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Hit a Liberty - damage estimate?

Blaine B.

NAXJA Forum User
Well I hit a Liberty today with my Cherokee. Got some pics......about how much damage will this be, do ya think? Their tire was rubbin the front bumper just a tad, I think that's only because it got pushed back on the corner.......
Liberty1.jpg

Liberty2.jpg

Liberty3.jpg

Let me know what ya think.....thanks.
 
Well they got an estimate, it is $1373.00. I asked if he (apparently the husband is taking charge now) got any more, and said he wouldn't because he wanted it done at this place.
Is it my right to get more than one estimate? Won't my insurance company ask for more estimates?
 
Why are you involved?

Let him talk to your insurance, or his insurance, and let them work it out. I have had 3 accidents (none my fault) and have NEVER talked to the other person, that is why you have insurance...that is what you pay them for.

Now....if you do not have insurance...or do not want to go through them, then you have no rights to ask for any estimates, you pay what they tell you to.

Rev
 
I can't believe it's not higher. I would have guessed closer to $3k. As far as the estimate I would say it's up to your insurance as to how many they want. IIRC I only had to get one when she hit the dear with the ZJ. All you should have to pay is the deductible anyway. Oh, and it would be in your best interest not to talk to them about it, and just let your insurance handle the whole thing.
 
Well yea, if it was cheap, I'd just pay it without insurance.....but now, yeah, most likely it will go through the insurance. I think he is going to let me decide that.

BTW Yes, I do have insurance.....
 
Actually that estimate seems reasonable based on the provided pics, the only thing that would concern me is hidded damage, i.e. behind the frt cover etc. It is not unusual for an impact like this to affect the lwr core support, bumper rebar mounting and impact bar. It appears as if the lft fender has a small tweak above flare @ the hood seam. Is the paint 3 stage? If so blending could be an issue as well. Individual states have their own bilaws concerning auto damage appraisles and adjustments, my state for example does not require more than one estimate be provided. Do you plan on paying out-of-pocket or letting your co. take care of it?
 
I'm going to have a private meeting with my insurance agent.....I have to mention how they said "it was just fixed, too." I hope there wasn't damage there already (maybe even structural) that was there prior to my accident...he will suggest something, and it will be fine.
 
You have got it, Turn it over to your ins. co. and let that be the end of it. That way if anything pops up the ins. co. will have to step up and work it out.
 
Yeah, I couldn't wait for it to snow either :shock:
Is there ANY chance my bumper could be unbent back into shape by heating it up? It's not just a stock bumper.....if it was, I wouldn't care. But it has custom welded brackets which are about a million times stronger than the stock bumper brackets. Anybody think it's possible to remotely get it back into shape? I'm banking on a NO for this one....
The brackets are also welded to this bumper, so it isn't like I can just transfer them to the new bumper. I have no welding experience at all either.....

Cherokee2.jpg

As you can see these brackets were ultra strong, and I'll miss that.....notice how the dent appears right after the bracket for the bumper :( That wouldn't happen on a stock bumper.
 
Blaine B. said:
Anybody think it's possible to remotely get it back into shape? I'm banking on a NO for this one....
The brackets are also welded to this bumper, so it isn't like I can just transfer them to the new bumper. I have no welding experience at all either.....

As you can see these brackets were ultra strong, and I'll miss that.....notice how the dent appears right after the bracket for the bumper :( That wouldn't happen on a stock bumper.
If you did get the bumper back to the original shape it wouldn't be as strong.

You can take the mount off with a cut off wheel, just cut through the bumper seeing as it is basically scrap metal now. You should be able to get a welding shop to weld the bracket onto a new bumper if needed for a small price.
 
I had a little bender a few months ago and my stock bumper looked about like that, not quite as bad, once I removed the end cap (its a 97), it did bend around the bracket

The insurance company cut me a check for about $1300 for the header panel/fender/flare/retainer clip/end cap/paint etc

I told the body shop not to do the end cap and leave the bumper

when I got it back they had bent the bumper back and if you weren't looking for it you couldn't tell it had ever been bent except around the torx bolt on the top of the bumper on top of the mount where it bent at, just like yours

they didn't charge me to do this so i'm assuming it didn't require a lot of labor and they must have just heated and bent

221037643.jpg


The passenger side of the bumper was the side that was bent almost as bad as yours, don't mind the wierdo running around (not me) or the sweet stock sway bar connected flex
 
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Really, interesting. I can't get any money for mine though, I only have coverage for other vehicles....I think that's called liability? I don't have comprehensive insurance.
 
Yeah I hit a guy in a beat pick-up that started to go on a right on red then stopped 3/4 the way through as I was checking traffic to the left assuming he was long gone, he didn't care, drove away

My dads friend backed into a mint 84 Cutlass I was trying to sell for $1000 the next day

I made a deal with him instead of paying to fix the cutlass which he created similar, actually worse, damage on with his Navigator to fix my Jeep, so I got lucky their

but thats besides the point, My bumper looked A little better then yours but still kinked/bent and you can see it looks pretty legit now, just a little hope for you maybe
 
Hm, I guess I'll have to run around with the bumper to various shops :) That'd be ideal to get it fixed...any idea on how much weaker it would be if they unbent it?

That picture was post-accident?
 
Sad thing is with the way the Liberty is built they gotta replace just about the whole front clip.

So how hard was the impact? Speed?

Good luck bro
 
If my insurance was increased by $200 a year after one accident I would start looking into changing my insurance company.
 
Yeah that pic was post accident, the header panel and fender are new and they bent the bumper back out
 
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