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beef up rear unibody after collision

sharq

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Tampa Bay
so someone hit my trailer hitch. bent the unibody frame on both sides.

i want to beef this up so if theres a next time the frame wont bend so easily.
maybe i could sleeve with box tubing?
i was also thinking about making the shackle boxes adjustable with bolt holes at different heights. maybe 1/2" increments.

i searched but didnt find any examples of a rear unibody modification. im sure i missed some good stuff. can someone point me to any good threads?

what should i do to restore some of the straightness?

heres the damage:
unibodyw.jpg
 
First you need to have a body shop with a frame jig pull the rear frame section back out. Then I think you would be good to plate the rear frame section with 3/16" plate on the outboard side and bottom. You could also extend the tow hitch mount farther back to spread out any impact forces. Did this not crumple the body sheetmetal?
 
First you need to have a body shop with a frame jig pull the rear frame section back out. Then I think you would be good to plate the rear frame section with 3/16" plate on the outboard side and bottom. You could also extend the tow hitch mount farther back to spread out any impact forces. Did this not crumple the body sheetmetal?

hardly any damage to the sheet metal other than floor of the cargo area.
 
Most good hitches and/or bumpers use all 5 bolts on each side
 
I saw a write-up somewhere on here about sliding 2x4 tubing in the rear framerails to build a bumper off of. I think it fit fairly tight. It might be simpler than plating. You would still have to have the frame pulled before you could though. Did it kink up both sides like that?
 
ouch id say get a better hitch that goes back farther ive been rear ended twice and pretty hard destroyed the fronts of the cars that hit me, no damage to me(yippie for lift and hitch shackle) and ive also slid backwards down icy logging road into a big rock again hitch rack took the blow and its solid(homemade) no damage to it and no damage to my frame rails
 
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