Many drivers wonder, “is the frame of a car repairable or replaceable?” The short answer is it depends. Some collisions might lead to problems with a frame that is beyond repairs. However, there are some instances where your vehicle frame is repairable or replaceable.
Your vehicle's frame is almost the first and most critical component that you want to make sure is working all the time properly. Unfortunately, during some car collisions and other situations, car frames might get damaged severely.
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Depending on the severity of the car frame damage, your vehicle might not be drivable in your area because it impacts safety. This article walks you through whether you can fix or repair a damaged car frame or not. It will also highlight some additional information regarding the mean purpose of your car's frame and the different types of car frame damages you might experience.
What is the car's frame, and why is it important?
Before we dive into the details about “is the frame of a car repairable or replaceable?” It is important to understand the meaning of this frame and its critical role in your vehicle.
Think about the car's frame as the main structural support that sometimes people refer to it as the chassis. Your course frame is responsible for the following:
- Protecting the internal components of your vehicle
- Protecting the passengers during any collision events
- Supporting the mechanical components of your car
- Supporting the weight of the vehicle
- Supporting the shape of the car
As you might notice, the car's frame must do a lot with your vehicle safety, and it's not in good condition; it is most likely impossible to drive the vehicle or at least not safe driving.
What are the different car frame sections?
Typically, mechanics do not refer to the entire car frame when there is a problem. Instead, you will most likely hear one of the following terminologies is representing different parts in your car's frame:
- Car frame
- Chassis
- Rear support
- Quarter panel
- Rocker panel
- A, B, & C pillars
- Floor plan
- Apron
- Firewall
- Strut tower
- Union rail
- Core support
Relying on these sections in the car frame helps the mechanic identify the location of the problem. This way, it's much easier for them to resolve any frame problem.
What are the different types of car frames?
While it's critical to familiarize yourself with the purpose of your car's frame, it is also important to understand the different types of car frames that you might come across:
1. The unibody design car frame
The unibody design car frame is the most common type of car frame that you'll see in most passenger vehicles. In this type of frame, the frame itself is connected to the body as one piece, and they work together to provide all necessary support to your vehicle.
2. The body on frame design car frame
You will most likely see the body on frame design car frames on larger vehicles like trucks or SUVs. In this type of frame, the frame will come in two different parts, and they are also connected using some merging. In other words, you will see that these two parts are bolted down to the frame.
What is frame damage?
When you hear the frame damage, it indicates any damage that impacts one of the different components of your car's frame. Usually, when frame damage happens, it affects any component within your vehicle's structural integrity.
Unfortunately, when your vehicle experiences frame damages, there is a very high chance for the vehicle to be undrivable. In other words, imagine if the main structure supporting your vehicle's body is in shape, and a different internal component is damaged, what will happen?! In some severe car frame damages, you might not even be able to drive the vehicle at all because it will impact your safety critically.
What are the different types of frame damages?
Keep in mind that there are different types of frame damages levels, and it's important to identify whether you're dealing with minor or major frame damage. So let's take a closer look at what's the biggest difference between these damages:
1. Minor frame damage
As the name suggests, the minor frame damage indicates that your vehicle got some damage that impacted the structural integrity, but it did not cause significant issues. In other words, this damaged might only cause some dents or probably scratches on the vehicle's external paint though it does not necessarily mean that vehicle safety is impacted.
Therefore, if you're dealing with minor frame damage, you don't necessarily have to stop driving the vehicle to get it fixed. Instead, you can continue driving it unless you are not comfortable with the impacted aesthetics of your car because some minor damages might be clear to the public, and many people find it unpleasant.
2. Major frame damages
If your vehicle deals with major frame damages, it indicates that some of the major core components inside the frame got impacted. Thus, you won't be able to drive the car, and there are certain regulations that you need to review before driving your vehicle because it could be illegal to drive this car in your area.
What are the crumple zones in your vehicle's frame?
While it's important to understand the different types of frame damage is, it is also critical to familiarize yourself with what's known as the crumple zones. These zones are specific areas across your vehicle's frame that are designed in a way to make them crumble against each other absorb most of the kinetic energy that could impact your safety.
Yes, the crumple zones will get damaged the most, but as they get damaged and crumple against each other, they will not allow the force or the energy coming during the collision to get to the passengers. Thus, it is very critical to ensure that your vehicle doesn't have any frame damages within the crumple zones if you want to drive it safely without impacting your life and the lives of people driving the vehicle with you.
Is the frame of a car repairable or replaceable?
Now getting to the question of “is the frame of a car repairable or replaceable?” The short answer is it depends. Depending on what type of frame damage you're dealing with, their options are different.
For example, if you're dealing with minor frame damage, your frame damage is repairable or replaceable. Mechanics can use certain tools to straighten any bent areas in your vehicle's frame, and they can replace some of the faulty components, and at the end of the day, you will end up with a perfectly working car frame.
On the other hand, if your vehicle frame damage was very severe, the frame is never repairable or replaceable. Therefore, in many cases, you will end up with giving up on your vehicle because it will be considered totaled. Totaled vehicles are those that are not repairable or that need very high repair costs as compared to the vehicle's value.
Even though if your vehicle's frame is repairable or replaceable, there are other factors that you need to keep in mind before you make your final decision about fixing the damaged car frame:
1. Severity
As we indicated earlier, depending on the severity of the frame damage, it will take you more time and effort to get it to work. However, frame damage is very severe; even if you can fix it, the time and the labor-intensive task sometimes discourages mechanics from going the route of fixing her car's frame. So does when dealing with major frame damages; you'd better sell the vehicle and use its money towards a better car.
2. Cost
The other component you need to keep in mind is repair costs. If your vehicle's frame is repairable, you want to make sure that costs make sense. As a rule of thumb, automotive experts recommend that if your repair costs are close or more than 75% of the value of your vehicle, it's never worth investing, and doing that repair here also applies for frame damages.
How much does it cost to replace a frame on a car?
Replacing the frame of your vehicle costs somewhere between $600 and $1000. However, this price range only covers minor frame damages where repairs and replacements are worth it. However, if you're dealing with major car frame damages, repair costs can climb up real quickly and sometimes approach $10,000!
How can you tell if a car had frame damage?
Whether you're checking your car or planning to purchase a used vehicle, learning how you can tell if a car had frame damage is very critical.
Typically, when the vehicle has claimed damages, it will show one of the following signs:
1. Clear damages bending signs
The first and most obvious sign indicating that the vehicle has frame damage is by showing some bending damages. After that, what you can do is you can walk around the vehicle and perform a detailed, thorough visual inspection checking for any symptoms of previous hits or damages around the body and the frame of the vehicle.
2. Issues with the vehicle’s alignment
The other thing that you can try is monitoring the alignment of the vehicle. If the car were involved in a major car accident or even a minor accident that impacted the frame, the alignment would be biased. Take a closer look at the vehicle and see if you noticed that the car does not align properly or is not horizontally sitting on the road.
Sometimes performing a visual inspection to check the vehicle alignments can be challenging unless you have the right mechanical skill sets. Therefore, you might want your car inspected by a professional mechanic to perform the alignment check.
3. Weird, abnormal noises
When the vehicle is involved in a car accident, it will start making weird noises if the frame is damaged. For instance, if you missed that your car is squealing or creaking towards the rear or front ends of their vehicle, it might be an indication of frame damages. In that case, you must consult your mechanic and have these damages repaired to prevent safety issues.
4. Uneven suspension system
When the vehicle a frame is bent or damaged, the suspension system will be impacted because it's the first component connected directly to the vehicle's frame. Have your mechanic inspect this suspension system, and if he notices any symptoms of uneven wear on the shocks of the engine system, might be a symptom of internal frame damages.
Conclusion
Frame damages are one of the very critical problems that you might experience after most car collisions. One of the first questions that many of our customers reach out to us wondering is, “is the frame of a car repairable or replaceable?” The short answer we always say is independence.
Whether you're dealing with minor or major frame damage, your options are different. In minor frame damages, your frame is repairable. Some of the broken components can be replaceable here; however, if the damages are major, you'd better sell the car and use the money towards a better vehicle.
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