front crossmember help
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Alameda Ca
front crossmember help
I was driving the other day in pretty heavy traffic when all of a sudden i see the car in front of me jumped in the air for a second. Next thing i know a muffler flies from under his car and i go straight into it. It caught on my front crossmember and took a good size chunk out of it. I'll try and get a picture up asap, but in the meantime I am worried as to the structural integrity of the car now. What's my best option? Get a plate welded over the broken area, get a new one? where to get one? Any advice would be much appreciated!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Sounds like a major repair is needed to me ... replacement of the crossmember, and possibly other things.
Call your insurance company. Should be covered under comprehensive.
Call your insurance company. Should be covered under comprehensive.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 12
From: AKA Harvey Mushman-I know just enough to be dangerous "Those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither"- B. Franklin
Senior Member
Cruise-In V Veteran
Originally Posted by RocketDawg
Sounds like a major repair is needed to me ... replacement of the crossmember, and possibly other things.
Call your insurance company. Should be covered under comprehensive.
Call your insurance company. Should be covered under comprehensive.
otherwise call Gene at Karshop
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
It looks dangerous to me and I wouldn't drive it. There seems to be a smaller chunk behind the larger one. I can't really tell if it's the rear of the crossmember or what. I think that part is aluminum, which is fairly brittle and subject to fatigue. I'd get it fixed ... and it probably won't be cheap. Insurance. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 35
From: Folsom Lake CA
Originally Posted by RocketDawg
Sounds like a major repair is needed to me ... replacement of the crossmember, and possibly other things.
Call your insurance company. Should be covered under comprehensive.
Call your insurance company. Should be covered under comprehensive.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,071
Likes: 0
From: clackamas oregon
wow, that must have been one solid muffler. get that fixed under your insurance for sure!!!! that part is considered part of the frame. you whant this fixed by a well qualified body shop that can frame check the car after it is put together to make sure the frame rails are alligned correctly. this can be fixed like new, but aint gonna be cheap!!!! as far as happened when not moving. i dont think any one will buy that. unless maybe you can explain you had built this world record bowling ball throwing machine and forgot to move your car before the first test of it 
get insurance involved. dont drive it. if that goes all the way out, and it looks like one good WOT or hard downshift, and it will. you could twist the rest of the frame rails and be way F'D 
p.s. what does the oil pan and other stuff under the car look like???
get insurance involved. dont drive it. if that goes all the way out, and it looks like one good WOT or hard downshift, and it will. you could twist the rest of the frame rails and be way F'D p.s. what does the oil pan and other stuff under the car look like???
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 23,283
Likes: 906
From: Lake Elsinore, CA
Absolutely have it replaced immediately. The first chunk doesn't worry me nearly as much as the second behind it as a stress riser crack could propagate from that area and the member could fail. It's amazing that much damage occurred from just a muffler too because that is some tough aluminum. I had to notch a friend's for a s/c install and it took me 20 minutes with an air die-grinder to cut out a 2-inch piece.
Good advice
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Originally Posted by Patches
Absolutely have it replaced immediately. The first chunk doesn't worry me nearly as much as the second behind it as a stress riser crack could propagate from that area and the member could fail.
Think of it like a chip in your windshield, except you can't see the cracks spread like you can in glass.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: Atascadero California
Crossmember ( or the craddle as most call it ) is available for about $600 at discount from supporting vendors. List is close to $900.00 I think
To this you have to add labor to replace it, easily $1000 or more.
Replacement involves removing the hood, and supporting the engine from above, unbolting various components, including the front suspension, and installing the new craddle and aligning the front end.
Depending on what your insurance history is, you may want to claim this as a collision claim... If your insurance company is one of the Butthole Ones... you may just want to bite it and pay out of pocket...
To this you have to add labor to replace it, easily $1000 or more.
Replacement involves removing the hood, and supporting the engine from above, unbolting various components, including the front suspension, and installing the new craddle and aligning the front end.
Depending on what your insurance history is, you may want to claim this as a collision claim... If your insurance company is one of the Butthole Ones... you may just want to bite it and pay out of pocket...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: Alameda Ca
well, guess i won't be driving the car for a while. This will probably scare the crap out of everyone here, but i drove it for 3 weeks like that. I honestly thought it didn't do any damage besides scratch some stuff up, and the car still drives straight as can be down the road. I'm going to call the insurace agency up...
As far as the muffler, i'm assuming a quick impact mixed with the hardness the cast aluminum and cold weather made it brittle. I hit it at around 50 - slammed on the brakes for a second then let up to hopefully clear it, which i obviously didn't.
As far as the muffler, i'm assuming a quick impact mixed with the hardness the cast aluminum and cold weather made it brittle. I hit it at around 50 - slammed on the brakes for a second then let up to hopefully clear it, which i obviously didn't.
Last edited by SFengineer; Jan 29, 2006 at 01:21 PM.