A damaged car frame causes more than just cosmetic damage. It can also harm the integrity of your vehicle, putting you and other drivers in danger every time you get on the road. If you’ve recently been in an accident, check your car frame for damage before you drive again and get in touch with a repair specialist right away if you notice anything unusual about your vehicle. Here’s how to tell if your car frame is damaged and what to do about it to ensure a safer drive.
Visible Damage
Visible bends, denting, and other damage around the frame area is a surefire sign that your frame needs some help. This can occur after a serious accident and is generally easy to spot. Walk around your car and make note of any rust, cracks, or creases in your frame and exterior. Look underneath the car as well and identify any damage to the bottom of the frame, including missing or bent components. Car frames damaged in this way can cause numerous other issues, so it’s important to fix dents and bends right away when the problem is easy to manage.
Poor Alignment
Accidents may cause your car to pull in one direction while you drive. This requires additional correction while driving, but if you’re unaware of how to perfectly position your car, you leave yourself vulnerable to another collision. Have your car realigned to rule that out as a potential solution, and if you find yourself continually fighting with the wheel anyways, have a professional check your frame for smaller signs of damage. This fix allows you to pay more attention to other risks on the road instead of managing your car’s poor alignment.
Strange Noises
Creaking, squeaking and other unusual noises are never a good sign, particularly after an accident. Noises from the front, sides, and rear of your car can indicate internal damage to your vehicle and should be checked out immediately to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse. While these noises may seem harmless, they are often the only physical sign of how to tell if your car frame is damaged until a professional takes a closer look, so ignoring them could cost you a lot later if you allow the problem to worsen.
Uneven Shocks and Suspension
Frame damage may shift more weight to one side of the car, causing one side of your shocks and suspension to wear out more quickly on the side carrying more weight than usual. This can make your wheels feel less stabilized and damage their ability to remain on the road, which can lead to another accident if you aren’t careful. If you notice signs of uneven wear, contact a professional immediately to make your car safe to drive again.
Uneven Tire Wear
Tires can also wear out unevenly due to improper distribution of weight. This can also diminish their grip strength, particularly on wet or snow-covered roads. Keeping up with regular tire rotations often prevents this problem, but if you’ve been in an accident recently and notice a change in your tires’ performance, a frame check may be in order.
Poor Wheel Tracking
Like alignment issues, shoddy wheel tracking will make your car veer to one side when you’re trying to drive straight. This can indicate unseen frame damage and should be resolved before you attempt to drive again on highways and other busy areas. When your wheels track properly, you’ll be able to spend less energy overcompensating for their bad performance and more on getting yourself safely to your destination.
Fixing Your Frame
Driving a car with a damaged frame is dangerous because it limits your control over the car. Bad alignment and tracking, uneven weight distribution, and other frame issues force you to work harder to stay safe on the road. They also cause further damage to your car, which can be more expensive to repair later due to the more pronounced problems they create. To ensure the safest drive and most affordable fix possible, take your car to an experienced shop right away and have the right repairs made.
Speak to the professionals at Rob’s Customs and Restorations for more information about frame damage and to schedule a car frame repair. The mechanics at Rob’s have extensive experience in frame alignment and repair on a wide range of vehicles, allowing them to complete your repairs accurately and quickly. Rob’s provides free consultations to help you understand the problem with your car and offers affordable repairs to get you on the road again as quickly as possible.