TerraWombat
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Eastern Shore MD
Last week I received a '99 XJ that was hit in the front right directly on the passenger frame rail behind the bumper. The frame rail looks to be pushed back a bit as the passenger motor mount is misaligned. I plan on using the drivetrain and interior for my '88 MJ project, but that truck isn't anywhere near ready for the transplant so in the meantime, I'd like to get the '99 XJ back in commission.
Obviously, the right way to do this is to take the truck to a body shop with a frame straightener/puller, but I'm afraid of what that would cost and since I plan on stripping the thing down to the shell, I'd rather not invest too much money into it.
So, I've heard some pretty interesting stories in the past of people fixing bent frames using a heavy duty chain and a tree and I thought I would throw the question out there to see if anyone else has any clever ideas. I have a set of tow hooks on my MJ - the kind that bolt directly to the frame rail and I was thinking of maybe sacrificing one of those for the cause. I could always build another if I break it.
So, does anyone have any good backyard mechanic tips they'd like to share? My biggest concern is that if I jolt the car enough, I'll set off the airbags! I should probably do some research on how to disable those!
Obviously, the right way to do this is to take the truck to a body shop with a frame straightener/puller, but I'm afraid of what that would cost and since I plan on stripping the thing down to the shell, I'd rather not invest too much money into it.
So, I've heard some pretty interesting stories in the past of people fixing bent frames using a heavy duty chain and a tree and I thought I would throw the question out there to see if anyone else has any clever ideas. I have a set of tow hooks on my MJ - the kind that bolt directly to the frame rail and I was thinking of maybe sacrificing one of those for the cause. I could always build another if I break it.
So, does anyone have any good backyard mechanic tips they'd like to share? My biggest concern is that if I jolt the car enough, I'll set off the airbags! I should probably do some research on how to disable those!