another frame related question...

[ArisESQ]

has anybody in here had their front clip straightened by a frame machine? i was wondering if all my recently alligned body panels would now need to be realigned... any info would be great. thanks a lot, and i hope all your holidays are going as well as mine! :thumbsup:

[race-rodz]

more info please...... sub-frame or full frame? was this an incident after completion, or finding out something was outa wack after spending a bunch of time getting everything to fit?

usually the frame pull is done with damaged panels in place, after the frame/unibody is in "spec"...then replacement panels are installed and alligned.

if you have spent a bunch of time fitting good panels...only to find out the frame/subframe was damaged.... then remove the panels, get it fixxed and put it back together.

[ArisESQ]

its the subframe id like straightened, and it was after all my body work that i discovered i may have a bent subframe. so i should probably remove my body panels first. thanks.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Your question is not very clear. But if I read it correctly, You are stating you have already assembled your front sheetmetal and are assuming you have frame damage because things are not lining up? And now you want to send it to a frame shop to have it checked / repaired, and do not know weather you should leave your new panels on or not?

The answer would be take it to the shop as is with panels in place. It will give the shop a reference point

[ArisESQ]

ok i will start from the beggining.

the car went into a body shop and sat even on both driver and passenger sides. the car went through a lot of restoration, and all the panels were removed, repaired, repainted, etc.. when the panels were placed BACK onto the car, the car appeared to lean very very noticably to the driver side. after checking with many very helpful individuals on this site, as well as through checking myself, we detemined that the most possible cause to this would be a tweaked subframe, and originally missaligned body panels which hid the problem... i have cross measured the frame a few times, and both times have found that the sub-frame is uneven.

so my question then is, has anyone had their car's sub-frame straightened on a frame machine, is that a good route to take, and if i do do that, will my body panels need to be realigned.
hope thats better. thanks. :)

[race-rodz]

to directly answer the question.....yes the panels will need some fine adjustments once the frame pull is done.

i would probably tell ya to take the car to a GOOD collision shop as it sits, have them set up and measure the car on the rack(usually set-up/measure time is a flat rate) have the shop check it out and give you what they feel is the best way to fix it.... with either a frame pull or shims.

im assuming the front horns are whats off... throwing the core support off.... then everything else that bolts to it. this might be a simple shim it and leave it, or it might require a pull, its a judgment call depending on how far "off" it is.

[race-rodz]

btw...frank (prodigy) and i both use frame machines in our shops, so this is common for us.

[comp-spec]

As race-rodz states a GOOD collision shop because some one just pulling it around not noing what they are doing could make your car a lot worse. U should give the shop your panels when they do a pull so they can make sure your panels will fit


Maybe you should get a quote from the shop doing the work first to see if a new subframe might be a better choice

A set up measure and some hrs on the frame rack could get expensive

[ArisESQ]

thanks again for all the help guys! i dont know what id do without you guys :hail: