is-not-centered.62967/

 

[Limestone]

I just checked my JTR, early 2021, and the cab seems to line up with the bed. There does not appear to be any RH offset of the cab.

 

[Killroy Was Here]

Pickup truck cab/bed misalignment from the assembly line is hardly a new issue by any means regardless of year, make, or model.
And definitely not strictly an issue with Jeep.
Far from it. It's industry wide.

I did professional truck accessory installation from 1979-2003 in my family's truck cap & accessory business.
Would wager to say that easily 98% of all pickups regardless of brand do not have the bed & cab perfectly aligned.
Welcome to the real world.
Ran into this issue everyday installing truck caps & running boards.

When I installed the Rockslide Engineering step sliders (Gen 2's) on my '21 Mojave, the rear end of the driver side slider was outboard of the rear fender edge by 3/4", and the passenger side was flush with the fender edge.

The fix was simple matter of loosening all the body bolts (which had already been required to install the sliders), as well as all of the bed mount bolts. Then shifting the rear of the cab, and front of the bed until there was an equal amount (approx. 3/8") of the rear of the slider outboard of the fenders on both sides. Then re-torque all the mount bolts.
As you can see, I too am a bit picky when I install things.

Not difficult, or rocket science by any means, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to line things up.

Dave

 

[jetdriver73]

Thank you all so much for the replies. They have been most helpful! I’ll keep you all posted.

 

[jetdriver73]

Pickup truck cab/bed misalignment from the assembly line is hardly a new issue by any means regardless of year, make, or model.
And definitely not strictly an issue with Jeep.
Far from it. It's industry wide.

I did professional truck accessory installation from 1979-2003 in my family's truck cap & accessory business.
Would wager to say that easily 98% of all pickups regardless of brand do not have the bed & cab perfectly aligned.
Welcome to the real world.
Ran into this issue everyday installing truck caps & running boards.

When I installed the Rockslide Engineering step sliders (Gen 2's) on my '21 Mojave, the rear end of the driver side slider was outboard of the rear fender edge by 3/4", and the passenger side was flush with the fender edge.

The fix was simple matter of loosening all the body bolts (which had already been required to install the sliders), as well as all of the bed mount bolts. Then shifting the rear of the cab, and front of the bed until there was an equal amount (approx. 3/8") of the rear of the slider outboard of the fenders on both sides. Then re-torque all the mount bolts.
As you can see, I too am a bit picky when I install things.

Not difficult, or rocket science by any means, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to line things up.

Dave

How difficult was it to move the body? Did you need to lift and push or did it just slide on the mounts?

 

[Killroy Was Here]

How difficult was it to move the body? Did you need to lift and push or did it just slide on the mounts?

The bed was easier to move over than the cab due to the weight & the cab's rubber body mounts.

The sheet metal of the cab, and bed are very soft & thin, so whatever you do, don't try to move either one by pushing on the outside of the body panels unless you want some interesting indentations in the body as a conversation piece.

For the cab I used a wood block against the backside of the rear cab corner, and levered a pry bar between that, and the rear cab mount gusset on the frame.

That got me part way there, then loosened & moved the bed the remaining amount I required to get it evenly aligned.
Can't remember now (I must be getting old ) exactly where I levered under the bed to move it. There are slots & holes stamped into the bottom surface of each of the cross members under the bed floor, and used those to get it done.

Hope this is a help.

Dave

 

[jetdriver73]

The bed was easier to move over than the cab due to the weight & the cab's rubber body mounts.

The sheet metal of the cab, and bed are very soft & thin, so whatever you do, don't try to move either one by pushing on the outside of the body panels unless you want some interesting indentations in the body as a conversation piece.

For the cab I used a wood block against the backside of the rear cab corner, and levered a pry bar between that, and the rear cab mount gusset on the frame.

That got me part way there, then loosened & moved the bed the remaining amount I required to get it evenly aligned.
Can't remember now (I must be getting old ) exactly where I levered under the bed to move it. There are slots & holes stamped into the bottom surface of each of the cross members under the bed floor, and used those to get it done.

Hope this is a help.

Dave

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thanks so much, I’m going to go for it when I get back in town. I’ll let you know how it goes. Can’t believe I found someone as OCD as me! Thanks again.

 

[Killroy Was Here]

. Can’t believe I found someone as OCD as me! Thanks again.

Yeh, you're not alone, we're out here!

 

[Killroy Was Here]

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thanks so much, I’m going to go for it when I get back in town. I’ll let you know how it goes. Can’t believe I found someone as OCD as me! Thanks again.

When you loosen the cab mount bolts, do not use an impact wrench, as these bolts have Loctite on the threads from the factory, and you will risk breaking them, or damaging the nut that is welded into the floor support of the cab.

Use a long 1/2" drive breaker bar, and by hand slowly loosen the bolt 1/2 to 3/4 turn at a time, then run it back in. Then loosen again a little farther, then run it back in again. Repeat this process until the washer under the bolt head is free to rotate with a little extra space.

If the bolts are extremely stubborn, you can also carefully use an acetylene torch to warm the bolt head before backing them out.
Note that you don't need to heat it red hot as you don't want to risk taking the temper out of the bolts & ruining them, or catching the rubber body mounts on fire.
A minute or two for each one should work fine as the heat will travel up the length of the bolt fairly quickly and soften the Loctite so that it will be easier to loosen.

The bed mount bolts did not pose any problem in getting them loose, and while they also seemed to have some Loctite on the threads, they did not require any heat.

Hope this is a help.

Dave

 

[jetdriver73]

When you loosen the cab mount bolts, do not use an impact wrench, as these bolts have Loctite on the threads from the factory, and you will risk breaking them, or damaging the nut that is welded into the floor support of the cab.

Use a long 1/2" drive breaker bar, and by hand slowly loosen the bolt 1/2 to 3/4 turn at a time, then run it back in. Then loosen again a little farther, then run it back in again. Repeat this process until the washer under the bolt head is free to rotate with a little extra space.

If the bolts are extremely stubborn, you can also carefully use an acetylene torch to warm the bolt head before backing them out.
Note that you don't need to heat it red hot as you don't want to risk taking the temper out of the bolts & ruining them, or catching the rubber body mounts on fire.
A minute or two for each one should work fine as the heat will travel up the length of the bolt fairly quickly and soften the Loctite so that it will be easier to loosen.

The bed mount bolts did not pose any problem in getting them loose, and while they also seemed to have some Loctite on the threads, they did not require any heat.

Hope this is a help.

Dave

Sure does help. I’ve watched a few videos where people have removed these bolts, and they’ve used the same techniques you’ve described. Thanks again!

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