Just checking in with you fine forum peeps before I undertake the same home-brew straightening operation myself. Picked up an inexpensive high-lift jack at Harbor Freight after work tonight ($50!) and grabbing u-bolts tomorrow.....
....I'm looking to "un-do" the bent-roof-bow stress done to the PH roof by the PO, who loaded TONS of gear on top of this van's roof regularly. (Overly-optimistic guy, he was....hehe)
Q: Any thoughts as to the "staying power" of a repair like this? Curious if once bent back, an x-tube is significantly fatigued, and likely to bend right back soon thereafter? (*** And along those lines of thinking --- anyone have any concerns about metal fatigue (bending something and then bending it back weakens it slightly such that it could fail/break/tear)? It seems like the "halfway point" of these x-braces is under perhaps the highest amount of potentially impactful bending stress/load from the PH roof weight (due to the lateral hole drilled through there for the bolt that pins the two x-braces on each side together, it's already a naturally-weakened point in the tube))
Just sensitive to the idea that this well-conceived repair could actually *weaken* the roofs x-braces (currently ithe tube has only been "bent" once. Bending it back bends it a second time. Accrued fatigue? Closer to causing cracks/tears in metal?)
In any event, it seems like a gradual and sensitive/deft approach is called for in bending the tubes back to straight (without damaging/denting/crimping the x-tubes) - ? Seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to "overdo it" and kink the tube locally?
(DISCLAIMER: I'm also known for over-thinking things, so please feel free to tell me I'm doing that once again!
)
And of course big thanks again Jage and Ace for this great post and idea!