bent frame still bent?

[87swb]

i wrecked my 87. it hit on the front bumper where it bolts to the frame. i had it restraightened and front end aligned. it just don't steer the same way and i can't line the bumper up level. What do ya'll think?

still bent

out of alignment still

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[roundedline]

Without seeing it in person we could only guess.  Did you hit it hard enough to take it to a frame shop to get the frame checked/straightened.  If you did, take it back and have them look at it again.  

Keep in mind once something is wrecked, it will never be exactly the same again.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[87swb]

yeah i took it to a frame shop. the guy was suppost to be one of the best around. he straightened it for 500 dollars and also aligned the front end. i hit a concrete wall, it was a rainy day the highway was wet and i pulled out into oncoming traffic and tried to speed up and i lost control and hit the corner of the wall. it bent the front right frame rail and he said it had a diamond buckle where the frame curves inward and then straight which is up under where the cab and fenders meet. i just want the frame to be within factory specs. and before i wrecked it the bed stuck out on the right more than it did on the left and the cab sags down on the left side which makes the frame look twisted. the frame guy said it was like that because the left side of the cab, both cab mounts were missing a shim. im thinking the truck frame was bent when i first got it because it sat like that when i got it. is it possible to get a frame perfect or what? i want everything to be level. oh yeah the wreck didn't even hurt the left frame rail.

[Sano]

when you hit the brakes does it pull to the right?? If so I'd check the brakes especially if the guy says he aligned it and he aligned it right. I'm also wondering, if you hit it hard enough I'd think that you might of damaged some other front end parts. On the bumper height I'd check the mounts, bolts, etc.  

[87swb]

yeah actually it will pull to the right a little. sometimes it may pull a little to the left. sometimes it won't do it. what brake parts or steering parts may be damaged? what can i look for? I have checked the bumper brackets. the bumper came off an 84 swb chevy and the bumper bracket did to. only thing i have noticed is that the 84 right bracket has a smaller bolt hole while the other left bracket has a bigger one much like a slot. do you think this may be part of the reason the bumper wont line up? i took it to the frame guy he said i would never get it lined up right and he said it might be an aftermarket bumper. i'm pretty sure it is not an aftermarket.i put a leveler on the front of both frame rails without the brackets and it is pretty much level. i'm not sure how to check the bolts.

[Blazin]

He is no frame guy if he said you will never line the bumper up right. First of all if he straitend the frame the bumper should line up with very little effort. Second even if the frame is bent there is allways a way to make the cosmetics such as a bumper line up, hog out the holes, shims, etc. I would inspect the front end parts and compare them to another truck or new ones, It might also be a good idea to have another reputible frame shop mesure the frame.

[roundedline]

It is possible also that the bumper you have to replace the old one was tweaked.

But, if he actually straightened the frame, it should be within spec.  

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[87swb]

i would take it to another frame shop but everybody says they're crooks. i mean the frame man did a good job. its just that before i wrecked it the bumper was basically perfect. what i go by is the lower grille panel. before the wreck the bumper was parallel with it. now it looks lopsided, but he said it was like that because the left side of the cab sags down because it is missing shims but all 4 cab bolts dont have shims. the bodyline on the left side of the cab is a little lower than the bodyline on the left side of the bed and on the right side the body line on the bed is higher than the bodyline on the cab. what im saying is if the left side of the cab was missing shims before the wreck why wasn't the bumper lopsided. do ya'll think the front of the frame was bent to line the bumper up with the cab to make it look straight. sorry i keep talking about this frame thing but i want it be like it was before. i know you said it wouldn't be the same Roundedline but the wreck was real minor all it did was dent the bumper but happen to hit right on the right frame rail.Oh yeah do ya'll think i should put bumper guards on it or do ya'll think they're ugly?

[Sano]

As far as pulling to one side or the other an imbalance in pressure in the brake system, a sticking or stuck caliper can also cause a pull. But for the body lines to line up....I'd check the cab bushings, they break down over time and cause the cab to tilt a little. My left side on my 85' SWB I had, had the cab bushings broken down and the body line on the passenger side was about and inch or two higher. After I replace all 4 cab bushings then the body lines lined up...so thats one thing you could check and possibly replace. I'd also make sure to check the front end parts and the front disc brakes.

[87swb]

well i finally got the bumper lined up a little bit better. i think im gonna leave it alone now. i had to put a jack up under the sagging side of it and got it level and then tightened the bolts. i'll check the cab bushings Sano but the bad thing is if i do replace them it's gonna throw off the pinstripe and body molding. ill just have to see if i do replace them. i might check the brake system pressure and calipers, couldn't hurt anything by checking it anyway. thanks for all of yall's advice.

[87swb]

well i just wanted to say that the frame guy that fixed(supposedly) my frame is going out of business.i think i'm going to go to another body shop to let them see what they think of the frame.everybody always said he was a crook, go figure.

[sarnold365]

When you go to a collision shop ask them how they evaluate damage and do their repairs.  If they can't explain it so you can at least understand the concepts go to another shop. Modern collision shops have 2 basic repair methods : laser measured and factory spec.  Either is great and the only real difference is the small variance in results.  Laser measured systems estimate where repairs should end up according to the computers logic telling the laser to pinpoint the most probable place to pull to.  Factory spec systems tell the machines the factory tolerances and things like frames are pulled back to within 1/500-1/1000th in an inch of original spec.  Either way the technology is incredibly accurate.  Your particular case may be a compound bend in the frame that was overlooked.  Also check if suspension or steering components bent, or out of alignment.  Dealing with a full frame vehicle is really easy for these machines.  Your cab and body alignment problems could also stem from mounts that bent in the impact so ask the shop about that too.  Some repairs are easier for the shop to do all at once because they can tweak and fiddle around while it's all set up in front of them.

[sarnold365]

oh yeah.  Ask the shop if your rear end is still aligned properly since that can be affected if your frame was diamonded in the impact.

[lotopp79]

the d word is not a good thing from what i have heard from the repairables world you got issues my friend maybe not as bad as I think but get it to a frame shop  

[87swb]

OK. First off the frame machine was a Chisum Signature GT which the frame guy told me was not a laser type so i guess it a factory spec and he also said it was worth 43,000 dollars.  Second, the first time i took it to him for the estimate he told me it did have a diamond when he put it on his rack,lift whatever you call it.on the receipt it said pull diamond.so we know it did have a diamond.he said the frame had minor damage.i went to his shop this week and he said he is not going out of business after all, a bodyshop just wanted to buy him out.he seems like an honest man just trying to make a decent living. i have some questions i want to ask. first off, do ya'll think these trucks(73-87 Chevy and GM), or at least some of them have came from the factory with a bent frame??? second, i have some frame dimensions from chuckschevytruckpages.com and what does he mean by all dimensions are from the inside of the frame outer surface???Where do you start and stop measuring across the frame???when i put my front bumper on, it sags on the right side frame rail which is the one that was hit but when i put a leveler on top of the left/right frame horns it shows it is level so why is it sagging??? thanks for replying and hope you reply back and thanks for the interest.