wobbly lowering

[mbd4kids]

I recently posted a question about getting my lift arms and torsion bars adjusted. I did get a couple of recommendations, but haven't acted on them yet. However, I have measured my lift arms and found the non-door side are all at ~39", while the door side range from 38.5" to 38.75". I've tried to loosen the bolts, but can't budge them. My concern is this, as I close the front shell (did earlier to prepare for a short trip), the top back of the shell (center of the trailer) on the non-door side really tips in toward the trailer as it is coming down. I know this is not right, but am wondering if this could be due to lift arms, torsion bars, or something worse. I have a 1999 3023.
Tennessee is far, but may be necessary...please advise.

If the TM is not level, it could possibly create the effect you are describing. Make sure it is level before you get into more extreme fixes...

[mbd4kids]

It is definitely level...

[mbd4kids]

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm fearful that the back driver's side support arm, of the front shell, may have an issue. The entire back section of that shell seems to lean toward the opposite side when l am closing. Could it be the torsion arm, support arm too long, or support arm failure? I love my trailer, but do find these issues frustrating...

I have read your posts regarding this issue. But I am having a really hard time figuring out how what you are describing could be happening. It would help if you could post a picture of the front shell leaning in as you describe. For the life of me I cannot figure out how that shell could lean as you say yet still be able to be locked in the upright position when open and still be able to close. If the edge you describe was leaning as much as you say it seems to me that it would touch the back shell first ( back shell being lowered and latched ) with that edge and scrape instead of coming down on all four arms in an arc as it was designed to do.... Yet you only mention issues with the shell movement and no issued with the upright locked or lowered latched positions. I.B. confused...

[ZekenSpider]

Originally Posted by mbd4kids

I recently posted a question about getting my lift arms and torsion bars adjusted. I did get a couple of recommendations, but haven't acted on them yet. However, I have measured my lift arms and found the non-door side are all at ~39", while the door side range from 38.5" to 38.75". I've tried to loosen the bolts, but can't budge them. My concern is this, as I close the front shell (did earlier to prepare for a short trip), the top back of the shell (center of the trailer) on the non-door side really tips in toward the trailer as it is coming down. I know this is not right, but am wondering if this could be due to lift arms, torsion bars, or something worse. I have a 1999 3023.
Tennessee is far, but may be necessary...please advise.

I suspect the support arm (strut) lengths not being equal as the problem...or at least the place to start. I do not think the non door side (street side) lift arms (struts) are too long. I think the door side struts are too short.

All eight support arms on both shells have to be exactly the same length (probably within 1/16th of an inch).

This is difficult to create a word picture but I'll try. I will exaggerate the the strut length differences to illustrate the problem.

The struts are all attached at the bottom to fixed frame pivot points (assuming the torsion bar anchor brackets are all still OK. They are the pivot points for the strut bottoms).

The struts are all attached at the top to a very flexible three sided box (like a light cardboard gift box top half with one end cut out of it). The front upper shell struts rotate clockwise toward the frame center. The rear upper shell struts also rotate toward the frame center but in a counter clockwise direction.

Thinking only of the front upper shell, imagine the struts with the upper shell removed and no spring in the torsion bars(just a pivot point). Push the front street side strut down until it touches the frame. Mark that point on the frame (lets say it is 39" from the pivot point). In other words, the bar moves in an arc of 90 degrees with a radius of 39". Now go to the door side front strut and push that down until it touches the frame. Mark that point on the frame (lets say it is 38" from the pivot point). From this you can see that the street side frame mark is 1" further toward the center of the TM than is the door side. If the upper shell were attached to the struts it would twist the shell and force it to be closer to the frame on the street side. Naturally, also, when the struts rotate to vertical, the upper shell will be 39" above the pivot point on the street side and 38" above the pivot on the door side.

Now, of course the four struts interact with each other and if they are not all the same length they cause the shell to be twisted even more when down and simply not level when up.

When up, if the street side struts are both 39", the street side of the shell will be level front to back (if the frame is level of course). If the door side struts are both 38", the door side of the shell will be level front to back but will be 1" lower than the street side. In this condition the roof is not level side to side.

When the struts are now rotated down, the struts force the shell street side 1" further aft than the door side twisting the shell like you would twist a light cardboard gift box top half with one end cut out of it.

In addition, If all struts are the same length but too short, the shell will drop down short of the closed rest points on the frame. The rear shell might bump into the rear of the lower TM box. The front shell might hit the front box or stone guard. If all struts are the same length but too long, the shells may miss the closed position frame bumpers.

I'm guessing your starting point should be the 39" measurement you have for the street side. Make all eight struts to be 39" plus or minus 1/16th". I'm not sure what you meant by "can't budge them" and I assume you referred to the strut bottom bolts. Assuming this, those are the ones you need to loosen. Be sure to have a good way to support and to position the upper shell side that you are working on.

Hope it helps.

Jerry

P.S. After reading some of your earlier posts let me add that I found the strut attach bolts on my 2010 3326 to be easy to loosen using an 8" box wrench holding the bolt and an 8" ratchet/socket wrench turning the nut. If yours wont "budge" I'm puzzled. Be sure to do all of this work with the TM open (struts vertical) and the swing locks in place.

Once the bolts are loose the weight of the shell will force the strut down until it rests on the top of the torsion bar. I suspect that won't hurt anything but I supported the shell near the top of the strut (one at a time before loosening the bolts) using a common scissor jack and a 30" 2 x 4. With that method I was able to lower or raise the shell as needed to set the correct height. Be sure to keep the jack and 2 X 4 lined up and vertical.

The attached photo shows the four strut bolts that I loosened on my 3326.

They should look the same on your TM.

[mbd4kids]

Jerry, I think what you are saying is what is happening. It does look like a cardboard box twisting! And with your jack idea, I think I may be able to approach this. I couldn't budge them, but I am the mom of the house. I am hoping that once supported, my husband or one of my teenage boys will be able to. I plan on printing your reply so I have notes in hand, and will start at 39" to start. That side of the front shell does meet nicely with the back once closed, where as the og=ther side gaps a bit. Also perplexing, but definitely a starting point. Thank you.

Joseph, when opened, the shell looks fine. It is in the motion of closing that it seems to twist, so a picture would be difficult. However, thank you for considering my issue and trying to help. I think I have a new 4th of July weekend plan...

It might also be that the tension is just out of adjustment. When I was at TM on my ill-fated trip, the tech told me they zero the tension (shell up) on the arms and apply the same number of turns on each bolt.

That fixed things wonderfully for me.

When I saw them leveling the shell, they used a floor jack and block of wood on the piston. They took up the load on the piston, then carefully adjusted the shell, locked the shell, and then retracted the piston.

[mbd4kids]

When you say "zero", do you mean that I should loosen the bolts under the torsion rods, then turn each one the same amount of turns? Is there a secret number to turn them to have them lift easily? (or should I try to count turns as I loosen them and see if one is out of wack...???) Not sure if I should attempt this part.

When you say "zero", do you mean that I should loosen the bolts under the torsion rods, then turn each one the same amount of turns? Is there a secret number to turn them to have them lift easily?...

You can probably call Ed, but they loosen the tension and then start dialing the tension back in. They put the same number of turns on each bolt. I think they put 1.5 turns on the front shell, but I do not remember.

If in doubt talk to someone who has done this.