5 Signs Your Vehicle Needs Professional Frame Straightening

We often hear people after a crash wonder how the frame straightening process works and, more importantly, whether they need it at all or not. To help answer some of these questions, we wanted to provide an understanding of how the body straightening process works and why it is so important for your vehicle’s repair.

What Is Frame Straightening?

Some damage to your car or truck in an accident occurs only with the body, for example, damage to the bumper or fender, which can be corrected but in severe collisions, the damage is more significant. There are such severe accidents when the frame of a frame vehicle loses its original geometry. If the frame of the vehicle has moved, then it is necessary to straighten the frame in order to get your car or truck into working order. This type of damage occurs in almost half of all accidents, which is why frame hydraulic devices are an important piece of equipment in workshops.

The automatic body frame machine is used to hydraulically restore the frame to its original shape, as it is almost impossible to do it manually. These machines allow you to pull or push the frame to align it to its original shape, depending on the amount of damage and the type of frame.

The straightening of the frame of your car is done not only with these machines, but also with the help of advanced technologies such as a laser measuring system. This technology, combined with the expertise of the auto repair technician, delivers precision to bring your vehicle back to its original body geometry.

When Is Frame Straightening Required?

 Drivers are often surprised at the amount of damage, even after a low-speed collision. However, there is a good reason for this.

A key innovation in vehicle safety in the past few decades has been the crumple zone. Crumple zones are areas of a vehicle that are designed to crumple and collapse in a collision, absorbing some of the impact energy from being transmitted to you and your passengers.

These crumple zones result in fewer fatalities, but they also mean more damage to vehicles in low-speed collisions. Even if you don’t think your accident was serious enough to warrant repair, you should still request an estimate.

After a car accident, the question often arises whether your car will be the same. If you have recently been involved in an accident, even in a low-speed collision, call the auto shop today or request a repair quote online. Driving a car with a defective or damaged suspension is like walking with a broken leg. You will feel imbalanced and unstable, which can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

The suspension provides ride comfort by smoothing out irregularities in the road surface and providing the best possible traction. Over time, suspension parts wear out or become completely unusable. Is it safe to drive in this case?

In general, a damaged or worn part should be repaired or replaced prior to travel. However, this depends on which part is damaged. The power frame of a heavy truck carries almost the entire structure of the vehicle. Parts of the body, engine, gearbox, drives and other elements are attached to it. With intensive use of the car, its frame may break while driving. This can be avoided by regular inspection of the frame and timely repair of cargo frames.

Damage to the frame is common and varied – cracks, folds, deformation. Most of them can be repaired. It is pointless to bring the frame to life only after severe accidents. Before repairing, diagnostics of the frame condition is required. You can check for cracks with a video endoscope. In the absence of a professional tool, you can use a USB endoscope, which is paired with a laptop, tablet.

You can check the truck frame for curvature by diagonal measurements between the control points. So, you find out in which direction the frame has moved. It is possible to determine the straightness of the bearing system on long lengths using different methods. The essence of each is to define a straight line as the initial coordinate and compare the frame with it.

What To Do If the Frame Is Cracked

When repairing load frames, it is often necessary to repair cracks. Imagine that you are bending and unbending some material. Sooner or later, it reaches the limit of its elasticity and cracks. The same thing happens with the truck frame when it is subjected to cyclic loading and unloading. The metal is fatigued and cracked. Small damages are welded without additional reinforcement, serious ones – with overlays.

But before starting welding work, the damaged area must be prepared.

Auto collision repair, also called auto body work, involves repairing damage to a vehicle caused by an accident. In most cases, after a collision involving one or more vehicles, you’ll find that your car has been impacted in several places. If your car has sustained damage here – what to do? Read on to learn how you can identify the problem so it can be properly repaired. Here’s how

1. Can I Ride with A Defective Shock Strut?

No, it needs to be repaired as soon as possible.

The shock absorber strut absorbs the vibrations of unsprang parts when the vehicle collides with uneven road surfaces. Front shock struts are critical to handling. Driving with a faulty stance will be extremely uncomfortable and unsafe. It can also damage other parts of the vehicle.

2. Can You Ride with Damaged Springs?

Not recommended.

A damaged or sagging spring can cause body sagging, noise, and front wheel alignment. Driving is possible, but the ride will be uncomfortable and the car will be difficult to drive in an emergency. In addition, impacts when driving over irregularities can damage other vehicle parts. If the springs have sagged so much that one or more wheels touch the body, it is unsafe to move on – because of friction, the tire can burst at any time.

3. Can I Drive with Damaged Suspension Arms?

Yes. But very carefully.

Thanks to the silent blocks, the lever ensures quiet operation of the suspension while driving. The suspension arms are connected to the frame, and ball joints are installed inside them. Levers can be damaged when driving over potholes and in the event of an accident. Bent suspension arms can change wheel alignment, cause steering problems and cause excessive tire wear.

4. Can I Drive with A Damaged Drive Shaft?

No. It should be checked as soon as signs of malfunction appear.

The drive shaft is often found on rear-wheel-drive vehicles. It transfers torque from the engine to the wheels. It is a precisely balanced component that spins at high speed and torque and turns the wheels. If there is a drive shaft malfunction, strong vibration and abnormal sounds will appear at the bottom of the vehicle. 

If any of these signs appear, the vehicle should be inspected by a licensed mechanic as soon as possible, as a faulty drive shaft can cause accelerated wear on other suspension and transmission components and cause other malfunctions.

5. Can You Drive with A Broken Anti-Roll Bar?

Yes. But it is better not far and not for long.

There are some parts in the suspension that can be safely postponed for repair. The anti-roll bar is one such detail. If the anti-roll bar is broken, the car will roll more when cornering, but it is safe if all four wheels remain in contact with the road surface. However, a defective anti-roll bar means it will become more difficult to turn suddenly, for example when maneuvering in an emergency, and therefore it is recommended to drive at a slower speed than usual before replacing the anti-roll bar.

Tires are suspension components. They can be damaged by the road surface. Driving with a flat tire can damage the wheel rim, reduce braking performance and impede the stability and control of the vehicle.

It is possible to ride on a cracked wheel, but not recommended. The crack can widen and the wheel rim can break at any second.

If the shock absorber is defective, the car will bounce, sway, squat and dive. In other words, you won’t like the ride. In addition, the car will be more difficult to drive, especially at high speeds. Therefore, never drive a car with a defective shock absorber at high speed and avoid sharp turns and stops.

6. Can I Drive with A Faulty Steering Gear?

No. It needs to be repaired as quickly as possible. 

A car with faulty steering gear (for example, a broken tie rod end or axle joint) is unreliable when cornering. Driving with a faulty steering gear is extremely dangerous.

7. Can I Drive with A Faulty Power Steering?

Yes. Although you will have to go slowly.

If the power steering is defective, you can still drive. However, it will become very difficult to turn the steering wheel. For driving comfort, it is recommended to quickly troubleshoot the power steering.