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Rick
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2006
10:07:29
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 Subject: accident, frame offset
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Message:
I was on my way to work about two weeks ago when an old lady coming from the other direction pulled right out in front of me to make a left-hand turn. I slammed on my brakes, but basically what we had was a head-on collision. Since the impact on my truck was largely on the drivers side of the front bumper, the first thing the shop did was to put my truck on a frame machine. I'm told it was offset by 1/4", and that they adjusted it back to square.
Is my truck's frame now permanently weakened because of this?
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Josh
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2006
13:30:08
|  RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
Not enough info given. Depends what part and where the frame was bent and where the offset was measured.
Did the shop show you where the bend/offset was? If they adjusted it back to square, and the hood and body panels fit right, and your wheel alignment checked out good, it might be OK.
1/4" isn't significant, but again, it depends.
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little jer
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2006
16:46:52
| RE: accident, frame offset
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In the grand scheme of things, 1/4 inch is negligible. That really wasn't even worth the time to fix as no one's eye would be able to discern that small amount. And I doubt that it weakened your frame any for that small amount of movement. I would imagine everything else took the brunt of the impact as designed to do with the crumple zones. And therefore everything else should be of more concern than the frame I would think, such as the front suspension and related items.
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Rick
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2006
22:51:06
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
Thanks for the responses. I'm afraid I don't have any further details about the 1/4" difference. I'll ask about it later this week. I did make sure to let the shop know that *I* know that even though this model Dakota got 4/5 stars on front end collisions, the front end suspension and steering components are sh!t and may have suffered damage owing to the impact and/or rapid deceleration.
Now that my truck has been in this kind of MVA, is its resale/trade value decreased?
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Ken Kolpin
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2006
23:50:07
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
Here's a good example. 1 1/2 ton trucks or larger and some pickups in years past typically would be 1/2 inch or a bit more off between left and right side measured between front and rear wheels. Was never a big deal at all . Your 1/4 inch may have been there sense it was new. again, no big deal. At best, the body shop assumed it was or may have happened in the wreck. Must of the building of new trucks is done by machine so little chance things do not line up. But remember. This stuff wears out and when tolerances exceed aceptable measurements they retool. Your truck may have been built close to retooling time.
So many problems .... So little time
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little jer
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2006
01:25:21
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
As far as resale value, carfax may show it was in an accident and a lot of people will suspect any car in an accident and avoid it. As you know, lots of unscrupleous people take vehicles that have been totaled by insurance companies and resale them after making repairs, repairs that may not have fixed all problems or unseen damage such as tweaked frames, that effect tracking, allignment, and steering. I don't think anyone would want to pay bluebook for a vdhicle that has been in an accident for these reasons.
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GB2000
GenIII
10/11/2006
02:40:01
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
Carfax will only show if they were notified...I don't know who does the notifying, but I know I've wrecked my truck a few times and it's been in the body shop all but once. My Carfax report is still clean. Of course, you can tell it's been repaired and had bodywork done, etc...not to mention, if I can get the stuff fixed right at an affordable price, I intend to drive it until the wheels fall off.
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tim
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2006
19:08:04
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
there is nothing to be concerned with. i did frame straightening in an alignment shop for 7 years, as said 1/4" is nothing. today's modern collision repair centres straighten frames that are bent much more than yours. relax and enjoy your truck.
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ewraven
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2006
21:51:11
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
little jer,
When a car is totalled by an insurance company, it receives a salvage title. Some people do buy them and fix them. A simple Carfax vin check will show that that particular vehicle has a salvage title.
I'm sure there are ways around that, but it is quite rare.
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Ewraven
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/11/2006
21:54:51
| RE: accident, frame offset
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Message:
Rick,
Receiving four stars in the crash test rating doesn't mean the vehicle is going to have less damage from an accident. In fact, it means it will probably have more damage because it crumples more to absorb more of the impact energy.
The rating system only shows that the occupants will survive and how severe there injuries will be.
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