Adjusting lift arms

[mbd4kids]

OK, I think I'm about done with frustration. I must be missing a step in this process of making the lift arms equal length. I started by setting a jack with a length of 2x4 up to support the weight of the shell. (All shells are open). I loosened the 4 bolts, raised the jack so the shell was at the desired height (ie ~39" of support arm showing), then tightened the 4 bolts. Lower the jack, and the shell lowered to the original position of 38.5" (or wherever it started at). It did this several times on a few different lift arms. What am I doing wrong, or not doing?

I'm not sure what to do to keep the proper amount of lift arm showing..I think I have spent a day of loosening and tightening...I read a post saying to "pound" the lift arm "up" on the torsion bar to make it higher, but not really sure how that lengthens it to measure. (I have been measuring the amount of white arm showing from the shell to the bottom of the arm).

I do wish Tennessee was closer!

[Barb&Tim]

Disregard my post, sounds like Digger (next post) has done this before

Good luck with it

Tim

To lengthen, you need to put the jack under the bottom of the lift arm where the four bolts are but leave clearance for the torsion bar then, jack it up until it is supported by the jack. Loosen the four bolts and jack it up some more so it slides up the end of the torsion bar until you have the desired length. Tighten the four bolts and let it down. I find it more accurate to measure between the two pivot points of the arm. That way neither the trailer nor the ground has to be level to get all four arms the same. Put one end of a tape measure on top of the torsion bar where it comes out from under the TM and measure to the center of the pivot pin on the top shell. To shorten, set the jack the same as before but after you loosen the bolts slowly let the jack down so the arm slides down on the end of the torsion bar. This is where you may have to use a hammer to tap the torsion bar up into the arm. That pivot pin for the top of the arm rides in about a one inch slot in the arm so when you were jacking up shell all it was doing is riding up and down in the slot and the arm. There is also about a half inch of play in the hole where the torsion bar comes out from under the TM. That is why the arm wasn’t changing length after you let The shell down.

Just measured the lift arms on my 2004 3023. The rears are all 37 inches. The fronts range from 38 to almost 39 1/2. Does anyone know what the correct measurement is?

Did anyone ever post the correct measurements? I'm getting ready to tackle this.

[Bill]

According to Bob Eickhoff when he came to my house, all measurements should be the same, and they should all be 39 (or was it 39 1/2?) inches. I will admit that I wasn't clear about whether this measurement applied to all TMs since the beginning, or only to recent model TMs. But I am quite sure that they should all be the same.

Bill