Frame Twist Off Road?

[GTGallop]

I remember in the old days, when you would take a truck off road you could look in the rear view mirrors and see the difference between the bed and cab as the frame twisted back and forth. Also I do understand tha the frame is a component of your suspension and that trucks were designed to do that to some degree.

But it always irked me. I felt like the frame and chassis should be a little more solid.

Flash forward to today and the tolerance between bed and cab have gotten MUCH MUCH tighter and they even follow some contours together. Also - Frame Science has gotten better and trucks are much more rigid today. That's a good thing.

But with the Baja Race Racks, Light Bars, Headache Racks, Roof Racks that attach to the bed and not the cab, and how close they all run to the cab and the glass on the rear window, I have to wonder.... How much Frame Flex is there off road? and has any one had one of these accessories "bump" the cab at some point?

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[HenryMac]

Flexible Flyer... A dial indicator attached to the bed, and indicating against the cab, with a go pro recording would be interesting.

 

[Frenchy]

I would say it is really close to say the least. I dont have any rack of sorts on my truck at this time but i wouldn't be surprised if the frame flexed a small bit but not much.

 

[Sandman Ranger]

Would we hope the after market has already accounted for this in their designs? Otherwise there would be more issues. Also, more high strength steel used now a day.

 

[Toytec]

Just put a strip of tape between bed and cab and eyeball it in the rear view when flexing.
This is what Ford did in the intro of the Ranger with all the cross members that it has.
I would say even loaded up it would be minimal.

 

[RoadBoss]

My softtopper is set REALLY close to the cab, and I've never seen it rub on anything.
I've been only 3 wheels in my ranger a LOT, and also typically have a ton of weight loaded in it.
The frame on these things are really strong, there's minimal twisting going on, if any at all.

 

[Stangman570]

Here..... Let me clear this up for you all. See any Flexing??? It aint no Tacoma, zero damage. No contact between bed and cab.

 

[jlmotox]

Here..... Let me clear this up for you all. See any Flexing??? It aint no Tacoma, zero damage. No contact between bed and cab.

LIKE A BOSS!!

 

[rang19ca]

Ford Tough

 

[HenryMac]

Here..... Let me clear this up for you all. See any Flexing??? It aint no Tacoma, zero damage. No contact between bed and cab.

Don't kid yourself... there is flexing. It's great to be "brand loyal"... but be realistic. If there was no flexing your truck would weigh 10 tons.

 

[Stangman570]

Don't kid yourself... there is flexing. It's great to be "brand loyal"... but be realistic. If there was no flexing your truck would weigh 10 tons.

Don't be Daft.... Obviously Captn there will be. However, I have provided a real world experience vs theory. The flex is acceptable and nothing like the Trucks of old.

 

[OxyGenIII]

Not flexed like Stangman, but on an RTI and no noticeable bed / cab flex.

 

[GTGallop]

Here..... Let me clear this up for you all. See any Flexing??? It aint no Tacoma, zero damage. No contact between bed and cab.

YEP! That about does it.
Thread closed folks. Question sufficiently answered.

 

[HenryMac]

Don't be Daft.... Obviously Captn there will be. However, I have provided a real world experience vs theory. The flex is acceptable and nothing like the Trucks of old.

You said "See any flexing"... mic drop

 

[psweeney]

The Ranger has the only fully boxed hydroformed steel chassis/frame in the midsize world. It's the strongest frame there is until you get into the bigger and thicker boxed hyrdroformed frames on HD trucks. Yes there will be flex (and more the more shock is required to be transmitted through it ie crashes or jumps), but much less than any other midsize made today let alone any truck made in previous generations (until you go back 100 years to model a frames, etc which are stronger than even most big rig frames made today).

Additional note: no bed/cab contact in whoops at 40+ even where the rear end comes off the ground or small wheels in the air moments at speed with weight in the back, ask me how I know ?

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