Back to the workshop

Friday, I went to cut up a rather large tree on a local golf course and ended up having a rather frustrating afternoon. The truck and trailer were loaded so I went slower than normal causing a car lineup behind me. I pulled over at a gas station to let them by and as I pulled out, the truck bumped a pothole. At this moment, I heard a pop just behind the cab. I didn't think anything of it at the time until I looked in the mirror and noticed that the trailer was lower to the ground than normal. I feared the worst. Upon arriving home, my fears came to reality. The frame of the truck was bent just behind the cab. When I had repaired the frame before, I noticed it was rusting from the inside out, which Toyotas are notorious for. The continued rusting caused a weak spot, which broke at the bottom of the frame tube. After realizing that I must unhook the trailer before I could get a proper assessment, I pulled out the trusty Hi-Lift jack and began to raise the bumper of the truck while it was still loaded. As the back of the truck inched up, I noticed that the frame was straightening back out. I decided to use this to my advantage and once the trailer was unhooked, I used a highly sophisticated technique to re-align the rear part of the frame tube. I await the time to work on the frame, but for now the results will hold.

More will be sure to come.