Can you fix a bent car frame

Frame damage occurs when your vehicle has been struck or damaged at a critical part of its structure. And while we all hope we never have to deal with major damage, the potential for fender-benders, accidents, and the need for repairs are just a part of owning a car. Think of a car frame as your vehicle's core foundation.

Apart from the fact that it's an integral part of your car, it also makes things possible you might not have thought about, such as keeping doors aligned when they're closed, supporting the motor and bumpers, and providing a strong steel base off which to build everything else that makes up a vehicle. And if you recently had a run-in on the road that resulted in a bent or damaged frame, it's going to affect road safety and potentially make it impossible to drive your car without getting it fixed.

Now you're wondering how to fix or straighten the car frame yourself. Fixing or straightening a bent car frame yourself may be possible, but because the frame is such an integral part of the vehicle, it's important to never compromise safety.

If there's any question that there may also be internal damage crushed radiator, for instance or there's anything off with your car's brakes or steering capacities, you'll want to have a professional assist you with any straightening or welding.

Generally speaking, if your vehicle has sustained nothing more than a few dents, dings, a crunched bumper, or a little bit of a crumpled hood, you should be able to hammer things out without much of a hassle. Once again, straightening a bent car frame yourself is not recommended at home unless the damage is minor to the car body.

Dents and dings are easily hammered out, and crushed bumpers can be straightened with chains and a pulling post, but bending large amounts of metal that are essential to your vehicle's proper functioning should be left to the professionals. Most damage to the car frame will require a body repair professional to fix, as there might be internal issues with brakes and steering. If not taken care of properly, it can be very dangerous. The radiator could have been crushed, your alignment could be out of whack, and if the incident was serious enough, it could have affected your braking system.

Having the frame on your vehicle fixed generally means that the auto body shop will use professional grade tools like frame racks and measuring equipment to bend the fractured metal as close to its original shape as possible.

A twisted frame is hard to spot, but one way you tell is if there are gaps in the body. The car will tend to lean in a specific direction and will cause your coils and tires to wear at a faster rate. Other tell-tale signs are instability at higher speeds. Mash damage occurs when the vehicle gets hit from the rear or a head-on collision.

The frame accordions onto itself, and the frame ends being shorter than what it used to be. Sway damage happens when a car gets hit in the corner or t-boned. This causes the frame to bend to left or right. An easy way to tell if you have sway damage is your car will tend to favor drifting to the left or right—it will not drive in a straight line. You will feel vibrations, and it can also cause driveshaft issues. Pay attention to unusual sounds, bad alignment, uneven wear in the tires, suspension, and shocks.

Read more about bent car frame symptoms below. The easiest thing to check for is also a sign of the worst damage to your frame. Take a walk around your car and pay attention to signs of rust, cracks, or creases in the frame or exterior. When car frames bend it can cause creaking, squeaking, or other unusual noises. The sounds can come from either side, front, and rear.

If the frame is bent your shocks and suspension will wear unevenly. The sides where additional weight is being distributed by the bent frame will wear more quickly. You can check your shocks and suspension components for uneven wear.

If you see signs of this, get your frame checked. If your frame is bent it can affect the suspension and alignment which will cause uneven tire wear. If you are keeping up with your tire rotations and still experiencing uneven tire wear it might be a sign that the frame is bent.

The doors, windows, bolts, and mounts are places to check for a bent frame. The frame is the foundation of everything in the vehicle. If it is bent these other parts and components will have too little or too much room and show signs of stress or damage. Some call it crab walking or dog walking when the vehicle does this. Vehicles should always be straight when driving in a straight line, not angled to either side and still moving forward.

You can drive a vehicle with a bent frame if the vehicle is still aligned well and it will drive in a straight line, but at your own risk. This could result in much more serious damage and potential injuries to occupants. Yes, bent car frames can be fixed.