jumped high curb in snow....help

[RedfordXLT]

Went down a unplowed street and ended up on top of high cinder blocks. Got the two front wheels over but got stuck on the frame. I was able to jack the truck up enough and put it in 4x4 low and got enough traction from the rear wheels and the front wheels hitting the cinder blocks to get unstuck, but unfortunately there was damage done underneath the truck. There is a definite dent in the front part of what appears to be the frame or a support just underneath the smaller radiator / cooler that comes off of the main radiator. The steering is stiff and seems to get stuck, but there is no shake when driving it. There isn't any grinding or leaking anyplace either.

How much damage is done here????

 

[Premier]

thats the front crossmember. can you get any other pics?

that little thing is the transmission cooler i believe, and it may need replaced

 

[RedfordXLT]

What other pics? The truck is out front and I can take any pic that would help

 

[gnzth01]

thats the front crossmember. can you get any other pics?

that little thing is the transmission cooler i believe, and it may need replaced

It's actually the power steering cooler. It's probably kinked, so the fluid can't circulate. That would explain the stiff steering. You could probably just use a barbed splicer to splice the two lines, to bypass the cooler for the time being.

ZtH01

 

[RedfordXLT]

It doesn't appear to be kinked though, the damage appears to be just below the cooler

 

[CALDWELL]

your lucky your cooler didnt get messed up !!!


look at it this way... chicks dig scars lol

 

[CALDWELL]

EDIT... at least not to bad i should say...

 

[LBarr2002]

I'd consider running it by an alignment shop (someone you trust) to make sure bending the crossmember didn't pull it out of spec.

 

[Four0Sport]

double on letting a shop look at it for you

 

[RedfordXLT]

I took up to the local Sears Auto ( a place I DON'T trust ) but they do free inspections. They said it was the Rack & Pinion! $715 out the door they said as if that makes it any better! The mechanic I use and trust isn't in until Monday so I'm going to contact him and get is opinion and price on doing it.

Thanks for all the help

 

[corkey]

smacking that frame section could have damaged the rack and pinion , it is on top of that crossmember,, that could be causing the steering stiffness,
715 sound a bit off, i got a new rack for about 330 with the core , when i take the old one back i get back a bunch of money,, that makes the rack only worth about 190 $,
so that being said , they want $500 for labour,,
maybe buy the rack somewhere else and get your friend to install it, if that truns out to be the problem,

 

[RedfordXLT]

yeah I hear that... I got a cost from the local auto place $199 with a $130 core. The mechanic I use will let me bring my own parts.

 

[chris's2005]

Maybe this is a sign to get your explorer lifted,

 

[Four0Sport]

maybe something it just bound up.. it might be fixable, you never know. that cross member is a thick piece, may not be able to be bend back up, it could be causing the rack to bind. hope this doesnt turn into a big money fiasco for you

 

[dannyb420]

get it looked at by your mechanic, just by looking at the pics its not the cooler that worries me its whats above or around that cross member, the integrity of the cooler lines look OK the fins are shot but the lines look OK. get it looked at though better safe then sorry

 

[IZwack]

Maybe this is a sign to get your explorer lifted,

That cross member will be there even if you throw a 10" lift on it. Its tire diameter thats going to get that up.

Anyways, as others have said, take it to an alignment shop. I doubt the rack and pinion is damaged because its not what got hit -- I think the bigger problem is a bent cross member which will throw off alignment.

 

[CHEESYPOOFS]

I just got my rack and pinion done too....cost me out the ass lol

 

[RedfordXLT]

yeah I'm curious myself that when I smacked the cross member that I did something more than the steering... The steering is messed up that is for sure. What I like about the mechanic I go to is he'll try and fix it before replacing it unlike other mechanics and tell me straight up whether or not I really need to change something, it's good to know a mechanic you can trust

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

woah, actually, there is more than one way to raise the cross member, yes you can get bigger tires, and you can also get longer springs, or put a spacer at one end of your coil springs. I've bottomed out on that cross member a few times on concrete, its quite strong, but I've done nothing more than just scrap the paint off. good luck.

 

[IZwack]

woah, actually, there is more than one way to raise the cross member, yes you can get bigger tires, and you can also get longer springs, or put a spacer at one end of your coil springs..

I personally dont consider that a real lift -- it kills the down travel. Its almost like a torsion twist on the 2nd gens -- it just puts the suspension closer to its travel limit. But to each his own.