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How Much Does It Cost to Straighten a Car Frame?
A complete guide to addressing car frame damage
Let’s be real: cars get expensive. You have to pay a monthly loan, pay insurance, pay warranties and fees, get the car licensed and registered, keep it gassed up, and handle any maintenance or repairs that come along. One of the repairs that can really affect your car’s safety and function on the road is frame damage. The frame is literally the backbone of your entire vehicle, holding everything together, shielding you in accidents, and making space for electrical and mechanical components. Frame straightening can be a drop in the bucket or a tidal wave of repair costs. In this post, we’ll walk you through the basics of your car frame, what you can do to protect it, and what to expect when you need it fixed.
Car Frame Straightening
Before we dive into the details, let’s get this out of the way. Frame damage is extreme and will result in a costly repair. Many times a car is totaled when the frame is damaged in anyway. Once the frame is bent or twisted out of shape, it’s a strong indicator that the impact causing it has also torn and destroyed many other nearby components that will add up fast.
Remember, even a slight bend or minor twist in your frame constitutes frame damage.
What's Repairing Frame Damage Like?
The process is labor-intensive and requires a lot of preparation. Besides attempting to straighten the frame, a lot needs to happen first. Considerations have to be made for the total costs before jumping into it. Collision repair after a car accident that damaged your frame will involve a lot of time diagnosing and replacing components, electrical work, and checking vitals such as the radiator support, strut towers, suspension, modules, pumps, and many other parts of your car.
Even once all that prep work is done and the repair follows through, only specialized body shops can handle frame straightening work. Only highly trained auto body technicians using precision-based machinery and state-of-the-art tools can truly repair a bent frame back to its former glory.
Car Frame Basics
It’s the structural core that supports everything: From the engine and transmission to the body and interior components. There are different types of frames, but one of the most popular in modern vehicles is the unibody frame. This design cleverly integrates the body and frame into a single, cohesive unit. Unibody frames have revolutionized vehicle design by reducing weight, increasing strength, enhancing safety with integrated crumple zones, and streamlining the manufacturing process. This approach, called a unibody frame, makes your car safer and improves fuel efficiency, but also makes frames more difficult to repair.
Rocker Panels
Rocker Panels help make up the sides of your car. They contribute to the vehicle’s aesthetic and serve as crucial components for structural support. Positioned between the front and rear wheel well openings, rocker panels help maintain the rigidity of your vehicle. They keep the middle section from sagging— particularly important when you go over bumps or if your car is in an accident.
Crumple Zones
Crumple Zones are strategically engineered areas designed to absorb and redistribute collision forces away from passengers. These zones crumple in a controlled manner upon impact, cushioning the blow for the vehicle’s occupants and significantly reducing the risk of injury in a crash.
Quarter panels
Quarter Panels extend from the rear doors to the taillights; these panels play a dual role: they are important in shaping the vehicle’s exterior design and work defensively to absorb impact in case of a collision.
What Can Damage Your Frame?
Collisions, ranging from minor fender benders to major accidents, subject the vehicle’s frame to extreme forces and stresses, often beyond what the frame is designed to withstand. Here’s how collisions lead to frame damage:
Direct Impact
In a collision, the point of impact absorbs a tremendous amount of energy. This energy has to go somewhere and often results in bending, crumpling, or otherwise damaging the frame of the vehicle. The frame’s primary role is to provide structural support for the car, and when this is compromised, the vehicle’s safety and performance can be significantly impacted.
Indirect Impact
Not all frame damage is a result of a direct hit. A collision can send shockwaves throughout the vehicle, causing bending or twisting in areas not initially impacted. This can subtly alter the frame’s alignment, leading to issues that may not be immediately apparent.
Roll-over Accidents
In roll-over accidents, the vehicle’s frame is subjected to abnormal stresses, often leading to significant frame damage. The roof and sides of the vehicle absorb most of the impact, and this can cause bending or compression of the frame.
High-Speed Collisions
The higher the speed at the moment of collision, the more severe the frame damage is likely to be. High-speed impacts can cause extensive deformation of the frame, sometimes beyond repair.
While frame damage is most often seen in collisions, no matter the speed or if one of the cars was parked, it can also result from potholes and other road hazards like railroad tracks and speed bumps.
The Importance of a Solid Frame
Understanding the car frame’s importance can’t be overstated. It’s not only about holding the vehicle together but also about ensuring the safety of the occupants within. The frame’s design – from the rocker panels that brace the body, to the quarter panels that shield from side impacts, and the crumple zones that manage crash energy – all work in concert to protect you and your passengers.
By maintaining the vehicle’s structural integrity, car frames ensure that the very vehicle you rely on for mobility also serves as your haven of safety on the road. Through meticulously engineered designs and components such as the unibody frame, modern vehicles have made substantial strides in terms of passenger protection, performance, and endurance.
Bent Frame
When a mechanic tells you there has been frame damage, they are telling you that the structural support of your car is compromised. This means your car now has a bent frame and will need considerable repairs.
How to Mitigate Risks
While there is not a 100% guaranteed way to prevent frame damage, you can take steps to make it less likely. The biggest prevention is being aware and being a safe driver. The less chance you have of getting into a collision, the less likely you’ll have to deal with frame damage. You can also do your best to drive around potholes when able and safe and go at recommended speeds over railroad tracks and speed bumps.
If you notice that a road is severely damaged, then you can always request road repairs. Usually, the city or state department handles specific roads, so you’ll need to look up who to contact. Some internet stories talk about locals pitching in to fill holes, but this isn’t always legal. Be careful before you join a local effort!
Choosing The Right Auto Body Shop
How Much Can Car Frame Repair Cost?
Here’s what you probably don’t want to hear: the cost varies! They can give you an estimate before starting, but the cost can change while they’re working if they discover more damage or something gets complicated.
Car frame repair requires specialized tools, so part of the cost goes to maintaining these tools for the mechanics. Other costs include the amount of time and effort that goes into the repair. Average frame repairs can be anywhere from $500-$50,000+.
Auto body repair time isn’t always straightforward, as some issues may not be seen until others have already been fixed.
Is the Cost Worth It?
This is always something to discuss with the mechanics. Really bad frame damage can often cost more to repair than taking on a new or used car payment. If it’s a small cost, by all means! But bigger repairs may not be worth it. This is why many cars actually get totaled by the insurance company rather than opting to repair frame damage.
Don’t Forget About Your Insurance!
If your vehicle is covered by insurance, it would be a great idea to discuss the accident with your insurance company. Some insurance policies will also help you pay for a rental while your car is in the shop.
Remember, if you’ve been in an accident, never admit fault in a collision! Don’t even apologize, as this can be seen as taking the blame. Talk to your insurance agent first.
Finding a Reputable Auto Body Shop
Some drivers might be tempted to handle car issues themselves— and in some cases, that’s fine! Switching out a light or a blinker is easy; replacing a tire can be if you have the right tools. But unless you’re a professional mechanic with access to all the tools of the trade, frame repair damage is not something you should try and DIY repair. You could end up ruining your frame and voiding any help through insurance or warranties.
Instead, you want to find a professional auto body shop like Mizzoni’s to take care of your car. All of our technicians are fully certified, and we offer a warranty on all repair work. If something goes wrong, we’ll take care of it! If you need your car frame inspected and possibly repaired, then give us a call and schedule a free quote. Our state-of-the-art repair center has all of the latest gadgets and gizmos to get you back on the road as soon as possible.
And you don’t have to take our word for it! Satisfied clients have taken to the internet to tell you just what they appreciated the most about our services. You can find us on Yelp, Google, Carwise, and Facebook. Come see why we’re the most trusted auto body shop in the heart of Bergen County!
Not local? Don’t worry! You’ll just have a little more homework to do to find a reputable shop. Only go to a mechanic who offers a warranty on their services and employs skilled, certified technicians. Reviews are a great way to look into a company and see what other people have experienced. And don’t forget the importance of word of mouth! Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors to see who they trust. Your insurance will likely have a list of approved repair shops, as well, so make sure they’ll cover any work done.