I think I'm ready to talk about this
- Thread starter seventy1
- Start date
wow, I am shocked by this! what is the reason for this? Surely the theft rate can't be higher than places like Newark NJ?
Sorry for the situation with your Jeep, but very thankful your daughter and her friends made it out okay. I used to work auto insurance claims, and it's crazy how common something like this actually is. The seat belts definitely saved them, and the Jeep did it's job. While it will be a lot of work to fix the Jeep, a TJ isn't an easy vehicle to just go out and replace, especially in a rust belt state.
All true, thanks. Every time I look at the Jeep I'm amazed at the number of damaged parts. I found a hole punched in the lower airbox the other day, It's nearly 3 inches away from the alternator, but the fender must have moved 5 inches during the crash. Also found a hole in the front driveshaft boot, maybe the road sign?
Glad everyone is OK.
My Jeep has only had liability on it for probably the past 10 years. Definitely not worth it to get much more on Jeeps that aren't worth that much. Like all insurance, it is negative expected value. In the case of cheap Jeeps, it is very very not worth it.
My Jeep has only had liability on it for probably the past 10 years. Definitely not worth it to get much more on Jeeps that aren't worth that much. Like all insurance, it is negative expected value. In the case of cheap Jeeps, it is very very not worth it.
I wanted to follow up with what I've learned about frame damage. The frame/body shop I took it to just put it on an alignment rack, saw the thrust angle issues (from bent axle brackets and track bars), rust at the body mounts and all of the other damage and decided they didn't want to work on it. They suspected a bent frame, but took no measurements and couldn't point to any frame damage. I don't fault them, they knew a repair to factory specs would cost much more than the Jeep's value.
So, not willing to write it off yet, I took some shade-tree frame measurements on my garage floor. I made a plumb bob out of a banjo bolt, grommet, magnetic washer and some monofilament, set up the frame center rail sections parallel to my floor on jack stands and made a chalk layout on the floor. The results were better than I feared - everything rear of the front arm mounts looks perfectly straight, the diagonal measurements were spot-on. The front measurements were taken just behind the bumper for height and from slots on the bottom of the rail about 13" rear of the bumper for lateral. The RH rail is 14 mm low at the bumper and 20 mm outboard at the slot.
So, my thoughts are I can probably save this thing, find a creative way to tweak the front RH rail closer to straight, then bolt on some new (salvage) sheet metal. Crazy?
So, not willing to write it off yet, I took some shade-tree frame measurements on my garage floor. I made a plumb bob out of a banjo bolt, grommet, magnetic washer and some monofilament, set up the frame center rail sections parallel to my floor on jack stands and made a chalk layout on the floor. The results were better than I feared - everything rear of the front arm mounts looks perfectly straight, the diagonal measurements were spot-on. The front measurements were taken just behind the bumper for height and from slots on the bottom of the rail about 13" rear of the bumper for lateral. The RH rail is 14 mm low at the bumper and 20 mm outboard at the slot.
So, my thoughts are I can probably save this thing, find a creative way to tweak the front RH rail closer to straight, then bolt on some new (salvage) sheet metal. Crazy?
Sounds reasonable to me. If the frame is not all rusted up anyway. If it is, time for a frame swap.
Three of my cars, my ATV’s and my trailer are fully insured for less than that New York number combined.
When I was young and poor a girl pulled out in front of my 1995 F-150 while I was doing 45. Bent the frame horns about 3" to the passenger side and down 1". I chained it to a ring in the floor of my father in laws shop (he was a body man way back in the day) and jacked it back up to level with a farm jack. I then took it outside and chained it to a phone pole. Using a come a long and a torch I slowly pulled it back straight-ish. Took a couple washer to get the bumper to fit perfect but it drove straight and no one really knew but me. Anything can be fixed, if you're creative enough it come be done reasonably inexpensively.
I jackknifed a boat trailer backing up on my friend's F250 supercab extra-longbed (with bed topper and no back up camera) and bent the main tube.
After I got it home, I hooked it to my suburban, tied a come-along off to a big ass tree and got it straight as an arrow.
After I got it home, I hooked it to my suburban, tied a come-along off to a big ass tree and got it straight as an arrow.
I would pick a point on the left side behind the spring mount and measure xyz coordinates from it. Find a point on the right side at the exact same location so you have a good starting point. You may need to start from the transmission skid plate.
Otherwise the right could be 1-2mm off further back then you think. Sraighten from where they match forward. Use the front edge as your lever arm since it's longest, but determine the pull angles from xyz measurements. Change zero point and get a new xyz measurement and pull angle after each adjustment.
Or pull on it with something on the front corner and go to town with a 10 lb sledge and torch until "close enough".
I've done both ways depending on who's paying for it.
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WNC05willys
TJ Enthusiast
just found this thread....Wow!! So glad everyone is unhurt, my youngest is coming up on driving age and cant wait to get my tj wheels dirty. I have a few takeoffs I'm happy to donate, with more stuff coming. PM me if you need a list, its not much but you are welcome to anything I have
Sounds like you've got a lot of experience with this, wish Omaha was closer... If I put an anchor in my garage floor to hold the frame down, what are the chances I'll just crack and pull up the concrete?
Thanks for the offer WNC05willys, I may take you up on it. My parents are in Waynesville, so I get down that way occasionally.
Xposure
TJ Enthusiast
Glad to hear your daughters and her friends are all okay and that the Jeep did His job and protected them real well!
My son is just fixing to get his license and has been driving the Jeep while having his permit. I think the Jeep is easy to drive....up until the point that is starts to get squirrelly and then I think it's a VERY difficult vehicle to correct. Most cars are much easier to correct than a Jeep. My son drives the Jeep great but I worry about what will happen if someone pulls out in front of him and he swerves out of the way or something similar.
So glad they were okay.
Also....I think a come along and some heat would straighten that frame right out. My brother and I have done it a couple times. He got a wrecked 2010 Toyota Corolla Sport traded to him for installing a transmission in their truck. The front bumper cover was messed up and the frame didnt line up with the front core support anymore. We found a paint matching bumper cover at a salvage yard. Heated up the frame and used a come along (attached to a tree) and ratched it right back into place. 5lb hammer straightened the tabs on the core support and it all bolted back up smooth as butter. Youd never know it was wrecked.
Good luck with it!
My son is just fixing to get his license and has been driving the Jeep while having his permit. I think the Jeep is easy to drive....up until the point that is starts to get squirrelly and then I think it's a VERY difficult vehicle to correct. Most cars are much easier to correct than a Jeep. My son drives the Jeep great but I worry about what will happen if someone pulls out in front of him and he swerves out of the way or something similar.
So glad they were okay.
Also....I think a come along and some heat would straighten that frame right out. My brother and I have done it a couple times. He got a wrecked 2010 Toyota Corolla Sport traded to him for installing a transmission in their truck. The front bumper cover was messed up and the frame didnt line up with the front core support anymore. We found a paint matching bumper cover at a salvage yard. Heated up the frame and used a come along (attached to a tree) and ratched it right back into place. 5lb hammer straightened the tabs on the core support and it all bolted back up smooth as butter. Youd never know it was wrecked.
Good luck with it!
At one time I designed high pressure and temperature pipe systems and supports. Heavy wall high grade stuff for 3000+ psi, 1800 + F applications. We had a lot of steel available to hook come-a-longs to when things needed shifting.
You probably just need an anchor point or two. If you need any help mapping 3D and figuring out the pull direction at the front that's not too hard. You'll want to anchor at the first point from the transfer as skid where you see deflections. Then maybe pull in 2 directions at the same time if the frame had some rotation during its bend.
In my youth we used chains, tractors, trees, and sledge hammers. That might be okay if you don't plan on a lot of street and highway use. Without more frame detail measurement its hard to tell how difficult or easy straightening may be. Otherwise things might wear faster, no fit right, or induce wobble. On the back end it would be as important and probably only show up in tire wear.
The frame shop punting on a fix leads me to believe they saw something like twists. I wonder if you could have a welder put in safety caps faster than trying to straighten it.
Xposure
TJ Enthusiast
Where the frame is 14mm low at the bumper....how far along the frame do you go before its straight? In other words, how long of a area is bent? Same question for the 20mm area.
Does the frame have any kinks or anything where it was pushed back into itself?
Curious....do you have a good idea how fast they were going?
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