Front Cable Damage to Top

I am just trying to find out if anyone knows a cause for this or or a better repair than I am about to do.
This is a 2006 C2306 both the left and the right side at the front of the trailer are suffering from metal fatique. The support strip installed by Hi Lo for the lift cables appears to have been to small. I am now trying to straighten the aluminum on the inside and bottom of the telescoping top, and then replacing the support strip from Hi Lo with 2 X 2 inch angled aluminum 1/8 inch thick with a length of 12 inches. Then will glue down and screw back together. Only doing front now and may do two in rear later. I have checked my cable adjustments in the past year and they were ok. Done using level parking lot and 4 2X4's cut to same length. Damage appears to have come this summer.

Hi Graeme - welcome to the forum.

The damage you have is caused by trying to raise the top too far (shortening the cables too much). I know, because I did this to one attachment point on mine when I tried to level the top by referencing the inside and trying to match the ledges on the bottom half with the top half.

I think it's possible to break the cables or a pulley if this is done.

Your plan to fix your damage is basically what I did. But, I filled the dented wood underneath the aluminum brackets with epoxy first.

The key is to adjust the top so that the bulb strip around it just meets the lip on the outside of the bottom half. You may not get the top lift distances exactly the same this way, but they will be close. If the bulb strip makes contact, the bugs won't get in and it will keep the cool breezes out.

You can see my repair in post #5 of this thread: http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f17/adjusting-cables-get-even-lift-full-height-1632/

- Jack

It may just be me but having aluminum in this area just kinda seems like a bad idea. The steel that the cable is made from is harder than the aluminum and thats just damage waiting to happen. Seems like a 6" piece of angle iron that would cover the corner would never get damaged by the cable and could't add but a couple of pounds overall. Just my opinion.

misfit429 said:

It may just be me but having aluminum in this area just kinda seems like a bad idea. The steel that the cable is made from is harder than the aluminum and thats just damage waiting to happen. Seems like a 6" piece of angle iron that would cover the corner would never get damaged by the cable and could't add but a couple of pounds overall. Just my opinion.

Click to expand...

True, but aluminum is easy to cut.

- Jack

@ Jack
Did you used angled aluminum too? I am planning on using 1 foot to 18" OF 2 x2" x1/8" thick. Never thought of the epoxy I was going to use a good construction adhesive. My fear is it doing the same to my replacement al;uminum. If I used epoxy and had to get it off again it would teat the entire aluminum off. I was also counting on the cable holding it in place as well. I read you comment again I and I am concluding you reapair the aluminum with epoxy and then applied your angled aluminum. Thanks.
I didn't know you could lift the top to far. Thanks for that tip.
I thought you went to top to get top to lock in place.

Graeme said:

@ Jack
Did you used angled aluminum too? I am planning on using 1 foot to 18" OF 2 x2" x1/8" thick. Never thought of the epoxy I was going to use a good construction adhesive. My fear is it doing the same to my replacement al;uminum. If I used epoxy and had to get it off again it would teat the entire aluminum off. I was also counting on the cable holding it in place as well. I read you comment again I and I am concluding you reapair the aluminum with epoxy and then applied your angled aluminum. Thanks.
I didn't know you could lift the top to far. Thanks for that tip.
I thought you went to top to get top to lock in place.

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Graeme - I DID use the angled aluminum. I cut a piece about 6" long.

Before I applied it, I filled the depression in the top frame with the thick, moldable epoxy putty. I used the 2-part stuff that you cut with a knife and then mix in your fingers (wear gloves). This is one kind: https://www.google.com/search?q=epo...placing-with-moonputty-epoxy-putty%2F;600;600 It does not "run" and you can press it into the depression and shape it before it sets. This fixes the damage to the frame, which is wood under a thin aluminum skin.

Then, I screwed the new aluminum bracket into place and screwed the straightened OEM bracket over that. If the epoxy cures before you apply the aluminum, it will not stick to it.

I just lifted the top high enough to put 4 2x4s under the corners to hold it up, then I unscrewed the cable. I had to lengthen the cable at the adjustment bolts to get enough slack to reattach it.

Once everything was reconnected, I readjusted the cable length so that the seals met and then I spray painted the repair.

Hope I'm making sense.

- Jack

So i was reading this thread almost 4 years later - did yall notice any fray on your cables due to the sharp angle edge after this repair? Im thinking a galvanized bent plate with a rounded edge is going to be better. I too have to repair this and the wood on my 23LX.

tex4x4fsh said:

So i was reading this thread almost 4 years later - did yall notice any fray on your cables due to the sharp angle edge after this repair? Im thinking a galvanized bent plate with a rounded edge is going to be better. I too have to repair this and the wood on my 23LX.

Click to expand...

Tex, I'm not seeing any damage to the cable from my repair. But I put the new aluminum angle UNDER the original metal piece that was installed at the HiLo factory. So, there's no difference as far as the cable is concerned.

Since I repaired it, have had no further issues with the lifting system.

- Jack

I had to make the same repair on my camper. I used a 12in piece of 1/8 aluminum angle. I did it with the top up and supported all 4 corners with vertical 2x4s. I had to adjust my cable all the way out to get enough slack to reattach the cable to the top. I have not tried to lower or adjust cables since I made the repair because I was worried about that cable being tight compared to the other cables. Am I ok to lower top for cable adjustment? The cables look great and so do the pullies.

bdb, you lower the top onto the 2x4s you've cut. Then tighten the cable so that it "feels" about as tight as all the others, assuming they are the correct length. Once you've done that, raise the top to see if the seal meets all the way around the trailer. If the corner you've repaired is too low, drop the top back onto the supports and tighten that cable some more. It's a 1:1 adjustment. To raise a corner side 1/2", you would move the adjusting bolt for that cable OUT 1/2". To lower it, the reverse is true.

Yes, the cable you've worked around is possibly seeming a bit tighter, because you've added something at the bottom edge of the top there, effectively shortening that cable. But, you will likely still have to take up more slack to properly adjust that cable if you let it all the way out to make the repair. I know I did.

- Jack

Thank you Jack. I made the repair, lowered the top, adjusted the cables and everything works great now.

Good on you! Glad we in the forum were able to help!

- Jack

I had similar damage to a 2902bx...I corrected the problem by using steel c channel of the appropriate size, 18" long for each lift point, had them powder coated white and then installed them...worked like a champ...