Auto Body Frame Straightening
If you were involved in an accident in Santa Monica, there’s a chance your vehicle’s frame was damaged during the collision. While frame damage is uncommon in minor accidents, major crashes can compromise the structural integrity of your vehicle’s frame, making it unsafe to drive and causing unnecessary damage to your vehicle’s drivetrain and other components. Are you concerned about car frame damage or a bent car frame? Learn more about the different types of vehicle frames, how a frame can become damaged, and why it’s important to fix an autobody frame with Eli’s Collision Repair below. Then, learn more about how to estimate the cost of your car frame repair with our team.
What is a Vehicle Frame?
The frame on your Beverly Hills vehicle is the skeleton of your car. It provides the vehicle with its basic shape, and it is your main line of defense in an auto accident. While vehicles come equipped with “crumple zones”, airbags, and other safety measures, the frame is the strongest part of your car and can prevent major injury from occurring to the passengers inside.
There are three main types of frames that modern vehicles use: Unibody Frame, Spaceframe, and Body-On-Frame. Read the differences between these frame types below:
- Unibody Frame: Unibody frames are most common on sedans, minivans, crossovers, and smaller SUVs. This frame type has the frame, floor pan, and other frame components built together as a single unit. This makes the vehicle lighter and lower to the ground.
- Spaceframe: Spaceframes are used on most high-end luxury vehicles. These frames are stretched across the entire vehicle from the floor pan to the roof. This design is lightweight and excellent for occupant safety, but it’s also expensive to manufacture.
- Body-on-Frame: Body-on-Frame designs are used on large SUVs, vans, trucks, and antique vehicles. This frame type has the body of the vehicle bolted on a separate frame.
In addition to the frame on your vehicle, there are several other components that are bolted or welded to your car that support its shape and integrity during a crash. This is why car frame damage can be so dangerous, and why car frame repair is so important. These components may also need to be repaired if your vehicle requires auto body straightening.
- Pillars: Pillars support the windows in your vehicle. They’re lettered in order from front to back, starting with “A” for the pillars supporting your windshield.
- Firewall: The firewall is a metal plate that separates the engine compartment from the cabin of your vehicle.
- Core Support: This is a section that sits behind the grille of your vehicle and supports the front of your car. It may also be called a “radiator support” due to the radiator being mounted in the same area on most vehicles.
- Rear Support: Similar to the core support, this section is in the back of the vehicle. It supports the bumper and trunk floor pan.
- Aprons: Aprons are inner fender supports that run between the core support and the firewall. They assist in supporting the front suspension.
- Floor Pan: The floor pan is a metal sheet that makes up the floor of the cabin. It also has channels built in to run wiring throughout the vehicle.
How Can a Vehicle Frame Become Damaged?
Damaging the frame of a vehicle is difficult to do, and most minor collisions in South Bay won’t require frame straightening. Additionally, most modern vehicles also have a “crumple zone” – a system of frame rail sections that are built to bend in accidents. The “crumple zone” is designed to absorb the damage before it reaches the cabin or the frame, protecting you and your passengers, as well as the structural integrity of your vehicle.
However, if you’ve been in a severe crash or major collision in Downtown L.A., you may have car frame damage or a bent car frame. Typically, damage to the front and rear of your vehicle frame is more common than damage to the straighter, stronger sections under the cabin. If you suspect your vehicle has a damaged frame, contact Eli’s Collision Repair today to have your vehicle inspected and repaired. When you visit Eli’s Collision Repair, you can expect our highly-skilled technicians to treat your vehicle with the utmost care and attention to detail.
Why is it Important to Fix the Frame on My Vehicle?
The frame on your vehicle isn’t just there to define how your vehicle looks after the body panels are installed, it’s also designed to protect the occupants of your vehicle from major injury in the event of an accident. Therefore, if your car requires frame straightening, it’s important to have it repaired as soon as possible. You do not want to put off car frame repair. Not only will you be safer, but your vehicle won’t have undue stress placed on its engine, transmission, axels, or other components from a bent, cracked, or twisted frame. If your vehicle is displaying any of the following issues, then you may need car frame repair:
- Visible bending or damage to the body of your vehicle.
- Poor wheel alignment.
- Uneven wear on your tires.
- Poor wheel tracking.
- Uneven wear on the shocks or suspension.
- Unusual noises as you drive your vehicle.
- Vehicle panels, wheels, or other parts don’t fit properly after an accident.
When you bring your vehicle in for auto body straightening, it will be repaired with a frame straightener. However, while your car may be brought back to manufacturer specifications, it may need further repairs to restore it, so it’s safe to drive in West L.A. New sections of metal may need to be welded in to replace bent segments, and repairs to the pillars, firewall, and other frame components may need to be performed. If the damage is too severe, the vehicle may need to be scrapped altogether.
Get Auto Body Repair at Eli’s Collision Repair
If you suspect your vehicle needs frame straightening, visit one of the seven Eli’s Collision Repair locations to have your vehicle repaired by our certified team. We take pride in restoring our customer’s vehicles to like-new conditions, and we offer free estimates on auto body straightening and other damages. If you have questions about car frame damage or car frame repair, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Visit us today. We look forward to meeting you and restoring your vehicle!