My 89 parts truck has a bent frame behind the drivers suspension. I am wondering what all goes in to straightening it out. It is not drivable as is so I need to rent a trailer to getting to a shop. The only visible body damage is the drivers fender. Inside the engine compartment looks good. I am usuall a DIY guy and saw harbor freight has a $109.99 kit for sale. Is this worth it or should I prep it and take it in for estimates. A few local shops around here charge $85 hr. for frame work.

If I prep it for the shop what do I unbolt? I can start it and nurse it on a trailer. Do I just pull off the fender and let them look at it or just say F it and try it myself. I would hate to buy a puller and then find out it sucks or I just can't do it myself. Also can anyone ball park average hours to straighten a frame. I know stupid question with out seeing it in person. But I was just curious.
I just think this would make a good dedicated work rig for me or I have a buddy who can't afford a nice toy so I could sell it to him cheap. After salvaging the title of course. Thought and opinions appreciated.

 

i used to work around a frame an body shop (security) an asked questions a lot as i was bored (watched as well) an the guys were given permission to work on 'outside' jobs if they didnt sit into the AM

frame work can be flat dangerous they use multi ton hydrolic pullers via chains hooks clamps to welded on hoops, an tie the vehicle down to a platform where they've put down pins that line up with specific holes an body mounts they then start pulling the frame sometimes 3 different directions at once to get the frame to drop onto those alignment pins showing its back to factory specs which is why a good frame shop charges 85 an hour an more that said the kits HF sells are for fixing minor stuff end of the frame behind the bumper bent body mount

in your case frame bent behind the front suspension it can be bent an twisted as well (which they will check so it can be fixed right) which wracks the front end from there forward including body engine steering mounting

the less diss-assembly they have to do to get into the damage will save you $ if its a major bend pull the suspension wheel get the frame exposed at the damage point possibly pull the outer fender as well to give them easier access to those frame points an body mounts they use for reference

minor is like my friends 90 she hit a hill last winter due to black ice burst the tire an bent the passenger side suspension a bit back tossing the alignment out its adjusted right now best it can but is still .5-1 degrees out makes it pull a bit to the right the local shop said they could pull it out for 250 an dont need to pull parts off said bout 35 min

as for time
that is all dependent on the damage i saw a saab that took a whack to the front take an hour an a benz the drivers door was center of a T bone took days

hope ive helped a bit

 

The call is yours get it looked at sometimes it just gets way to expensive.

How much do you want to spend?? Get a estimate then decide what to do.

If it can be pulled straight enough so the truck tracks straight and does not just destroy the tire on that side.


If it was hit this hard any hidden damage you might not have seen yet broken or bent drivetrain parts motor mounts things like this.

It pretty much comes down to How much you want to spend

Fix

Sell as is

Buy another of the same year keep the good parts scrap the rest.

 

I think I will try and get a estimate in the next 2 weeks. I want it out of my driveway and my friend has always wanted a Yota and is carless right now. He is just relying on the work truck. Think I am going to sell it to him cheap. Make a few bucks, help a friend out with a good truck. I just need to find a cheap set o rubber for it to get him by for a year while he pays me off. Thank you for the responses if I fix it up for him I might start a build thread for it. Because he will have me fix it up for him. Enough rambling. I will post updates after I know more about the estimate.