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Bent Frame Rail.... Help!
- Thread starter Ted Z
- Start date
AZ Jeff
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Arizona
Depending on the severity of the bend (you are not very specific), and criticality of the location of the bend (like right next to the steering box), you may need the services of a body shop with a frame alignment rig.
This type of frame straightening is common when repairing collision damage. Any body shop should be able to handle it, but be prepared to pay $$.
This type of frame straightening is common when repairing collision damage. Any body shop should be able to handle it, but be prepared to pay $$.
Boz88xj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Walnut Creek, CA
A whole crap load...
- Location
- Michigan
no, check with a shop first.
when I did my CJ, the frame needed to be straightened and it cost me $175 and it was pretty bad, I have a buddy that has a body shop here in Ithaca that I can check with him but I can bet it wouldn't cost more than $100 and a 12 pack, he's real good and knows the value of 'cash'.
he straightened my front bumper for me for free, the machine he has is real cool, and only a year old.
hit me back channel if you want more info.
when I did my CJ, the frame needed to be straightened and it cost me $175 and it was pretty bad, I have a buddy that has a body shop here in Ithaca that I can check with him but I can bet it wouldn't cost more than $100 and a 12 pack, he's real good and knows the value of 'cash'.
he straightened my front bumper for me for free, the machine he has is real cool, and only a year old.
hit me back channel if you want more info.
bgcntry72
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Queen Creek, Alcatraz
Unibody is far, far tougher to work with than a ladder-type frame vehicle like the CJ. Regardless of what the frame shop can to, the structural rigidity of your vehicle has been compromised. It takes a lot to bend steel, but once its bent, even if its straightened, it will never have the tensile strength that it had before. Metal has 'memory', and any stress to the frame in the future is going to find its outlet in this new 'weak link' if you will. If the ins. co. totalled it, and you didn't find this until a couple of days later, one has to wonder what other surprises are in store. Just a thought, and my $.02.
:next:
:next:
- Location
- Michigan
I know that the CJ and XJ are different in the fact that the they have a different support system (frame), the point that I was trying to make is don't just scrap the XJ before someone that know what they're looking at looks at it.
It may be bent in an area that won't ever have much stress on it unless there's another accident, I don't know and you don't know with out looking at it and being educated in frame repair.
Ted, take it in for an estimate, that's your best bet and then go from there
It may be bent in an area that won't ever have much stress on it unless there's another accident, I don't know and you don't know with out looking at it and being educated in frame repair.
Ted, take it in for an estimate, that's your best bet and then go from there
bgcntry72
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Queen Creek, Alcatraz
Agreed, but I stand by my previous assertion. Insurance adjusters are not as stupid as they look. The reason they totalled it may be that it is no longer safe for road use, let alone what you plan to do to it, Ted. Get it checked out, but I've seen some pretty crazy shit happen to the unibody from a pretty harmless looking collision. When you stress part of a unibody, you stress the whole unibody, thus the name.
:next:
:next:
the only I would do is to get the frame fixed, and add support braces where it is bend. Something like crok.com makes for the steering box, and a frame support for under the engine. Something with a bushing on both ends. This would add a lot of strengh to the frame, and a crossmember for the front frame rails would help as well.
AZ Jeff
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Arizona
I stand by my comments earlier, only a body shop can really make a final determination as to how significant the bend in the frame really is.
For example: a bend where the leaf spring mount attaches to the body can markedly change the geometry of the rear suspension in bad ways, resulting in vibes, tire wear, etc. That same bend in the rear bumper mounting area would have pretty small impact.
Take your ride to a knowledgable body shop, and ask him for an opinion. If you are real nice, he may even give you a free ballpark quote while at it.
For example: a bend where the leaf spring mount attaches to the body can markedly change the geometry of the rear suspension in bad ways, resulting in vibes, tire wear, etc. That same bend in the rear bumper mounting area would have pretty small impact.
Take your ride to a knowledgable body shop, and ask him for an opinion. If you are real nice, he may even give you a free ballpark quote while at it.
Neil
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Oakhurst, CA
Just my $.02 I am a private investigator that works primarily for insurance companies. If the insurance company totaled the vehicle you can rest assured that it was because it was going to cost more for them to fix it than it was to total it. They are motivated by only money not safety. If you want some tips on how to deal with the insurance company I can help you there. As far as the body damage shop around and get more than one opinion.
it confuses me that only about a year ago i got hit and the insurance co put almost $7000 into this jeep... (blue book roughly $3500 at that time) Now it seems they could give a shit and sent me on my way..... They couldn't even explain why they put theat into it then.....
