Posted 2007-08-22 6:06 AM (#66231) Subject: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Member
Posts: 31
Location: colorado
OK forum here's a new one for you. Had a 99 Chevy 3/4 ton short box extended cab, everything fine. Got a new Chevy 3/4 ton short box 4 door cab diesel. Haul a 3 horse gooseneck Sooner, 2' short wall. Box of trailer 16'. Now here's the problem. For the trailer to sit level I had to drop gooseneck 1 adjustment, new truck sits higher than old truck. Have very sharp uphill right turn out of my driveway, oops, new truck now has dent in metal railing ontop of truck bed side and small crease (dent) on side of truck. When cutting the corner the gooseneck actually comes down and touches the top of the bed. Both Ford and Chevy have made their truck beds a little deeper on the newer models I've been told. So any suggestions? I have the standard turn over ball gooseneck hitch, the parts dept at a local dealer suggested a ball that sticks up an additional inch, but I can see that only un leveling the trailer. Another suggested jacking up the trailer and putting blocks on top of the axle to raiser it an inch. I can't believe someone else has not run into this and has a fix out there. All ideas and suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted 2007-08-22 7:30 AM (#66238 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas
Hosspuller, how did they do the 3" blocking on your rig? Thanks ...I gather they did not turn the axle over (not literally) as that would be a higher lift?
Posted 2007-08-22 8:14 AM (#66241 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 2614
Been there and done that,and still have the dent to prove it.We had to go out of our waythe other direction to avoid it. the highway is banked so steep where our gravel road comes out onto it that it just was not safe to go that direction to begin with!
Posted 2007-08-22 8:26 AM (#66244 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Member
Posts: 31
Location: colorado
Understand but been in this property for 7 years and never had the problem. Always had to be careful but never the clearance issue now being presented. The dealership suggested the higher ball because say the gooseneck adjust 2" per hole, the inch may be the deal. I still don't get the logistics of it. 3" seems like quite an adjustment but may have to go that route. If I do they said to jack the trailer up, undo the axle from the u bolt, put a steel spacer in as thick as you want ot go up, and rebolt everything back. This leaves the axle in the same position just raiser the floor of the trailer. Is that how you did it Hosspuller?
Posted 2007-08-22 9:22 AM (#66252 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 2953
Location: North Carolina
I have a Aluminum clad steel trailer. The Dexter Torflex axles are bolted to the frame. I replaced the grade 5 bolts with longer grade 8 bolts / nuts and sandwiched a length of 3x3x.25 wall square tubing between the axle and frame. The factory recommended 3" as the max lift for my trailer. I then had the trailer axles aligned by a HD truck alignment shop. Solved the uneven tire wear prolem too.
Posted 2007-08-22 11:27 AM (#66263 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico
You could always get rid of the truck bed and get a flat bed. That is what I was going to do until I found a desiel truck that was only a year older than mine with the "old fashion" bed on it.
Posted 2007-08-22 11:39 AM (#66266 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
Even the same trucks have been getting taller. I had a 2000, 2003 and now a 2006 Ford F350. Same crew cab etc. But each time I got the new truck I had to adjust my trailer up. I think the 18" wheels on the 2006 vs the 16" wheels on the earlier models was the main reason for the jump in 2006.
I asked the dealer about lifting the trailer a couple inches to level it. ( I also like the extra clearance so I don't drag my back bumper going down forest service roads) But the dealer just didn't think I was that much out of level to justify the effort.
Posted 2007-08-22 1:32 PM (#66282 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
Location: CA
When I got my Dodge in 2001 it was much higher than my old '81 Chevy. I ended up lowering the Dodge with a "kit" (Dodge installed at no expense to me), as well as raising the trailer by blocking up the axles (had to pay for that!). You're not alone. It's a common problem with the new high-bed trucks. Good luck.
Posted 2007-08-22 2:52 PM (#66287 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Regular
Posts: 55
Location: Wright City, Mo
What's a good distance between the trailer and the truck bed rail? I just purchased a new 08 F350 Dually and had to adjust my coupler on the trailer to it's highest hole. I have approx. 9-9.5 inches from the top of the bed rail to the underside of the gooseneck. Last truck was an 04 F250 and the bed heights were only 1 inch different, with the new truck being higher. Will 9 inches be enough clearance. I took it on a test run yesterday and it seems to have enough room. My driveway slopes up, then turns left on another slope up, it made the turn with out seeming to be to close. Tried it at the old coupler setting, but the trailer really sat at an upward angle, not sure that's good either. Don't really want to raise the trailer, as it aready has a pretty good step up. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Posted 2007-08-22 3:15 PM (#66289 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas
We have a flatbed 1-ton , been looking at the new truck, and I cannot even see into the bed of them (lady, 5'6") and that's no good. May have to stay with a flatbed type just to manage it all....
Posted 2007-08-22 11:17 PM (#66324 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont
$5000 Installed with extruded rear deck and camfered rear corners, a Class V rear hitch, hidden GN, dual side boxes, LED Lites, dual fuel ports, dual electric connections (rear and gn), et cetera...
Posted 2007-08-23 5:09 PM (#66373 - in reply to #66231) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Veteran
Posts: 105
Location: Illinois
Traded my 96 DRW for an 07 GMC DRW. New truck was 5 inches taller than the old truck but when the LQ was hooked to the 07 it lowered the truck 1.75 inches more than the 96! Moved up the hitch tube one inch but trailer still running up hill probably too much to get proper weight distrbution on the axels. Installed a Bell Tech rear lowering kit Part # 6400. This lowered the truck rear 1.75 inches and trailer now running level. Downside is that the rear of the overload spring is touching the stop so the truck rides a little rougher but not too bad. Could have had the overloads rearched but decided not to do that. That part number fits 88-06 Chevy and GMC trucks but if you have the 07 Classic it will work
Posted 2007-08-24 8:52 AM (#66391 - in reply to #66373) Subject: RE: Gooseneck hitting sides of truck
Member
Posts: 42
Location: MN
The reason the Bell Tech kit tends to ride rough is the Springs are more of a Performance Spring set up. If you want to lower your truck and Keep a stock ride you would need to use Ground Force Suspensions Lowering Kit. At work we lowered a 2007 Tahoe 4x4 and it rides better than factory for there springs are setup for a smooth ride. Many aftermarket kits set the vehicles up for performance ride for that is what most people are looking for.