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BWillis

Jedi Knight
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While working on my Bugeye yesterday I noticed that one of my frame rails was bent. I had been installing my new front tilt brackets and just lowered the bonnet to test the fit when I noticed that one side would't sit down with the forward rocker.

It appears that at some point the car has been hit in the front on this rail bending it upward a little less than an inch. Can anyone think of a good way to fix this?

Ben in SC
 
Block other frame rail against the wall?? or something unyealding and use a hyd jack to straighten the other side pushing against the blocked side?
 
Take it to a body shop that has a frame alignment rack and they can get it close. You might be able to find a creative way to do it yourself, but you may also make the problem worse or introduce new problems.

If the difference is causing no other problems, you may just want to modify your hinges.
 
I wish it was as easy as modifying the hinges. The front pin pads have very little clearance with the bonnet's lower radiator shroud so the frame has to come down.

I can imagine th elook on the face of the guy at the frame shop when he sees me rolling a completly stripped bugeye body with no suspension off of my trailer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I really dont want to try the "BASH" solution.

Ben
 
Well you just have to brace it another way then. How about a 2x4 to the overhead or some such. Course a frame shop would be best, well some one with a frame straightner but make sure you watch em do it.
 
The front frame legs have from the factory a built in up wards angle. This sets the Castor of the front end. If one leg is straight thats the one that is (un) bent. Is your bonnet straight? Do you have one of the front bonnet locating pieces in on one side? In one of the manuals there is a diagram showing how to check the frame alignment using measurements and strings. Check before ass-u-ing anything.
 
i had similar damage to this frame rail as well on an older tub that is now since junked. if i am correct it is the box beam between the steering rack and radiator. mine was also punched in and the driver side weld broken. looked like it was from a previous accident. anyway, while i was considering keeping the tub, i knew that i would have to have the frame checked on a rack before repairing. eventually i just junked the tub due to other unrelated rust and damage. i would get the frame checked and straightened if possible before repairing.
 
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