Hi all. Long time reader, first time poster. I recently purchased an M101. While it needs a bit of work, it's in pretty good condition. What I need help with is that it looks like someone ran into the side of it. Thus the frame around the top of the bed is bowed inward on one side. Can anyone give me some advice on how to straighten this? I took a 2" thick i-beam and ran it across the dented side and used some clamps to pull the dented area out toward the i-beam. While it did the trick with the clamps on, it bowed in again when I removed them. I'm not really sure what direction to go now. Thanks!
M101 CDN advice needed
- Thread starter Aolec
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Post a couple of pics for better advise but it sounds like you need to over-bend it the other way for it to be straight...
lx450landcruiser
Moderator
when you clamp it does it go back to completely strait? you could tr that again and then heat up the metal with a torch it might relieve some of the internal stress
- Thread starter
- #5
I appears to be pretty straight. Guess I could try a torch.
You may need to weld in a thin reinforcement to keep it straight?
lx450landcruiser
Moderator
I would think forcing it to be strait would not work with this application. With use the internal stress would be more likely to want to spring back (long term result would be cracking of the metal)
- Thread starter
- #8
Ok. I fixed this tonight after work and will post the process that I used in hopes that it will help someone out in the future.
First off, the left hand rail at the top of the tub was bent in. It wasn't bad, but it was enough to irritate me. I figured I would have to bend it out further than it was in it's original condition to set it back to a straight point.
Tools required:
C-Clamp 4" x2
C-Clamp 6" x1
Rail from Hi-Lift jack (or similar piece of structurally sound metal)
1x6 Pine x2 (any length or species will do)
Vice Grips
Using the 4" C-Clamps, I attached the 1x6's (using the 6" wide area only) and the Hi-Lift to the outside of the tub. I used the entire length of the Hi-Lift which is ~4'. Once in place, it looked like this: tub, 1x6's (with a 3/4" gap because I used the 6" at each end of the Hi-Lift), Hi-Lift. Using the 6" C-Clamp I started where the bend was most prominent and slowly tightened it, pulling it out past the point that it originally was. I then released and moved out from that point in each direction repeating the process. After my first pass, I noticed good results. It took several passes, but it looks great at this point. I used the vice grips to help turn the 6" C-Clamp when things got tight. It was hard to get it past the original point without them.
Entire process took about an hour.
Hopefully someone will find this helpful.
First off, the left hand rail at the top of the tub was bent in. It wasn't bad, but it was enough to irritate me. I figured I would have to bend it out further than it was in it's original condition to set it back to a straight point.
Tools required:
C-Clamp 4" x2
C-Clamp 6" x1
Rail from Hi-Lift jack (or similar piece of structurally sound metal)
1x6 Pine x2 (any length or species will do)
Vice Grips
Using the 4" C-Clamps, I attached the 1x6's (using the 6" wide area only) and the Hi-Lift to the outside of the tub. I used the entire length of the Hi-Lift which is ~4'. Once in place, it looked like this: tub, 1x6's (with a 3/4" gap because I used the 6" at each end of the Hi-Lift), Hi-Lift. Using the 6" C-Clamp I started where the bend was most prominent and slowly tightened it, pulling it out past the point that it originally was. I then released and moved out from that point in each direction repeating the process. After my first pass, I noticed good results. It took several passes, but it looks great at this point. I used the vice grips to help turn the 6" C-Clamp when things got tight. It was hard to get it past the original point without them.
Entire process took about an hour.
Hopefully someone will find this helpful.
