If you have been in a collision or suspect that your vehicle is not working as expected, you may be experiencing the side effects of frame damage on your truck. While frame damage is not always obvious, it can have long-lasting and potentially dangerous effects on your vehicle, which is why you should seek truck frame repair for any frame issues as soon as possible after you become aware of them.
However, repairing a truck frame comes with its own set of challenges, and these are best handled by an experienced auto body repair shop instead of on your own.
What Causes Truck Frame Damage?
Frame damage to a truck can be caused by a variety of incidents, but the most common is a collision or accident. If the truck strikes another vehicle or an object, the shock and force of the collision will be transferred through the body of the truck, including the frame. This can cause the frame to bend, warp or crack.
Rust can also damage a truck frame if left unrepaired for too long. While surface rust is relatively simple to treat with a grinder and sandpaper, penetrating rust can eat holes into the truck’s frame and compromise its integrity.
A vehicle’s frame is akin to a human’s skeleton, supporting the entire body and carrying weight. If it can no longer perform this job well, or if it is distorted or damaged, the vehicle may begin to show symptoms.
What Frame Damage Can Look Like
Frame damage comes in many forms, and the type of damage that your truck frame has sustained will dictate what symptoms you experience.
However, be aware that frame damage can be serious and yet produce no evidence while you are driving. It is important that you have your vehicle examined after a collision, even if you see no indication that frame damage has occurred.
If you do begin to see symptoms of frame damage in your truck, one of the first things you are most likely to notice is that your wheel alignment may seem to be off.
Your truck may drift or even jerk sideways unexpectedly while driving. You may also notice that your doors or hood no longer close seamlessly or that you have a hard time opening or closing them.
If you notice a grinding, screeching or other unusual sound that your truck did not make before, this could also be evidence of frame damage that has caused warping, resulting in parts grinding against each other as you drive.
The Challenges of Repairing Truck Frame Damage
Truck frame damage can be particularly challenging to repair, but an auto body shop that specializes in restoring frames can simplify the process.
Proper frame repair for any vehicle requires that the frame be bent or twisted back into the correct shape. This poses a challenge for three reasons: the amount of power required to alter the shape of such sturdy material, access to the tools required to do so, and the need to restore the frame to exactly its manufacturer specifications and not an inch more or less.
The first challenge—the amount of power required to reshape a truck’s frame—is solved by specialty tools such as hydraulic machines that provide sufficient torque to twist the components.
The process also requires chains and lifts, but it is certainly possible for those who have these tools. The second challenge of access to such tools is why the majority of individuals cannot perform frame repair at home.
However, auto body shops specializing in frame repair can help because they will have these tools in their possession.
Finally, specialized shops will also possess laser measurement devices that ensure that the machines restore the truck’s frame to exactly the specifications required; these are more accurate than manual measurement and produce a better final result.
Work with A Experienced Auto Body Shop
Whether you have recently been in a collision and have been experiencing the symptoms of a truck frame damage issue or you simply suspect that rust has compromised the frame in your vehicle, be sure to choose an auto body repair shop that has experience with frame restoration.
Not all shops will possess the tools required to accurately and comprehensively push, pull and twist a frame back into shape. Robs Customs and Restorations would be happy to help you repair your damaged truck frame so that you can get back to driving safely as soon as possible.
Reach out to schedule an appointment with an expert so that you can avoid the higher probability of another accident in the future due to a compromised truck frame.