How To Tell If Your Frame Is Bent After An Accident

If you are looking for information about how to tell if your frame is bent after an accident, this post should help list the most common bent car frame symptoms! A lot of the vehicles that are involved in a collision which bends the frame will end up being totaled by an insurance company. However, now and then a vehicle ends up slipping through the post collision inspections. 

How To Tell If Your Frame Is Bent

Sometimes a bent frame may not stand out, but in time the symptoms and signs of a bent frame will start to show. The only sure-fire indication of a bent frame is when it has been bent to the point it is out of shape and clearly visible. There are some other signs that can help you in identifying an issue such as this.

If a bent frame is visible

The best way to get a really good look at the frame on your vehicle would be to get under it and look. Always use caution anytime you are getting under a vehicle, it can be even more dangerous after a collision has happened. When you do get under the vehicle you will want to look carefully for any creases and other damage that has been done to the metal frame, this is your vehicles backbone and its strength. An indication of a bent frame can be for certain if you find unusual angles or creases to the frame. You should also pay close attention for rusted areas, areas that have been creased, or other suspicious areas of your frame.

Skewed Alignment

"Proper alignment in your vehicle is what helps your vehicle stay in a straight line." [1] Should your vehicle begin to pull more to the left or to the right it could be a sign that something is wrong. If you have had the alignment of your vehicle done more than a few times or if it was aligned recently and yet, you are experiencing a pulling to the left or right, this could be a sign that the vehicles frame is bent.

Wheels Don’t Track Right

If a vehicle has a bent frame it will usually appear to drive a little bit sideways. This is also referred to a crab or walking the dog, and the reason for that is because the rear tires are no longer exactly following the front tires at this point. It causes the vehicle to look like it drives sort of sideways. One thing you can do is get someone else to follow you to see if they can see this effect happening. If it can be seen, it needs to be seen by a mechanic to find out what the issue is.

Wrong Fit For Parts

The modern passenger vehicles of today have a lot of mechanical equipment which has been becoming more and more complex over the past several years. Although the vehicle consists of thousands of different individual parts, the main thing it relies on is the frame, and if the frame is bent many of those parts may no longer fit properly. Once the frame gets bent it can cause issues such as the body panels and /or the doors not to line up properly and the doors may not even open and close. Additionally, those bolts and mounts that are needed to hold the transmission in could sheer and even break depending on why the frame is bent.

Uneven Wear in Suspension & Shocks

Manufacturers of vehicles make them to be balanced. For this reason, all the weight of the vehicle has been evenly distributed. So, when a collision causes the frame to bend it can easily throw this balance off, distributing the weight of the vehicle, as well as the occupants in it so the weight is no longer even. Which means that the extra weight on one side can cause the parts that are in the suspension to wear out more rapidly. So, if your vehicle has parts that continue to break or malfunction you need to have a mechanic take a look at it for bends or other damage to the frame.

Identify any changes in the way your doors open

"If there are changes in the way your car’s doors open and close, then it is one of the surest signs of a bent car frame. If they catch while opening or closing, then your car’s frame is bent. If they don’t open with the same width on all sides, then also your car’s frame is bent." [2]

Call A Collision Repair Expert For Frame Repair

Have you been involved in an auto collision? If so, let experts at a collision shop help you find out if your vehicles frame was bent. They can also help you by filing with your insurance and making sure that all the necessary repairs get done. Call them today if you were in a collision, the sooner you do, the sooner you can put your mind to rest.

Cited Sources

1. Works, Author TS Body. “Indications Of A Bent Frame | T&S Body Works - Tempe AZ.” T & S Body Works, 15 Dec. 2017, tsbodyworks.com/blog/indications-of-a-bent-frame/.
2. 
   

   Nangia, Nidhi. “How to Know If Your Car Frame Is Bent.” Onehowto.com, Onehowto.com, 13 Apr. 2017, motor.onehowto.com/article/how-to-know-if-your-car-frame-is-bent-12290.html.