frame switchin' - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

po'runner · 06-28-2002, 03:28 PM

need a little help, did a search but my problem is kinda specific...had a wreck in my 85 4runner, and bent the frame, not real noticeable unless you get down and look at it, but the passenger side hanger has been bent back a wee bit. i drove her from the accident to my buddy's shop, and thats when i realized it was all fubar. question...i've got access to a 85 2wd frame ( extended cab...long bed i think).. am i askin for trouble to switch frames? my other thoughts are to cut off said hangers and fab some up and deal with the bent frame accordingly....just lookin for some advice...should have some picts if that would help thanks...
ben

Mutt · 06-28-2002, 05:05 PM

Front or rear half of frame??? the 2wd frame is IFS up front...so you'd have to do a SAS basically...

Is it driveable?? How bad??? Take it to a shop and see if you can get a pro's opinion on letting them mount it on their machine to straighten the frame...

po'runner · 06-28-2002, 07:09 PM

its the whole frame, and i figured the SAS stuff, i was just wondering about how everything mounted up....as far as driving it, i drove it directly to my friend's shop...thats where i noticed everything....has real bad wheel hop on the passenger side...the passenger side frame rail got kicked down an inch or so...and the spring hanger got bent back and down an half inch or so....i didnt notice the frame damage till i looked at the rear shackles...one was normal, the other was kicked back another 15 degrees or so...so go figure.

as far as the other stuff...i'm lookin into that, and that's probably what i'll end up doing, right now i'm just trying to figure what to do with it...i was planning on takin it into the shop next week anyways....but this put a hold on everythign because money that was goin to gears/lockers/wheels is now goin to getting back to driving condition...she's my daily driver and being on a college budget i'm really trying to keep my down time to a minimum

btw....completely totaled the car i hit...89 honda civic....didnt even touch the frame of it...everything above the rear bumper is in the rear seat....below the bumper is still ok.....it was raining and i was coming to a stop and the brakes locked up...tried to steer around it, but to no avail...

dunehopper027 · 08-02-2002, 09:41 AM

me and my friend is just about to do the same thing in a day or two. I'll let you know how it turns out.

blt2rok · 08-02-2002, 03:55 PM

I have an85 frame in Louisiana for sale.

RUFF · 08-02-2002, 05:33 PM

Take it to any good body repair shop they can put in on a car aligner and pull the frame back in shape no worries. A friend of mine jumped his pickup and kinked the frame about a foot behind the front spring hanger and a body shop fixed it and that was about 2 years ago and he has had no probs with it bending again since. Cost him $400 Aus.

The 2wd frame will be too long to fit under the 4 runner anyway and all the body mounts behind the front seats will need to be made up.

I think it would end up costing you more to do the frame swap than it would to fix what you have.

fabricator · 08-02-2002, 06:20 PM

would probably be easier to fix what you got.

06-28-2002, 03:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
po'runner Wheeler Join Date: Apr 2002 Member # 11444 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 160	frame switchin' need a little help, did a search but my problem is kinda specific...had a wreck in my 85 4runner, and bent the frame, not real noticeable unless you get down and look at it, but the passenger side hanger has been bent back a wee bit. i drove her from the accident to my buddy's shop, and thats when i realized it was all fubar. question...i've got access to a 85 2wd frame ( extended cab...long bed i think).. am i askin for trouble to switch frames? my other thoughts are to cut off said hangers and fab some up and deal with the bent frame accordingly....just lookin for some advice...should have some picts if that would help thanks... ben

06-28-2002, 05:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mutt Pedal Junkie Join Date: Dec 2001 Member # 8649 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 1,625	Front or rear half of frame??? the 2wd frame is IFS up front...so you'd have to do a SAS basically... Is it driveable?? How bad??? Take it to a shop and see if you can get a pro's opinion on letting them mount it on their machine to straighten the frame... __________________ -Steve 43" SX, h1's, ori's, ord magnum/np205, D60/D70, lq4, th400, bentfab chassis ....some assembly required.

08-02-2002, 03:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
blt2rok Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Member # 12598 Location: The Yune Posts: 345	85 4runner frame I have an85 frame in Louisiana for sale.

08-02-2002, 05:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
RUFF Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Member # 8565 Location: Bris/Australia Posts: 1,661	Take it to any good body repair shop they can put in on a car aligner and pull the frame back in shape no worries. A friend of mine jumped his pickup and kinked the frame about a foot behind the front spring hanger and a body shop fixed it and that was about 2 years ago and he has had no probs with it bending again since. Cost him $400 Aus. The 2wd frame will be too long to fit under the 4 runner anyway and all the body mounts behind the front seats will need to be made up. I think it would end up costing you more to do the frame swap than it would to fix what you have. __________________ www.outerlimits4x4.com www.werockaustralia.com SAVE THE HAMMERS Post #749 Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup? If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

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06-28-2002, 07:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
po'runner Wheeler Join Date: Apr 2002 Member # 11444 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 160	its the whole frame, and i figured the SAS stuff, i was just wondering about how everything mounted up....as far as driving it, i drove it directly to my friend's shop...thats where i noticed everything....has real bad wheel hop on the passenger side...the passenger side frame rail got kicked down an inch or so...and the spring hanger got bent back and down an half inch or so....i didnt notice the frame damage till i looked at the rear shackles...one was normal, the other was kicked back another 15 degrees or so...so go figure. as far as the other stuff...i'm lookin into that, and that's probably what i'll end up doing, right now i'm just trying to figure what to do with it...i was planning on takin it into the shop next week anyways....but this put a hold on everythign because money that was goin to gears/lockers/wheels is now goin to getting back to driving condition...she's my daily driver and being on a college budget i'm really trying to keep my down time to a minimum btw....completely totaled the car i hit...89 honda civic....didnt even touch the frame of it...everything above the rear bumper is in the rear seat....below the bumper is still ok.....it was raining and i was coming to a stop and the brakes locked up...tried to steer around it, but to no avail...

08-02-2002, 09:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
dunehopper027 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Member # 11474 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas Posts: 120	me and my friend is just about to do the same thing in a day or two. I'll let you know how it turns out.

08-02-2002, 06:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
fabricator Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Member # 10379 Location: cinti , ohio Posts: 2,533	would probably be easier to fix what you got.