Frame rails
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: MI
Frame rails How do Body shops typically fix an extremely bent frame rail? My formula was hit front and center by a bonehead who turned left in front of me. I took off all the damaged front pieces and I see that the steel bumper is bent in the middle toward the radiator and the very front of the d-side frame rail is bent over almost 90deg. toward the passenger side. (hard to explain, can send pics) Should I locate a section of used frame rail for a shop to use to graft into the existing rail? Or do they need the whole frame rail from the front bumper all the way to the file wall? Or can they some how use whats there and straighten it?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Batavia IL
Usually they would lock in points of the frame to hold in place and heat the damaged section and pull back in to posistion. If it is very badly damaged, then cut off and weld in a new section to repair. The only issue is to make sure the new section is held in the propper posistion so it will not move during welding due to the heat. Also reinforce the splice to add strength to the weld. Hope this helps.
ive seen them use chassis benders and all sorts of hydraulic equipment. once metal is bent its weaker therefore needs to be reinforcemed. fixing frames isnt an easy task and usually requirs quite a bit of man hours. ive seen some cars so bad they have to have a donor car to get body parts from. but ne things fixable!
