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Offline Tedram

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Lifting the 5th Wheel
« on: September 23, 2015, 04:28:28 PM »
Hey Guys, wanted to share a project I did a few months ago with some friends.
I picked up a 2014 Stellar 5th Wheel last year and she sat with her tail about 2 inches lower in the rear when hooked up to my truck. I run a B&W turnover ball with the B&W Companion fifth wheel hitch. Even after setting the hitch to the lowest perch point I could not get the trailer lever on my stock height Dually.
First step was to get the trailer jacked up and remove the axles, then cut off the stock axle hangers. Then build a sub frame 4 inches tall then welding the stock axle hanger onto the beefed up boxed sub-frame. Then weld the entire thing back under the trailer. This MOD gave me the ability to go up 4 inches, I only needed two, so when I installed the axles back on I used the higher perch point (giving me two inches of lift).  I can go up another 2 inches if I ever decide to lift the truck (or for the next owner).

How do you post pics in between text? It seems the only option I have is to post all the pics at once.

BTW, the shop is a buddies, he supervised and did the heavy welding while I did the grunt work and wore out a bunch of grinding wheels.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2015, 04:30:34 PM by Tedram »
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline KensAuto

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2015, 04:32:45 PM »
Good job ! just did that myself.
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Offline Dawg25385

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2015, 04:51:57 PM »
Nice work! Ken did something similar I think...

How do you post pics in between text? It seems the only option I have is to post all the pics at once.

If you want to have photos embedded in your text, you have to use an image hosting site like Imgur and then use the BBCode links in the body of your text.
2006 Chevrolet 2500 HD 6.6 - MotorOps EFI, 4" MBRP, S&B intake, AirBags and B&W Turnover Ball
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Offline Tedram

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2015, 04:58:16 PM »
Thanks for the info Kyle...
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2015, 05:54:36 PM »
Ken beat me to the punch.

Was going to reference Ken have done that earlier in the summer

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Offline Tedram

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2015, 06:17:30 PM »
I just read his thread....... he did a lot more than the lift!
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline TexasRedNeck

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2015, 06:19:32 PM »
tell us about the process of ensuring your rails were square and even side to side when you welded them.  I may want to undertake this sometime
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Offline Tedram

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2015, 06:30:29 PM »
You see that fancy welding table in pics 2,3 and 4, It is just like Don's welding table but fire proof and square. You use the slits in the table to set up a JIG, measure 32 times, cut once and have Dom weld it.
DOM is a buddy who owns a steel building company. All I can say is that everybody should have a Dom. He made this project possible.
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline Tedram

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2015, 06:41:54 PM »
tell us about the process of ensuring your rails were square and even side to side when you welded them.  I may want to undertake this sometime

We built the entire sub-frame on the table and welded the stock axle hangers to it, making sure it was square. Tricky part was welding it all back to the trailer. Had to make sure that was square and all we did was measure it a bunch of different points and welded her up.  Tires are wearning fine, so I think we nailed.

By looking at Kens pics I think they went a different route, looks like they welded the lift to the frame individually.
In my mine I added 3 cross rails (2 2x2 on the ends and one 2x4 in the middle) to tighten everything up, almost as strong as square D's bumper I'm guessing.
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline KensAuto

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2015, 07:00:43 PM »
yeah, i couldn't box mine (easily) because of the water tanks. plus, the tubing I used was 1/4 thick, so it's pretty rigid in the form of an "I". I just marked the frame and put the hangers back in line with where they were, using a square .
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2015, 07:29:55 AM »
Now that is a welding table! Big D should take note...
Nice job on the lift as well.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
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Offline Farmer Jon

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2015, 07:42:11 AM »
All you had to do was flip the axles. You gain 6 inches. You don't actually flip them you pull them out and weld a saddle on the other side so the axle sits under the spring. I was going to take mine in because the guys at the trailer place have done it a hundred times and it would be done in a few hours.

These frames are so thin I don't know if I would feel comfortable cutting and welding on one. Very good write up though I have not doubt its as good or better than factory.
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Offline Nate

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2015, 10:01:12 AM »
I would bet that it is better than factory.  not much comes from the factory ant more that does not need to be up graded. 
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Offline KensAuto

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2015, 10:21:26 AM »
All you had to do was flip the axles. You gain 6 inches. You don't actually flip them you pull them out and weld a saddle on the other side so the axle sits under the spring. I was going to take mine in because the guys at the trailer place have done it a hundred times and it would be done in a few hours.

These frames are so thin I don't know if I would feel comfortable cutting and welding on one. Very good write up though I have not doubt its as good or better than factory.

Some of the newer ones are flipped from the factory, like mine. I can't make out in the pic whether his was or not.
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Offline Tedram

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2015, 10:58:01 AM »
All you had to do was flip the axles. You gain 6 inches. You don't actually flip them you pull them out and weld a saddle on the other side so the axle sits under the spring. I was going to take mine in because the guys at the trailer place have done it a hundred times and it would be done in a few hours.

These frames are so thin I don't know if I would feel comfortable cutting and welding on one. Very good write up though I have not doubt its as good or better than factory.
I thought about flipping them, however It would have been too tall. I'm at 13'3" now, that would have been right at the legal limit. I was shooting for what I needed/wanted. It took us about 6 hours to do the whole job, so it wasn't that bad. Also going up six inches makes that first step a doosey.
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline JR

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #15 on: September 24, 2015, 11:01:49 AM »
Nice work and it beefed it up alot. Plus you KNOW it is square now. Sure you got it on OK. If it tracks straight, you did good!

I used to have a old drain grate I used for welding. Was really nice as all the spittle just fell through and you could clamp anywhere.

How long is your 5th?
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Offline Tedram

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2015, 11:47:35 AM »
Nice work and it beefed it up alot. Plus you KNOW it is square now. Sure you got it on OK. If it tracks straight, you did good!

I used to have a old drain grate I used for welding. Was really nice as all the spittle just fell through and you could clamp anywhere.

How long is your 5th?
She is a Stellar 32DBG
from tip to tail she is 35'
2008 GMC 3500 HD CCLB Dually with EFI Live Tunes by Idaho Rob/DSP5 Switch/DPF delete 4" MBRB exhaust/S&B Dry Filter Intake/Edge CTS monitor w/EGT probe/AD 165 Liftpump/Titan 62 Gallon fuel tank/XD Monster wheels/ReTraxPro Bed Cover/Firestone Air Bags and a EGR Blocker plate in the glove box waiting for the the stars to align to install.

Offline Farmer Jon

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2015, 06:39:43 AM »

[/quote]
I thought about flipping them, however It would have been too tall. I'm at 13'3" now, that would have been right at the legal limit. I was shooting for what I needed/wanted. It took us about 6 hours to do the whole job, so it wasn't that bad. Also going up six inches makes that first step a doosey.
[/quote]

I can understand that. Mine hangs a couple inches low in the back and I would like to  have a little clearance on the bed of my truck but im 12 6 and the wife already complains about the step. I don't know what I am going to do yet but this is another option I never thought of. I wonder what did it do to your warranty? Mine is 1993 I don't have to worry about such things. LOL.
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Offline husker77c

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2015, 08:11:57 AM »
I would love to do this to mine.   I may look into it this winter.  I don't have the shop or welding table like you do though.  Mine would probably end up looking like a crab going down the road haha


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Offline Flyin6

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Re: Lifting the 5th Wheel
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2015, 10:03:09 AM »
I really liked that non-combustible welding table!
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