Frame Straightening

When a vehicle is in a collision, it takes more than pulling out the dents and giving it a good paint job to make it safe and roadworthy. One of the most important steps to have the frame properly straightened. A misaligned frame can cause long-term structural and performance issues that can make vehicles unsafe for the people in and around them while they are on the road. If your vehicle's frame was damaged in a collision, you should only take it to a collision repair shop with the proper frame straightening equipment.

Collision Repair

Effective, comprehensive, repair services are essential for vehicles in a serious collision if they are to be used safely in the future. Automobile frames bent out of shape in an accident must go through proper straightening processes to get the metal frame back into alignment and return it to its original shape. The process of bending metal frames isn't easy. It must be done with precision and care by specially trained, experienced, professionals using cutting-edge, computerized, tools to make sure the repaired frame meets the vehicle's required tight tolerances.

Ultrasound Technology

Accurately determining the degree of damage the automobile frame has sustained requires ultrasound technology. The technicians can get the information they need by using lasers to measure and determine the exact amount of and places where repairs and reinforcement need to be put in place to ensure the straightened frame is in proper alignment. To ensure the frame of your damaged vehicle is properly aligned before the dents are pulled out and painted, take it to an auto body shop with the right tools, equipment, technology and trained, experienced technicians to get the job done right.

Hydraulics And Torque

The auto body frame repair machine used to restore damaged automobiles to their original shape employ the precision use of hydraulics and torque. The amount and type of damage the frame sustained determines how the cutting-edge machines will be used by the technicians to pull, pushed and otherwise manipulate the frame, straighten it out and return it to the shape it was in before the collision. The use of a laser measuring system along with the auto repair technicians' expertise enables a good, modern, auto body shop to return the frame of an automobile that has been in a wreck to its factory specs.

More Than Just Its Sleek, Stylish, Look

A vehicle's frame does more than just give it a sleek, stylish, look. The frame is like the vehicle's skeletal structure that prevents the weight of its exterior from making it collapse on itself. Automobile manufacturers also create 'crumple points' at strategic places on the frame. They are designed to provide an additional level of safety for occupants of the vehicle in the event of a collision. The frame is made to bend and fold at certain points to absorb the force of the collision and create a protective pocket for the vehicle's occupants. However, that leaves the frame needing a good deal of straightening out after a collision.

Proper Frame Straightening Required

When the frame's crumple points are triggered during a collision, the frame becomes weakened and misshapen and requires proper frame straightening and repair to be safe to use afterwards. Not all repairs shops are equal when it comes to straightening the frame of your automobile damaged in a collision. The right repair shop should have the right technology, tools and equipment to properly handle the frame straightening process and be willing to take the time and care to ensure the process is followed properly. If that is not done, your vehicle will no longer be as aerodynamic and safe or drive as well as before the collision.

Choose Carefully

Take the time to select an auto repair shop with the right equipment, tools, materials and replacement parts that will make your vehicle look and perform like new. You should also make sure they offer warranties and guaranties on their work, parts and paint. Consider recommendations from your family, friends and insurance agent. Ask to see some of the auto body work they have done in the past and ask the customers if they were satisfied with how their vehicle was repaired. That type of research will ensure you don't make an expensive mistake you will regret later. Only precision frame and body straightening will enable your vehicle to look, handle and perform like it did before the collision.

Ensure It's Repaired Like New

A good body shop will straighten the frame, take care of the dents and do a quality paint job that will make your damaged vehicle look, feel and function like new. They will ensure the vehicle will return to the pre-collision safety standards the manufacturer intended. Unless your vehicle's frame is properly straightened and fully restored, your vehicle will not provide you and the other occupants the protection you need should you be involved in another collision. If you settle for simply having the dents pulled and the vehicle painted, driving the vehicle could put your health and life at risk.

Only Skilled, Experienced, Professionals Will Do

Getting the frame of your damaged vehicle requires the work of highly-skilled, experienced body repair specialists with the right equipment. Trying to save a few dollars by cut using rate auto repair places could end up costing you much more if they don't have the equipment, tools and training necessary to straighten the vehicle's frame as part of their body repair work. Not only will they make your vehicle less aerodynamic and not function like it should, they will also make it unsafe. So make sure the body shop you use to repair your damaged vehicle has skilled, licensed, professionals, trained to use the proper equipment to straighten your vehicle's frame.

Compromised Metal Frame Dangers

When your vehicle is in a collision that triggers the frame's crumple points to fold, the frame itself becomes weakened and can easily break if it's not properly straightened and reinforced during the repair process. While the frame may look okay, the metal's integrity may be compromised and can break easily when driving on rough terrain or with the slightest contact. If you want to ensure your vehicle's safety after a collision, make sure its frame is properly straightened and repaired before you drive away from the body shop. Its inability to steer, maintain control and brake properly caused by a misaligned frame could put your life in danger.

The Repair Process

When you have been involved in a collision and you take your damaged vehicle to a reputable repair shop, one of the first things they should do before repairing the body damage is to carefully inspect the frame using effective technology to assess the damage, check the frame's structural integrity and calculate the precise frame alignment damage that has occurred. If the frame is badly damaged, the technicians may have to weld new pieces of metal into it to improve its structural integrity and alignment. Once the frame has been reinforced and properly aligned, the body work technicians can begin to take care of the other dents and damage.

First Things First

Frame straightening is one of the first tasks a reputable collision repair shop should focus on when repairing a damaged automobile. The frame is the foundation on which the rest of the vehicle sits. If the auto body shop does not have the equipment, tools and trained technicians to properly straighten your vehicle's frame, take your damaged vehicle to another body shop.