Bent Frame Questions ???

[Exp-Wi.]

Hi Guys, I recently acquired a 93 XLT as a project vehicle. It has some front end damage, but I got a pretty good deal on it, so I have been putting it back together as parts become available to me (and as my budget will allow) . I thought the body was the extent of the damage, but now I find out there is also some frame damage. I am not sure as to the extent of the damage but my friend who is a mechanic told me I might be better off finding a different frame . From what he said it appears one side of the frame has been pushed backwards and the motor mounts are twisted. Anyway here is my questions: A. Does anyone know about interchangability of chassis parts/ frames/ motor mounts etc. between 1st generation explorers, (91 to 93 in particular) ? B. Has anyone had good experience with shops who claim they can straighten frames ie. quality, price, etc. Thanks in advance for any feedback,
Bruce.

 

[section525]

Putting a new frame under your X is a pain. It'll take you about 6 days. Ha. I'm pretty sure all the 91-94 frames are the same. All you really care about is body mounts and motor mounts and I'm fairly certain they were uniform through those years. Check out my conversion page in my sig for info about putting a new frame under your X!

 

[Strike12]

I hope you got it next to nothing , cause a frame shop wont be cheap and I hope you find a good one . You have alot of work ahead of yourself . Figure out if it might be better to grab another x that doesnt have that much exstensive damage . You can run into alot of problems if your not that experieced with racked frames . I usually would only consider a late model that had frame damage , because of the cost involved , compared to what the x was worth . Good luck.

 

[jimbo74]

Talk to friends when looking for work.... A freind of a friend (who owns a body shop) straightened out my frame, removed my wrecked front clip, and reattached my new one and all the other parts (supplied by me) for $1100.... it seems like a lot, but they basically rebuilt the front of my truck......

 

[Exp-Wi.]

thanks for replies

Thanks for the feedback guys, not exactly what I was hoping to hear but I appreciate it none the less. I actually talked to my friend this morning (the mechanic) and he said he didn't think I needed to swap the whole frame (which I don't think I would have anyway) just some of the front end parts, and wouldn't go into any more details. We are putting it up on the hoist tomorrow and he is gonna point out exactly whats wrong. So I guess i keep my fingers crossed, I would hate to abandone this project before it even really gets started. I'll keep ya posted, thanks again.

p.s. (section525, Awesome job you did on the 2nd Gen. swap. I would love to pull off a project like that someday, not with this vehicle though, as Strike12 said the value just isn't there).

Bruce.

 

[MONMIX]

Man, if it moved the motor mounts that frame is gone.
That is some pretty far back damage for a full frame.
It is unlikly that would be a sensible repair, if at all possible. As far as a frame swap, lots and lots of work.
I am sorry man, I'd just count my losses and move on.

 

[Exp-Wi.]

Checked out damage.

Well guys, I just got back from my friends shop. We had the Ex up on the hoist, and the alignment rack, and I am happy to say that I think his frame diagnosis was a bit over-exaggerated. I didn’t see any real extensive damage other than what looks like minor wear and tear type stuff on the frame rails. As far as the motor mounts go they were far from twisted, at least in my opinion. The driver side mount did appear to sit slightly more flush to the frame than did the passenger side but the difference seemed minimal. They didn’t look identical and it’s hard to tell from my Hanes manual what they are supposed to look like. So if anyone has good pics or diagrams or feedback on the subject I would appreciate it. Anyway we got the toe and caster to within tolerances (actually they are dead nuts on) but the camber angle is still off by about 3-3.5 deg. On each side negative so they look like / \ .I drove it home for the first time and everything seemed fine had it on the highway for a short period 60-65 mph, fine. I was going to put new camber adjusters in this week and I also have almost new springs that came with the lift I just bought off Brett. I’m hoping that will take care of the alignment. So what do you guys think?
Thanks,
Bruce.

 

[GaSouthern1]

congrats...sounds like you got all your luck for this week taken used up.

 

[MONMIX]

Having the toe and caster with in specs is very good news.
I can't believe I did not remember to give you this tip.
You can still do it.
90% Of the holes on the bottom of your frame are symetrical (sp? ) do a cross mesurement. Meaning
Start at the furthest front hole on the left and cross over to the right, find a hole about a 1/3 rd of the way back. Mesure, switch sides, it should be exactally the same or on an Ex with in a 1/4 should be workable.
If it is singificantly off, keep mesuring further and further back till the mesurements match up and then you'll see where your damage ends.

 

[Exp-Wi.]

So Far So Good !

Thanks to everyone who contributed feedback. Since my origional Post I have had some extremely good luck. I was able to get my lift installed wiyhout any major problems, and today at the alignment shop we were able to get the camber back to within 1degree of factory specs with the 3.5 degree camber kit. I got my fingers crossed that whatever frame damage (if any) that there is, wont cause anymore problems.
Thanks again,
Bruce.

 

[MONMIX]

Yaaaaaay you !!!!