Hrddrvs

I was recently hit in the rear and the bed and complete axle need replacing.The bracket that holds the leafs on the passenger side is bent a bit.Can I straighten it myself and how should I go about it?If I dont get it exact,what are problems that can arise?I appreciate any help.Thanks.

Luvmeye22re

I have bent the mounts a few times just removing old springs. Straighten it out the best you can. It shouldn't cause you any problems unless a weld tore, it is bent beyond repair, or if the frame itself is bent (which if you rear axle and bed are hammered I'd guess the frame got hurt too). I think you'll be just fine as long as everything else is ok.

LTrunner

if the frame is bent it throws the geometery of the vehcile out of wack. so if it's bent you'll need to go to a body shop and have them pull the frame straight agian. and yes everything has to be very persicse.being off by 1/4 of an inch can casue a death wobbl on the highway, and viberations at certian speeds, also it messes up your alingment.... i work at a body shop, can you tell

Hrddrvs

The frame looks perfectly straight.Can it stll be bent?It seems the brackets took the force of the impact.I can replace the far brackets but the one that is welded on needs straightening.What is a good way to straighten it?How much do you think it would cost it the frame is bent?

Luvmeye22re

It can definitely be bent without looking it. A tell tale sign is paint that is flaking off etc. When I worked at a body shop we measured frames in 1000ths of an inch and if they were off they needed repair. If the frame is bent you will go through suspension parts and tires like crazy and will likely always be fighting driveability. It usually costs around $50-$70 in my area just to do a set up and measure on a frame machine at a body shop and they can tell you if your frame is bent or not. VERY good idea before you start throwing cash at anything or repairing anything. It sounds like you took a good hit and I'd say there is a good 75% chance your frame got bent. It can be repaired but at my shop we charged $75/hour to do frame work, and was rarely a short repair time-wise.

Hrddrvs

I hope it isnt,I dont see any flaking paint on the frame or any crinkles,I do understand that it could by slightly bent not visible to the naked eye.I still have to get a new rear end to get it to a shop.Any suggestions on how to straighten the mounts?If the frame is slightly bent will it noticibly drive cockeyed?

Luvmeye22re

You may or may not feel a bent frame depending on how bent it is but your tires will let you know soon enough because no matter how much you get the truck aligned it will not correct wear issues. With the mounts, I guess it just depends on how bent they are. Sometimes you can use a large crescent wrench and open it up just a little wider than the thickness of the metal, then put it on there and pull pull away. Sometimes you may need a good heavy steel drift and a big a$$ hammer.

bigtrucknwheels

the best way to deal with that spring mount is to go to Toyota, order a new one, cut off the old, and weld on the new.

as far as paint flaking, let me tell you a story.

My frame was super bent, the truck tracked 3 inches or better to the left. it was actually bent three ways, the right frame rail was skued about 3/4" forward, the right rear was up in the air and the left rear down in the air for a difference of over 2 inches, and I had a side sway in the bed area of about 3 inches, plus damage to suspension components, making the tracking problem even worse. guess what. to the naked eye, the frame itself looked solid and fine, but infact it was, and even after straightening, still is a pretzel. my truck was totalled and hit in the right rear, with damage very very similar to yours. but my bed survived the wreck, however the rear end didnt. do yourself a favor, and have that frame checked out right away before you waste any money. (kicks self in ass)

and you said you were rear-ended? make their insurance pay for it.

FYI, I have elected to replace my frame with a good frame, to eliminate the rest of my problems (my wheel base is still off about 1 inch side to side, even after a straightening and new suspension...) I got lucky and didnt have to pay for the frame straightening. thanks, technical college. still though, she is getting a new frame, its already been acquired.