RV FEATURE
The owner of this bent ute says the damage was done while towing a camper trailer on the beach .
As you increase the load , you need to apply more upward force to prevent the load from falling . The further away from the fulcrum the weight is placed , the more effort will be required to lift it . This is done by either the progressive rebound in the suspension springs or by adding stiffer springs to the suspension . But there comes a point where you cannot provide enough force to prevent the load from falling , and this is where the issues start .
Take a straight length of coat hanger wire and hold it at a point one quarter along the wire . Now push on the opposite end of the wire with gentle pressure . The wire will bend and return to straight when you release the pressure . Now push on it with more force and you will find a point at which the wire bends . This action is very similar to what ’ s happening to the chassis of a dual-cab ute .
As you increase the load in the tub or add heavier items towards the rear of the tub , you get to a point where the suspension bottoms out at the bump stops . As you drive along , you ’ re hitting irregularities in the road surface . This bouncing up and down of the load flexes the chassis at the weak point and , eventually , you hit a large enough irregularity and the chassis bends .
In my opinion , this is the worst position for the spare wheels to be located on a dual cab ute .
/ 43