bed and frame question

[ranger1999 Bob]

I was hit from behind the other day with my ranger. It appears to be driving straight despite the hard hit however the bed appears to sit higher on the passenger side ( which took more of the hit than the drivers side ) and there is slight damage to the cab where the bed hit the cab albeit very slight. In addition using my hand i can get my fingers all the way between the bedside and cab on the drivers side and only 2/3 of the way in on the passenger side. While the bumper mounts are toast it appears that the frame rails are straight on the truck. What im getting at is does anyone have experience with this kind of damage?? is it most likely the frame is bent?? are there tabs that the bed mounts to that could be twisted that cause the differences in the clearances of the bed and cab?? could the bed itself be the culprit in this?
On an 11 year old truck despite the low mileage im figuring its not too wise to put a ton of money into it to fix it up..Im wondering if its not a total loss

 

[basilfaulty]

The frame is bent. Take some photos of the rails around the bumper brackets and also midway between the spring perches. Those 2 areas are where you will find the damage to the rails. That doesn't mean the truck is totalled though. Take the truck to a reputable shop and have them look at it and give you an estimate.

 

[schmoo]

the cheapest thing to try is to loosen the
bed mount bolts and pry it back and tighten
them again. there maybe enough play in
the holes, or you could drill them a little
if you don't have to move it too far.

 

[RavoHimself]

sorry about the truck man. love the color though. dark shadow gray?

 

[ranger1999 Bob]

i believe it is medium platinum clearcoat..Ive had two trucks this color and when its washed and waxed and setting in the sun it looks awesome

 

[Explorin94]

The frame is bent. Take some photos of the rails around the bumper brackets and also midway between the spring perches. Those 2 areas are where you will find the damage to the rails. That doesn't mean the truck is totalled though. Take the truck to a reputable shop and have them look at it and give you an estimate.

How can you be so certain and say that the frame is bent by the pictures? It appears to be a square hit straight on which would crush if anything. Which doesn't rule out a bent frame. By the looks of it it could also be just the bed and mounts possibly even bent bed bolts. Some more checking needs to be done before you can say that the frame is bent cause that may not even be true. Take it to a body shop and have the professionals look at it and go from there.

 

[ranger1999 Bob]

well i finally went to the body shop and their assessment is the frame has a slight tweak to it and they estimate it at just over $3100 in damages. IN addition to whats there they also are covering the seat belt on my side which seems to have lost its retraction since the accident and a new slide mount for my car stereo which ejected from the dashboard in the accident.. now the $64,000 question is if it is fixed will it ever be right again?

 

[hondaxr650]

well i finally went to the body shop and their assessment is the frame has a slight tweak to it and they estimate it at just over $3100 in damages. IN addition to whats there they also are covering the seat belt on my side which seems to have lost its retraction since the accident and a new slide mount for my car stereo which ejected from the dashboard in the accident.. now the $64,000 question is if it is fixed will it ever be right again?

If a repair is made CORRECTLY, You won't be able to tell it was ever hit. Make sure you take it to a shop with a good reputation and that they offer a lifetime warranty on their repairs.

 

[basilfaulty]

How can you be so certain and say that the frame is bent by the pictures? It appears to be a square hit straight on which would crush if anything. Which doesn't rule out a bent frame. By the looks of it it could also be just the bed and mounts possibly even bent bed bolts. Some more checking needs to be done before you can say that the frame is bent cause that may not even be true. Take it to a body shop and have the professionals look at it and go from there.

I am in that business...that's what I do for a living for the last couple decades. The syptoms he describes are classic. And the photos thus far support it. The frame has a twist and is short on one side. The bed moves with the frame. It took a solid hit across the bumper which is bolted to the frame, the bed also is bolted to the frame. The frame flex is what caused the bed to hit the cab. All that being said it is likely an easy fix. 2.5 hours setup & measure and probably 4 hours pull square and repair, once the bumper and everything is out of the way. We are talking just frame time now not for the complete repair. If the rails have a buckle to them it is a little more involved than that. Is there a hump in the floor across the middle of the bed? Is the rear sill plate damaged? More detailed photos would tell more.

 

[basilfaulty]

well i finally went to the body shop and their assessment is the frame has a slight tweak to it and they estimate it at just over $3100 in damages. IN addition to whats there they also are covering the seat belt on my side which seems to have lost its retraction since the accident and a new slide mount for my car stereo which ejected from the dashboard in the accident.. now the $64,000 question is if it is fixed will it ever be right again?

Repair methodology and technology has come a long way in the last 10-15 years. If it is repaired correctly by a qualified shop you should have no issues. The seat belt issue is common after an accident. It likely has a pretensioner that deployed and will no longer spool back in. The pretensioner is a 1 time use and must be replaced.

 

[Explorin94]

I am in that business...that's what I do for a living for the last couple decades. The syptoms he describes are classic. And the photos thus far support it. The frame has a twist and is short on one side. The bed moves with the frame. It took a solid hit across the bumper which is bolted to the frame, the bed also is bolted to the frame. The frame flex is what caused the bed to hit the cab. All that being said it is likely an easy fix. 2.5 hours setup & measure and probably 4 hours pull square and repair, once the bumper and everything is out of the way. We are talking just frame time now not for the complete repair. If the rails have a buckle to them it is a little more involved than that. Is there a hump in the floor across the middle of the bed? Is the rear sill plate damaged? More detailed photos would tell more.

Well that is fine if that is your business. But you guessed that the frame was bent by some pictures. I realize that the rear bumper is bolted to the frame.....it should be. You never seen it in person. Sometimes hits like that affect parts in different ways ands not always the obvious.

 

[basilfaulty]

Well that is fine if that is your business. But you guessed that the frame was bent by some pictures. I realize that the rear bumper is bolted to the frame.....it should be. You never seen it in person. Sometimes hits like that affect parts in different ways ands not always the obvious.

When you look at a couple thousand hit the same way with the same symptoms and same outward appearances it is a little more than a guess. Is is what you would call an educated guess. I guessed right apparently as the OP took it to a shop and was told there is some frame damage.