Frame Damage

-

HTMLmopars

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2014
Messages
310
Reaction score
80
Location
Skagit County, WA
Finally got around to taking my Valiant in to the body shop. I've known for years that the front section of the frame is bent, and finally am at the point where it's possible for me to get that fixed. The body guy was great, but basically told me that the frame is buckled just ahead of the k-member. Because the metal is buckled, he won't pull it straight for liability reasons. If I can source a new rail for that side, he would replace it. But he said if it was his car, he would just straighten it out and drive it, technically there's some risk if you crash the car, but it's not going to just fail on it's own.
So I've got a few options:
a) find someone who does frame/bodywork on the side somewhere on the west side of Washington state who will bend it straight for me.
b) try and measure things up and pull it to square using a chain and a pickup (this might be a terrible idea, I haven't done any research on how this would happen but I've heard that it has been done)
c) source a driver's side frame rail for my 68 and have the shop replace it.

Does anyone have input on any of the possibilities or have leads on who would be able to do that work?
 
If hes willing to pull it straight for himself, but then telling you that you need to get a whole different framerail and he will change out the rail for you instead of pulling it straight for you, tells me it's all about the money with this guy, or he really doesnt want to **** with it. For what shops charge per hour labor, changing a whole frame rail out is going to cost you. I don't buy that liability B.S., because shops have been pulling framerails straight for years. Find a shop thats willing to clamp it onto a blackhawk or car-O-liner and pull it straight.
 
Last edited:
He sounds like a fool.

Find a place with a frame rack. That way the damaged frame section can be pulled and bring the other attached metal along with it at the same time.

If the frame section in a uni-body gets tweaked, it affects the rest too.

Welding a new rail into the associated tweaked metal would be idiotic.

Find a new shop.
 
I just had the frame shop pull five inches of diamond and twist out of my '93 Dakota.

Find a new shop, preferably one run by an old guy named Leroy. There's one in Kansas city I'd highly recommend.
 
Wait a minute. Without crawling under my car, I am thinking that there is only an inch or so of frame rail in front of the K member. Can that get bent, if the rest of the frame rail is not?
 
Wait a minute. Without crawling under my car, I am thinking that there is only an inch or so of frame rail in front of the K member. Can that get bent, if the rest of the frame rail is not?
It's more like a foot from the front bolt to the core support
 
That should be a fairly easy pull. With bunper off you bolt a plate where bumper bracket mounts. It's the bumper that pushed it back. As long as they dont heat the frame you should be good. On the average for frame work they should charge 2 hr setup and measure and maybe 2 hrs to straighten. Ask them if they want the bumper off 1st and maybe save a couple of bucks. (6 bolts. ) Some may want it on if there is sway.
 
If you have never done frame work, you won't know this, but to replace the framerail you have to pull it straight FIRST!!!
Then replace the rail.
otherwise you are trying to attach it to points that are in the wrong place!!!
No way to know if the rail is saveable until AFTER its pulled.
Like if it gets torn beyond repair in the pulling process...
 
-
Back
Top