What is frame damage in a car?
If you’re scouring the web for information on car frame damage, you’ve clearly had a rough week.
The frame of your vehicle is its foundation, its structural support. If it is damaged, it may not be safe to continue driving.
What is frame damage in a car?
It usually refers to when a structural component on a vehicle’s frame has been compromised. However, it doesn’t always suggest a significant amount of damage.
It could be that there is a dent or scratch in a vital area that makes it dangerous to drive.
Fortunately, in this handy guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about frame damage.
We’ll first examine the most common frame type: unibody. Then we’ll look at what determines if your vehicle has chassis damage and how much you can expect to spend to fix it.
Let’s learn the basics first!
A Closer Look at a Unibody Frame
What is a unibody frame? Basically, it just means that the body of the vehicle, its floor plan and its chassis form a single structure.
This type of frame not only reduces weight, which improves fuel economy, but also provides better handling and improves ride quality. For these reasons, a one-piece frame is the most common construction method on most passenger vehicles.
The other type of frame design is known as a body-on-frame (or ladder frame). This type used to be the norm, but is now only found in trucks and large SUVs due to the superior strength and endurance it offers.
To help identify problems, automotive engineers and mechanics break single-piece frames into smaller components.
Let’s explore each of these now!
unirail
These are two symmetrical spokes at the front and rear of the car. Due to their strength, they serve as the base for other frame components.
Core/Radiator Support
A center support (also known as a radiator support) is a metal frame that surrounds the radiator and secures it in place.
Most of the time, this component is bolt-on, which means it can be easily replaced if damaged.
Platform/Strut Tower Assembly
Cars have front skirts and rear skirts, which are frames that hold the struts in place. The strut tower is part of the skirt assembly, helping to prevent chassis flex when cornering.
floor tray
The floor panel is a sheet of metal that is welded to several cross members, forming the floor of the car. It has several built-in holes and slots to allow the passage of powertrain components and electrical wiring.
firewall
The firewall is the frame component that separates the engine compartment from the passenger cabin. It typically consists of a 14- to 18-gauge sheet of pressed steel encased in a layer of sound-absorbing materials.
A/B/C Pillars
These are the vertical supports of a car. The letter “A” refers to the pillar closest to the front, “B” is in the middle, and “C” is at the rear.
Some vehicles, such as large SUVs or minivans, also have a “D” pillar.
room panel
A quarter panel is the sheet metal that forms the rear passenger and driver side panels. They consist of the area around the rear tires, as well as where the gas cap is.
While they are usually made of metal, on some vehicles they are made of carbon fiber or fiberglass to help reduce weight.
Panel under the door
A rocker panel forms the area between the front and rear tires under the doors.
Its function is to support the doors, ensuring that they remain aligned when closed.
rear support
The rear mount encompasses the rear section of the frame, including the floorboards, rear bumper mount, and a pair of unirails.
Now that you have a better idea of what your framework encompasses. Let’s see how to check the frame for damage.
How to tell if your car has frame damage
It doesn’t take much for a car to end up with chassis damage. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
Visibly bent or damaged
snapping is off
The wheels do not move correctly
Panels do not line up
Uneven tire wear
unusual sounds
Uneven suspension wear
Each of the above symptoms typically corresponds to a specific type of frame damage.
What is frame damage in a car?
If you’re scouring the web for information on car frame damage, you’ve clearly had a rough week.
The frame of your vehicle is its foundation, its structural support. If it is damaged, it may not be safe to continue driving.
What is frame damage in a car?
It usually refers to when a structural component on a vehicle’s frame has been compromised. However, it doesn’t always suggest a significant amount of damage.
It could be that there is a dent or scratch in a vital area that makes it dangerous to drive.
Fortunately, in this handy guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about frame damage.
We’ll first examine the most common frame type: unibody. Then we’ll look at what determines if your vehicle has chassis damage and how much you can expect to spend to fix it.
Let’s learn the basics first!
A Closer Look at a Unibody Frame
What is a unibody frame? Basically, it just means that the body of the vehicle, its floor plan and its chassis form a single structure.
This type of frame not only reduces weight, which improves fuel economy, but also provides better handling and improves ride quality. For these reasons, a one-piece frame is the most common construction method on most passenger vehicles.
The other type of frame design is known as a body-on-frame (or ladder frame). This type used to be the norm, but is now only found in trucks and large SUVs due to the superior strength and endurance it offers.
To help identify problems, automotive engineers and mechanics break single-piece frames into smaller components.
Let’s explore each of these now!
unirail
These are two symmetrical spokes at the front and rear of the car. Due to their strength, they serve as the base for other frame components.
Core/Radiator Support
A center support (also known as a radiator support) is a metal frame that surrounds the radiator and secures it in place.
Most of the time, this component is bolt-on, which means it can be easily replaced if damaged.
Platform/Strut Tower Assembly
Cars have front skirts and rear skirts, which are frames that hold the struts in place. The strut tower is part of the skirt assembly, helping to prevent chassis flex when cornering.
floor tray
The floor panel is a sheet of metal that is welded to several cross members, forming the floor of the car. It has several built-in holes and slots to allow the passage of powertrain components and electrical wiring.
firewall
The firewall is the frame component that separates the engine compartment from the passenger cabin. It typically consists of a 14- to 18-gauge sheet of pressed steel encased in a layer of sound-absorbing materials.
A/B/C Pillars
These are the vertical supports of a car. The letter “A” refers to the pillar closest to the front, “B” is in the middle, and “C” is at the rear.
Some vehicles, such as large SUVs or minivans, also have a “D” pillar.
room panel
A quarter panel is the sheet metal that forms the rear passenger and driver side panels. They consist of the area around the rear tires, as well as where the gas cap is.
While they are usually made of metal, on some vehicles they are made of carbon fiber or fiberglass to help reduce weight.
Panel under the door
A rocker panel forms the area between the front and rear tires under the doors.
Its function is to support the doors, ensuring that they remain aligned when closed.
rear support
The rear mount encompasses the rear section of the frame, including the floorboards, rear bumper mount, and a pair of unirails.
Now that you have a better idea of what your framework encompasses. Let’s see how to check the frame for damage.
How to tell if your car has frame damage
It doesn’t take much for a car to end up with chassis damage. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
Visibly bent or damaged
snapping is off
The wheels do not move correctly
Panels do not line up
Uneven tire wear
unusual sounds
Uneven suspension wear
Each of the above symptoms typically corresponds to a specific type of frame damage.
drooping/crooked frame
If your frame is sagging or crooked, it likely leaves gaps between different body panels. If ignored, a sagging or twisted frame can cause tires and suspension components to wear faster.
shredded frame
A crushed frame is more common after a collision, where the frame itself crumples in on itself. Look for distortions or wrinkles in the body panels, such as the hood, fenders, or side rails.
sway damage
Roll damage typically occurs when a vehicle is hit around a corner. The problem with sway damage is that your car will not be able to drive in a straight line, which means it is a danger to you and those around you.
Also, if you continue to drive a car with sway damage, it will most likely wreak havoc on the transmission.
Auto Frame Damage Repair Costs
The truth of the matter is that there is no set range for frame damage repair costs. It all depends on the severity of the damage.
Take a dented rear panel, for example. If it’s as simple as removing the dent, repairs can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000.
However, if the damage is severe, repairing it may require entire sections to be replaced, which means cutting away the old and welding the new. Industrial machines are then used to stretch your car back to its original shape.
Does it still sound expensive? Depending on the extent of the problems, frame damage repair costs can run as high as $10,0000. Because of this, insurance companies often total the vehicle instead of making the effort to repair it.
What does frame damage mean to you?
While you may be able to drive a car with chassis damage, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
If it’s something small, like a dented rear panel, then sure, it should be fine. But if the structural integrity of your car has been compromised, driving it could be extremely dangerous.
If your frame has already sustained damage, its ability to keep it safe in a collision is questionable at best.
