Re; A Clarification (Camper question, truck beds, ride height, IFS Alignment)

["Allan Weidenheimer" <allanw@domain.elided>]

Rick:
  I hope you did not get the impression from my response that 
I was 'berating' you.  Certainly not my intent at all.  My apologies
if my post was interpreted by anyone as berating.  I just wanted
to a) Identify my experience with hauling campers, b) make
a point about semi-floater rear axles when it comes to carrying
that kind of weight, and c) recommend against a camper that big
for your truck.  Many people don't understand the differences
between a semi-floating and full floating rear axle.  I didn't fully
inderstand the difference until I had disassembled both types
for myself.

As for the 7' bed, I'll tell you that finding one in very nice condition
will be tough.  I've been looking for a nicer 8' bed for my 1210 for a
while now.  The best source would be from a truck that has had
a 'shell' or 'canopy' installed for the bulk of it's life.  But those are
usually on cream puff trucks that are in great shape, and the owners
are not going to give them up.  Is yours dented/rusted on the outside,
inside, or both?  I have seen new bed floors in the JC Whitney catalog,
but I have not seen how close they are to the originals in form or
guage of metal.  Perhaps someone else here has?  On shortening a
longbed, I have a Travelette with a shortbed (6 or 6-1/2, I think), and on
that one, it looks shorter both in front of and behind the rear wheels
compared to my 8' bed on the 1210.  Chopping the front might not be too
hard, but the back would be more difficult, I think.  You would also have
to
check where the mounts and crossmembers are to get them in the right 
place for your frame.  I don't know how many of these would be a concern
with a 7' bed, and I forgot what year you said your truck was (late 60's?).

Ride height for IFS, I found in my IHC service manual (CTS-2303) the 
section on Torsion Bar front suspension (CTS-2181-K). This manual
is really for something like 72-75 Travelalls, or something like that,
I'm not sure if yours would be any different.  It describes the ride 
height as follows:
"If the suspesion height is not up to specifications (3 inches +/- 1/16
measured between the top edge of lower control arm and bottom
edge of rubber bumper frame bracket as shown in fig. 16), the height
should be adjusted as follows..."
In fig 16, it appears you should measure from the top of the control arm
the the bottom of some type of metal that holds the rubber bumpstop
on.  It does go on to explain how to change the ride height, which appears
pretty simple using the retaining bolt.  Note that I have NO experience
with torsion bars, I'm just reciting what is in the IHC service manual.

From the same section mentioned above, for FA-8 and FA-9 front axles,
it lists the following:
Camber (left)  1/2 +/- 1/4 degree
Camber (right)  0 +/- 1/4 degree
Caster (level Frame)  Travelall/Panel body, empty: -1 +/- 1/2 degree
Caster (level Frame)  Travelall/Panel body, loaded: 0 +/- 1/2 degree
Caster (level Frame)  Except Travelall/Panel body, empty: -2 +/- 1/2
degrees
Caster (level Frame)  Travelall/Panel body, empty: -0 +/- 1/2 degrees
Steering Axis Inclination 8 degrees
Toe-In (measured at OD of tire at hub height)  1/16 inch total +/- 1/16
inch
Vehicle height  3 inches +/- 1/16 inch
* Caster variation between wheels must not exceed 1/2 degree

I hope this helps a little.

Allan Weidenheimer
72 1210 Pickup