Is This a Bent Frame?

[Arizona_928]

Crashed the truck a few years ago and my insurance fixed it with oem parts. I've had some fitment issues including a bouncing hood, bad gaps, loose grill, misaligned headlight patterns, and wearing out tires and wheel bearings on the crashed side. USAA has been very good to me and simply stated to take it back to the original shop to get it remeasured. I've done that a few times and each time the service advisor says he sees nothing wrong with the truck, probably a bent rim, ect; always an excuse or manipulation to keep pushing the issue. Here's some pictures. Let me know what you guys think?

[unclebilly]

Pics not loading. Take it to another alignment shop and have them check it. Go back to your insurance with this info. Also why did you accept it / sign off on the repair with bad panel gaps?

I’ve had to use the line, ‘Is this the best you can do?’ With more than one shop where friends have asked me to tag along to a body shop to pick up their cars. They try to do as little as possible at first. Not everyone has body work experience and knows what is possible and they try to pull one over on you with shiny paint.

Get it measured independently, find out what the spec is (2mm?), then go back and ask them why is doesn’t meet the spec if it doesn’t. If they try to brush you off, start corresponding via email. Also ask why the panel gaps are not right. Cc your insurance on all email communication.

[JackDidley]

I do not see pics but it may be time to get another shop to check it out.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Pics not loading. Take it to another alignment shop and have them check it. Go back to your insurance with this info. Also why did you accept it / sign off on the repair with bad panel gaps?

I’ve had to use the line, ‘Is this the best you can do?’ With more than one shop where friends have asked me to tag along to a body shop to pick up their cars. They try to do as little as possible at first. Not everyone has body work experience and knows what is possible and they try to pull one over on you with shiny paint.

Get it measured independently, find out what the spec is (2mm?), then go back and ask them why is doesn’t meet the spec if it doesn’t. If they try to brush you off, start corresponding via email. Also ask why the panel gaps are not right. Cc your insurance on all email communication.

The truck didn't look that bad when I picked it up. I was also young and naive regarding the body shop world. The 'lifetime repair guarantee' eased a lot of the tension until I tried to use it...

I've tried that as well. I went to an insurance heavy body shop (ABC Nissan in PHX) and they refused to even touch the truck as a self pay for a measurement, but agreed the fitment issue is definitely wrong.

[john70t]

You can tape measure front wheel to back wheel, centers of tire treads, A-arm to rear points etc, for a ballpark.
A straight 2x4 and clamped spikes will be more precise.
Another pro alignment shop rig would confirm this and be hard evidence to get re-done

(edit: the hood doesn't look too far off to my eyes, but if it's eating tires and bearings that is a problem.)

[Arizona_928]

I'm not sure why ppot isn't working with pictures. I've tried multiple devices.

Here's a couple more pics. The truck looked really good when i picked it up, but the aftermarket bumper i had them install at the same time really does hide the issue.
https://imgur.com/a/CV2QcPu

[stomachmonkey]

The hood pics dont really tell us anything, could be that it's just not aligned properly which a couple of turns of a wrench would fix.

Find a new shop and have things checked.

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by john70t

You can tape measure front wheel to back wheel, centers of tire treads, A-arm to rear points etc, for a ballpark.
A straight 2x4 and clamped spikes will be more precise.
Another pro alignment shop rig would confirm this and be hard evidence to get re-done

(edit: the hood doesn't look too far off to my eyes, but if it's eating tires and bearings that is a problem.)

The front to back wheel truck requires that the steering wheels be absolutely straight. This seemingly simple measurement isn’t always easy to do and likely isn’t accurate enough to tell you anything. This is why I suggested taking it to an alignment shop. They can measure that properly and will let you know if it’s out of whack. Some alignment shops will do a check for free.

[unclebilly]

The pics just look like poor workmanship to me. The hood fit doesn’t look great in the pics but not the worst I’ve seen either. The crease in the frame is likely not a structural concern as it’s ahead of the suspension (I think).

[Zeke]

Have you observed these so called measurements? The truck probably will test out OK on an alignment rack. It needs to be set up in a frame machine used to pull frames. Looks high enough that you and a friend can pull a tape criss cross at several points with a hopefully equal measurement occurring correspondingly. If you find an unequal measurement try and understand why. You don't want to be made a fool when you present your suspicions.

Use this information to satisfy yourself or force the shop to confirm one or the other. Knowledge is power.

[john70t]

If it's body-on-frame, the two things might be different. One mechanical. The other adjustable.

[cockerpunk]

if it aligns fine, it should be fine. the rest is just cosmetic.

we hung my race car in a tree, and attached the other end to a ram 2500 to straighten it. aligns fine.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Have you observed these so called measurements? The truck probably will test out OK on an alignment rack. It needs to be set up in a frame machine used to pull frames. Looks high enough that you and a friend can pull a tape criss cross at several points with a hopefully equal measurement occurring correspondingly. If you find an unequal measurement try and understand why. You don't want to be made a fool when you present your suspicions.

Use this information to satisfy yourself or force the shop to confirm one or the other. Knowledge is power.

I had a frame print out from the shop when I picked up the truck but it's too fuzzy to make out the numbers...

I just spoke to usaa and they said it did have frame damage and they did a few pulls to get it to straighten out. The dimple isn't cool as that should have been a sectioning procedure and the adjuster was frank about totaling it (if the damage was not caused by another accident) due to that they had spent 17k already into the original fix...

I'm not too worried to be seen as a Karen at this time. The fix hasn't been right since day one, and the fact the shop has gaslighted me every time I've been back.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

if it aligns fine, it should be fine. the rest is just cosmetic.

we hung my race car in a tree, and attached the other end to a ram 2500 to straighten it. aligns fine.

Generally I would agree. Valuation would disagree with that statement oth.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

The pics just look like poor workmanship to me. The hood fit doesn’t look great in the pics but not the worst I’ve seen either. The crease in the frame is likely not a structural concern as it’s ahead of the suspension (I think).

That's my thought processes. The body didn't get pulled out enough for the legos to fit back together correctly would be my guess. The dimple in the frame is more annoyance. My academic knowledge would point to a material failure for creases and dents; it has lost structural integrity... Which would correspond to the rust at the crease.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

The front to back wheel truck requires that the steering wheels be absolutely straight. This seemingly simple measurement isn’t always easy to do and likely isn’t accurate enough to tell you anything. This is why I suggested taking it to an alignment shop. They can measure that properly and will let you know if it’s out of whack. Some alignment shops will do a check for free.

This has been a big issue for the truck in 2020-2021. Ram recalled the drag link which required welding the adjustment sleeve. This then made an alignment next to impossible on the truck from any shop. 6+ months later I was able to get the updated part from ram
2021-today it has been sitting in a field.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

The hood pics dont really tell us anything, could be that it's just not aligned properly which a couple of turns of a wrench would fix.

Find a new shop and have things checked.

See if it was so simple. IDK why I was getting the run around from the shop. They said they could adjust the latch if my hood is bouncing while driving, but Coulter Cadillac would then gas light and say he doesn't see anything wrong with the fitment.

After the last visit to the body shop, I tried adjusting the hood latch down a couple mm, but the hood wasn't able to latch anymore.... I have other pressing commitments at hand, that I really can't afford the focus on this basket case. I'll upload a picture of the hood latch. it's missing a lot of meat off the U bolt part.

[Arizona_928]

https://imgur.com/a/ue2JdQd

[Zeke]

I wouldn't even think of you being a karen. This is a highway safety issue, It shouldn't wear out tires and wheel bearings. Document that.

[pwd72s]

I think I'd like to look at a truck like it that suffered no damage. See how that area you circled in the pics compares.