Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

Body lift tips

BDS, ReadyLift, Smaxx... You name it, we know about it here.

by TBYODA » Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:57 pm

Opeth wrote: So weather permitting hopefully Monday on my day off ill get most of this done.
only one day off, bummer if so.
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by Opeth » Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:43 am

Depends on the week, I got screwed this weekend because I didn't opt to go to the SU football game for drivers appreciation week. I didn't think so many others would sign up to go. But once in a while working a weekend doesn't bother me, all the time it would. For what they pay me I suck it up from time to time in Syracuses crappy job market.
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by Opeth » Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:39 pm

Are there any picture requests that haven't been coveted yet? I'm going to try and bang this out tomorrow come hell or high waters. I'm pretty sure I've got everything I need, if not luckily tractor supply co is less than a mile away :-)
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by TBYODA » Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:45 pm

Opeth wrote:Are there any picture requests that haven't been coveted yet?
just take a shit load and make your own thread. ;)
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by Opeth » Mon Sep 16, 2013 9:22 pm

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by Opeth » Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:58 pm

Anyone with the new style rear bumper brackets actually tow anything with significant weight yet? I did tonight (3500lb boat and trailer) and reported to Mark my concerns already, I'm not going to say what happened just yet, I want to try towing it again after some adjustments to possibly rule out something I may have done wrong.
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by mikekey » Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:06 pm

I'd like to know what kind of problem you had. I have the same mounts and that's concerning.
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by TangoBravo » Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:15 pm

Towed several things with the new style and have had no issues yet. My weight was from 1200 on the light end to 4200 on the heavier end. The 1200 load I do about twice a week. However your concerns have me concerned, with me towing as often as I do I am unsure if I should feel good not seeing any issues or worried that a issue just hasn't showed up yet. One thing for sure I know Mark will get figured out one way or another.
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Re:

by ErikSS » Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:26 pm

TangoBravo wrote:Towed several things with the new style and have had no issues yet. My weight was from 1200 on the light end to 4200 on the heavier end. The 1200 load I do about twice a week. However your concerns have me concerned, with me towing as often as I do I am unsure if I should feel good not seeing any issues or worried that a issue just hasn't showed up yet. One thing for sure I know Mark will get figured out one way or another.


I'm pretty sure if you tow regularly without issues, then you don't have issues! I would check my bolts from time to time... between the frame and the brackets.
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by TangoBravo » Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:43 pm

ErikSS wrote:
TangoBravo wrote:Towed several things with the new style and have had no issues yet. My weight was from 1200 on the light end to 4200 on the heavier end. The 1200 load I do about twice a week. However your concerns have me concerned, with me towing as often as I do I am unsure if I should feel good not seeing any issues or worried that a issue just hasn't showed up yet. One thing for sure I know Mark will get figured out one way or another.


I'm pretty sure if you tow regularly without issues, then you don't have issues! I would check my bolts from time to time... between the frame and the brackets.


I do a monthly check on just about everything. Gives me time to find and fix things before winter. Once winter hits, having an avoidable failure is just not an option for the places we go.
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by Opeth » Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:22 pm

Nothing catastrophic but I don't want to raise alarm for something which my unique towing setup might be causing. Which is why I wanted to see if I was pulling something way too heavy, but clearly I'm not.

I am towing through a CBI tire carrier and harbor freight drop hitch which is putting the actual ball about 8-12" ( guessing here) further away from the hitch than it normally would.

With that said, the steel bumper pivoted downwards about 1/4" and left marks in the bumper cover until the brackets finally moved enough to where the bolts prevented any further rotation. All bolts were super tight. My towing setup could be giving my tongue weight enough leverage to shift the brackets due to the oversized holes in the brackets for the golden bolts.

Now a 3rd bolt further up in the frame where that hidden factory one was would have prevented that bracket from moving. The 3rd bolt through the crossmember just bent up as this metal is thin and not very strong.

This could be a unique situation, and if this is the case I'll have a shop weld me on a sturdy L bracket to the truck frame and cut that crappy cross member out, then that 3rd bolt would prevent any rotation with my setup.
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by HARDTRAILZ » Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:40 am

You did cause alarm...was it so hard to just give the full story? We are all adults. The veiled secrecy seems childish.

Hopefully this is just due to your setup, it does appear that way with no one else reporting anything for years, and you can find a way to alleviate your issue.
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by Opeth » Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:42 am

HARDTRAILZ wrote:You did cause alarm...was it so hard to just give the full story? We are all adults. The veiled secrecy seems childish.

Hopefully this is just due to your setup, it does appear that way with no one else reporting anything for years, and you can find a way to alleviate your issue.


Mark got back to me, the holes are drilled to 3/4" but bolts are 5/8" so there is some potential for slop. I am going to try 3/4" bolts first to see if that fixes this.

It wasn't meant to be a secrecy, I didn't see a need to say something till it was discussed with Mark since nothing major failed and only a minor issue. Adults yes, but no need to cause panic which is what I wanted to avoid. Perhaps I should have worded a thing or 2 differently, my apologies there.

If my bumper ripped off and boat ended up in a ditch, well I would have first come out and stated that. :cheers:
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by Regulator1175 » Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:04 pm

Opeth wrote:
HARDTRAILZ wrote:You did cause alarm...was it so hard to just give the full story? We are all adults. The veiled secrecy seems childish.

Hopefully this is just due to your setup, it does appear that way with no one else reporting anything for years, and you can find a way to alleviate your issue.


Mark got back to me, the holes are drilled to 3/4" but bolts are 5/8" so there is some potential for slop. I am going to try 3/4" bolts first to see if that fixes this.

It wasn't meant to be a secrecy, I didn't see a need to say something till it was discussed with Mark since nothing major failed and only a minor issue. Adults yes, but no need to cause panic which is what I wanted to avoid. Perhaps I should have worded a thing or 2 differently, my apologies there.

If my bumper ripped off and boat ended up in a ditch, well I would have first come out and stated that. :cheers:


If you wanted to wait until it was discussed with Mark, and you didn't want to cause panic, why did you even post? It kind of makes sense that if you post about having trouble towing with the rear bumper, your of course going to get folks attention considering most of us have a body lift.

You should have either waited to post, or told the whole story up front. The veiled secrecy doesn't do anything but cause panic.
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by TangoBravo » Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:59 pm

Opeth wrote:
HARDTRAILZ wrote:You did cause alarm...was it so hard to just give the full story? We are all adults. The veiled secrecy seems childish.

Hopefully this is just due to your setup, it does appear that way with no one else reporting anything for years, and you can find a way to alleviate your issue.


Mark got back to me, the holes are drilled to 3/4" but bolts are 5/8" so there is some potential for slop. I am going to try 3/4" bolts first to see if that fixes this.

It wasn't meant to be a secrecy, I didn't see a need to say something till it was discussed with Mark since nothing major failed and only a minor issue. Adults yes, but no need to cause panic which is what I wanted to avoid. Perhaps I should have worded a thing or 2 differently, my apologies there.

If my bumper ripped off and boat ended up in a ditch, well I would have first come out and stated that. :cheers:

I understand why you may not want to disclose full details all out at first, however with that said I tow very often and with my family in my vehicle. We all assume some risk in modding our Tb but when a member puts out a issue such as yours and only kind of makes said issue known it raises concern. As it was said before if I haven't had an issue yet I probably won't, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be fully aware of any issues that have come up. This helps me in my monthly vehicle checks, it also helps Mark because people can then be aware and report accordingly if need be Mark will make adjustments or put out a post with a remedy. It has the potential to be a bigger issues then you thought, it sounds like you have found a fix. If you could after you try the 3/4" bolts please disclose your findings.
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by ErikSS » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:09 pm

:Iagree:
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