Your Dodge Cummins is a monster on wheels and needs quality maintenance to keep it chugging along. An absolutely crucial component of your Dodge Cummins is its chassis. A chassis is the pressed steel frame your truck sits on, providing structural support for all of the components of your truck, and keeping everything stiff and sturdy.
A damaged chassis can compromise the entire structure of your Dodge Cummins. Needless to say, this is extremely unsafe! It’s important to get your truck’s chassis routinely inspected and keep up with maintenance to ensure the longevity of your truck’s lifespan.
Although the chassis is made to be very sturdy, a number of things can damage it. Inclement weather, bad roads, and car accidents are just some causes that can harm your truck’s chassis, so it’s important to look out for signs of a damaged chassis to get it repaired as soon as possible.
Warning Signs Your Chassis Needs Repair
There are many possible signs of a damaged chassis in your Dodge Cummins, and you are likely to be the first person to notice something is wrong. If you feel your truck is driving unevenly and an alignment or tire rotation doesn’t fix the problem, the chassis should be inspected for any signs of damage.
- Visible damage or bending: An obvious sign your chassis is damaged is visible physical damage or bending. To look for damage you’ll have to get under the truck. Some signs of damage to look out for include bends, curves, cracks or dents in the chassis, along with any signs of rust.
- Out of alignment: If you can tell your truck isn’t driving straight, your wheels might be out of alignment. A mechanic can determine if an alignment will remedy the issue or if more severe damage is to blame.
- Uneven shock and suspension wear: If your truck’s chassis is damaged, your suspension may be uneven, causing your truck’s weight to be unevenly distributed and supported. Your truck may lean to one side, causing uneven balance. This is a safety hazard because it increases the likelihood for rollovers when making turns.
- Uneven wear on tires: If your tires are wearing unevenly but you get regular tire rotations, it could be caused by a bent chassis. Worn tread can be a safety hazard if driving in rainy or snowy weather, so it’s important to get uneven tire wear inspected.
- Parts don’t fit in the chassis: If the chassis is straight and undamaged, all of the components of your Dodge Cummins should fit nice and snug inside. If your truck’s parts are sitting too tight or too loosely, it could be due to a damaged chassis.
- Abnormal noises: Abnormal noises coming from your vehicle are never a good sign. Squealing or creaking sounds coming from the bottom of your truck could indicate a bent or damaged chassis. While it’s easy to ignore different sounds your truck makes, it’s important to get any new sounds investigated by a professional mechanic to stop the problem from getting worse.
