2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission 2002 body misaligned

[jalberring]

Hello, I noticed the other day that on the drivers side of the truck two body parts seem misaligned.



1. On the front fender at the corner light. The trailing edge of the corner light is approximately 1/4 inch away (pushed towards the front of the truck) from the sheetmetal. On the passenger side it is flush against the metal. It looks as though the fender panel needs to come forward or the light moved back, however, the fender to door measurement is the same on both sides. I have tried to push the light farther in but it is "bottomed out".



2. The top of the quad cab door is about 3/16 inch higher in the front sloping to level in the rear. This puts it slightly above the roofline, but not much. It also makes it look like an abrupt change from the rear of the main door to the front of the quad cab door. The other side is level and even with the passenger door.



Sorry I don't have any pictures.



Both of these conditions are minor. I was just wondering if anyone else had a problem like this and if so did you fix it?



One more thing: I bent the bed floor down hauling some pieces of concrete. It is an area about 14 inches by 8 inches and it dips about a half inch. Any ideas on how to fix it without going to too much trouble?



Thanks.

 

[Sarge]

It would be hard to diagnose the misalignment without pictures, but I would suggest checking the attachment points of the panels to the frame. If something has shifted, the paint shoud be marred or deformed. If the paint is good, then it was probably assembled that way. As for the bed, the sheet metal is pretty stiff, and attempts to pound it out may make it look worse. The best bet may be a drop in bed liner for about $100 bucks. Sarge

 

[jalberring]

Thanks Sarge,



I checked the attachment points and nothing seems to have moved.



As far as the bed goes: I was thinking about putting a jack and piece of wood underneath the bent area and then jacking it up to get the bend out. However, this might make it worse. I am eventually going to get a sprayed in liner and may just live with the damage. It is a truck after all.

 

[Steve M]

My 01. 5 has some of the same imperfections (Character) too. My wife noticed them first. I just look at it from a distance and grin!

 

[Philip]

Next time you are in a dealer. Go back to the service department. Have them print a full history out of the truck. Look it over to see if it has been wrecked. Do not think just because you bought it from the dealer new it hasn't been wrecked. It could have been.



The reason I say this. I had a friend that bought a new 93 1/2 ton. From day one he had wind noise and water leaks on this truck. After fighting it for almost a year. He finley got the district rep into the mess. The rep run the history on the truck. It had been toped out in Ohio when being delivered. It had been rebuilt in a town in IN. Then it shipped to a local dealer in my area. There it was sold as a new truck. The end to this story is. He got the first 94 1/2 ton 4X4 to come into the dealers lot. It also didn't cost him one cent above what he had payed for the 93.

 

[CJ Lagos]

My 2002 2500 came from the factory with the front clip fitment a little bit off. A guy I know at a body shop said that the ram front ends are a total pain to get right. He said when you fix one thing it just makes something else off.



CJ

 

[Mundgyver]

No truck is perfect, course we are talking a different story when it come to the engine.

 

[jalberring]

Thanks guys,



I really don't think it has been wrecked. I have been all over this truck numerous times and can't see any area that looks suspicious. If it has been then they apparently replaced the whole front area and cab or had a superb job of matching paint on the underside. That is a good idea about getting the history though. I could live with it being wrecked if they paid it off or gave me some money.



Nothing else is wrong with the truck.