Had a friend use a jack on the front frame rail...
07-05-2011, 03:26 AM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 77
Had a friend use a jack on the front frame rail...
And things didn't go so great. It left a nice dent in the rail and I flipped out but I really have no idea how to fix it. What can I use to pull it out, Has this ever happened to anyone? Is it even worth fixing? Its not that bad. If I got weld in subframe connectors would it help? Any ideas are welcome, here are some pics!
07-05-2011, 07:59 AM
#3
TECH SAVANT
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Saint Augustine, FL
Posts: 10,938
However, find another friend that knows what they are doing--the jack was placed too far back, here are the proper jacking points.
It looks as though he picked both wheels off the ground with a single jack???
I would keep an eye on it, as it's a pretty good sized dimple in the rail, and it looks as though the rail is bent upward. This may be just distortion in the photo, without seeing it live it's difficult to say, is the floor board bent upward?
Place a straight-edge across the bottom of the rail, the ends on either side of the dimple should be in the same plane.
If not then I would be concerned. Go to a good collision shop and have them take a look at it. There is no easy way to "pull it out" as it is not sheet metal, however a good shop should be able to get it realigned if needed, and weld a brace over the damaged area.
It looks as though he picked both wheels off the ground with a single jack???
I would keep an eye on it, as it's a pretty good sized dimple in the rail, and it looks as though the rail is bent upward. This may be just distortion in the photo, without seeing it live it's difficult to say, is the floor board bent upward?
Place a straight-edge across the bottom of the rail, the ends on either side of the dimple should be in the same plane.
If not then I would be concerned. Go to a good collision shop and have them take a look at it. There is no easy way to "pull it out" as it is not sheet metal, however a good shop should be able to get it realigned if needed, and weld a brace over the damaged area.
07-06-2011, 12:25 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 77
Haha, I walked away for a minute and saw this! I have the factory service manual and showed him the jack points, he thought it was one of the points and not the pinch weld... On the positive note, the frame is straight before and after but there is a little bulge on the side of the rail. Both are straight before and after. I was thinking of slipping a c clamp and hammering it downward. Now I have some more incentive to get subframe connectors! haha
07-06-2011, 05:25 AM
#7
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: KY, was MA
Posts: 2,797
Get yourself some 1/4" x 3"x 3" steel or something similar. Just something to span the width of the frame rail so you don't do what your friend did. Although you are not supposed to lift from the middle like he did, I have with a plate on top of my jack and nothig has happened. I don't do it often, but when I was working on the car I had to finagle some jacks around and did that temporarily.
Only pic I have showing what I mean, look at the jack on the left side:
Only pic I have showing what I mean, look at the jack on the left side:
07-06-2011, 07:38 PM
#9
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 21
I don't think you'll have any issues. My rail on my car has dents on it from being jacked up too. Its amazing that rail is so thin and fragile.
The picture posted above shows being able to jack up on the front of the frame rail, but my car has a dent there too. Like was said before, just jack up the k-member.
The picture posted above shows being able to jack up on the front of the frame rail, but my car has a dent there too. Like was said before, just jack up the k-member.
