Dhruv220

Less than a year of owning the vehicle as soon as i go to California i get rear ended... Insurance company salvaged it but i am planning on fixing it back up. Here's what it looked like before:







The guy that hit me because he wasn't paying attention in stop-and-go traffic:



And the damage:



The bumper's bent down 5-6''





Underneath:
(Passenger side)


(Driver side)


In my opinion it looks like the rear bumper brackets have bent down on the rear and up where it mounts to the frame, but I don't have another toyota pickup to refer to. Also, the trailer hitch being that low has me worried that it is frame damage... I hope not, but fortunately I don't tow at all so that wont make a big difference.

Just for some more info on what happened, I got rear ended by this dude on the phone as i was rolling up to a stopped vehicle. Since he was hauling a large load of wood and gardening tools he just rammed (pun intended) me into the vehicle in front, so i do have damage on the front side as well:





This is just what a starving grad student needs... I have to do a internship in Seattle in a month, so I need the bumper fixed ASAP. Any help is appreciated, I am in Socal. Thanks!

wireguy

The external damage on the rear doesn't look remotely like anything that would bend the frame. Your bumper, which is probably adjustable, sagged downward under the impact force. It's common to see these bumpers sagging even when they haven't been hit. You might be able to just loosen it's fasteners, jack it back up, and tighten the fasteners. Looks like you might need fenders and hood replacement up front.

Dhruv220

Yeah thats what i thought too, but the towing hitch is what has me confused. I mean that looks like its directly bolted to the frame and it's also sagging...

Quite honestly i was surprised that the insurance decided to salvage it, their loss i guess. Thankfully the bullbar saved my engine from any major damage. I feel like the GMC infront of me got just as much damage.

Hugh_Mann

I'm sorry to hear about your truck. It's really one of my worst nightmares, considering all the personal time I've put into mine. At least it wasn't a total loss!

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

From your pictures I can see the back end of the frame is bent down.

I doubt it is in any of the critical areas of the frame.

You need to look at the area where the rear spring shackles are.

Check The area around the fuel tank it does not take much movement to crack brittle fuel lines.

Where the rear bed mount bolts pulled out as well??

It got bent down when the hitch ball was pushed .

The truck was totaled because to have a body shop repair the vehicle would cost more then the book value.

You could not have been going to fast How far where you pushed or were you to close to the vehicle in front??

Dhruv220

I'll have to check the lines and bed mount bolts, i know that the truck doesnt leak any fluid at all. I was prob going 3-4 mph, just rolling to a stop behind a stopped vehicle on the freeway when the guy rear ended me. i got pushed maybe 4 or 5 ft.

Roark

That bull bar is likely what caused so much damage up front.. The bumper is long and flat for a reason- to disperse energy. You wanna get stepped on by a tennis shoe or a stiletto?

Salvage titles suck, but that truck still looks good.. Keep her alive!

wii_tarded

I've seen frames cut up to the shackles in the name of a bed bob....Just make sure the bed can still be secured properly and not to strain any other bolts that are holding it on. The front looks purely cosmetic.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Do you people in Tenn. Have issues with a salvage title ??? here they are no big deal to get a reconstructed title and make it street legal again.

Badger62811

I don't think salvage titles are a big deal. Hell I had a dealership try to sell me a 2010 f250 with a salvage title. I just avoid buying anything like that. Some insurance companies might not insure it, but there are plenty of places that do.

I'd say keep her out of the scrap yard. You could even sell her as is with no problem with that beautiful Oregon frame. Salvage title would be no big deal to me if I knew what made it that way and how it was repaired.

fierohink

At the rear, the top of the frame rail should be completely level. From the picture it looks like from the bumper back it is now pointing down. That would be a bent frame. Not a huge issue as at that point it is purely cosmetic to the rear bumper alignment.

The front end would be my focus. From the pics it looks like the fender is now bowed out. This means the corner of the engine compartment/inner fender is crumbled. Not horribly but enough that you will have trouble hanging a straight fender or straight bumper.

fierohink

Take a look at mine, the damage was a little more extensive but illustrates the areas of concern.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...w-what-267360/

dromomaniac

My truck was rear ended but with much more force--also while I was a starving grad student . The result was that the "c-channel" ends of the frame were bent downward, like yours, and also bent in a few directions when the bumper mounting bolts tore through the frame plate. I carefully measured the frame alignment from front to rear and everything was fine except the ends (a tiny shift in the front jammed the tow hook mounts and the bolts had to be drilled out on the left side).

What I did: a torch, a Hi-Lift, and a hammer. Used the hi-lift to place upward force on the frame ends and torched a perpendicular "crease" so that the end(s) could pivot upward. The rest was just heating and hammering. Today, it looks a little wonky if the bed is off but the rear bumper--which is adjustable, to an extent--lines up. Probably need to reinforce the ends.

Your truck was/is real purdy. A curse on all inattentive drivers.