This is very strange and I just can't figure it out. The gap between the cab and the bed is larger at the top than at the bottom and when you stand back you can clearly see that the bed lines are at an angle downward compared to the cab lines. I first noticed this about 8 months ago and I've looked at older pictures just after the SAS that show the bed and body in perfect alignment. So, first thought would be sagging body mounts either on the cab or bed, but I just can't find any problems with the mounts. Keep in mind the body lines match up, so neither the cab or the bed as sagged downward at the rear of the cab or the front of the bed. If there is a body mount problem it would have to be either at the front of the cab, which looks perfectly fine or the middle and rear bed mounts which also look fine.

So, now I'm thinking the frame must be bent at the rear. I do carry a lot of weight, although never over the maximum GVW. Two things come to mind. I used to carry a heavy rear tire/gas can rack and I relocated the rear spring mount about 5" forward when I added 56" springs. I'm wondering if the excess weight on the rear of the frame and relocating the springs could have possibly affected the frame.

Another thing, there is a slight gap between the frame, inside the rear wheelwell and the two body mounts that do not bolt down to the frame.

Take a look at the pictures, and tell me what you think. Any other ways to figure this out and if it is bent, what should I do?



Here you see the slight gap between the frame and bed mounts. Is this normal on a Toyota pick-up?



Here you see the front bed mounts look perfectly fine. Both sides look the same.



Also the rear mounts look good.



Thanks for any ideas.

Its gotta be in the mounts Brian, For that much of an angle from a bent frame- the frame would literally have to be cracked right behind the cab. Is the miscalignment equal on both sides? The bed mounts arent the most structurely sound items...basically sheet metal bent to form the needed height to keep the bed even as the frame makes its turns and arcs. I can shoot pictures of the 88' in the same locations if you think it will help. Cant post the photos but can email them too you. Not to cold or wet outside today either- so wouldnt be a problem.
~Darin <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

The overload supports (or whatever they are called) look fine in your pics. On all of the trucks I've looked at, including my own, those overloads are just a hair shy of making contact with the frame. But, when you add a bunch of weight in the bed and the bed sags a little, those overload supports will contact the frame a provide additional support. I'm not sure what could be your problem, but those overloads look fine with that little gap.

The few bent Toy frames I have seen generally do the reverse... the gap gets closer at the top, not the bottom, due to sag in the middle. I suppose you could have collapsed the rears and extended the fronts a tad, but it doesn't look like it. Is it possible its not the bed but the cab?

Can you shoot a laser line on the frame rail and see if anything is bent?

What does the floor of the box look like, have a look at your 2nd pic down. The u channel on the right looks like it is crushed somewhat and the bottom of it looks farther back than the top may just be the pic but it looks like it is kind of shaped like: \_\ rather than square. My buddies 90 Toy did the same thing but he had a body lift and used to fill the box up with firewood when we were camping and drive back to camp on rough roads which caused the back of the box to sag like that. On his you could see where the last section of channel that is the rear most mount had pushed a ridge up on the floor of the box. As somebody else said, if you bend the frame it will go the opposite way.

Look closely at the main support beam crossing the bed in the rear mounts... Seems to ARC a little, as if it were bent down by excessive weight at the rear of the bed over the years:

Brian, sounds like a diet is in order.


No, not you silly, the truck. Well, maybe - uh, never mind.

If you look at the body stamping lines (the concave section running horizontally through the body and the bed, it looks like your pickup bed is almost 1/4" higher than it should be... right at the gap... have the bed mounts deformed from your load?

First thing I would do is to replace all the flat rubber pads that go between the frame and the bed mount. When I put the first flat bed on I made my own out of a piece cut from a BFG MT and punched a hole in the center!!!!!


Not necessarily, there is at least two feet from the frame to the top of the bed. Take a protractor and a couple of straightedges, put one straight up, and mark it a two feet. Take the other one, start at five degrees, and see what the gap at the two-foot mark would be