bent frame area

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tyler_s18

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on my 75 scamp the front right wheel had serious negitive caster. i thought it was pbly just a really bad balljoint or the adjusting bolts were loose. turns out the mount for the upper control arms and shock tower is bent down. and part of the frame is dented in. we put o porterpower under it and bent it back and welded it but it just broke the welds off the thin fender and went back to normal. then we took a steel bar and put it on the motor side of the inner fender and bolted it. that works decent but dose not look good lol. i want to figure out a better way to secure it and make it strong. would like a tubular k frame with tubular uca and lca and all come with 'shock towers' and mounts for the uca? i was planning on mini tubbing and 4 link 8 3/4 but i dont want to do all that if it wont go straight and get that tire to were correct. has anyone else had this problem?

i think the car got in a accident with either a teen jumping it lol or a big pot hole. the frame seems pretty straight except for dents and the upc mount area
 
I think I would replace that rail evn if I were bolting AlterK under it.
 
I agree, I would replace the rail. Measure it up, weld it in, plate it or gusset it for extra strengh if you want and then straight and strong again.
 
Definitely replace the rail. And check for damage on the rest of the car too, especially the side opposite from the hit. Usually, if one side of the frame is bent there will be damage to the opposite side too (good old Newton). Take measurements off the frame and compare them to the factory measurements before you do more work...

For example, the parts car ('74 Dart) I bought. It was hit on the right rear, and the right rear rail is bent (actually separated from the floor pan at the arch). There is also a small bump in the left rear rail at about the same location as the damage to the right side, hard to see unless you were looking for it. The icing on the cake is the small dent (buckle) just in from the left corner of the trunk in the quarter- the whole back half of the car is off. And if you just replaced the rail, the car would still be bent...you'd never get the trunk to close!

Not to say that your car was hit that bad, but I'd definitely check it vs. factory before I spent a bunch of money on it...
 
ok. i was thinking maby the new front end would have its own uca mounts lol. is there anywhere that would make a repo piece like this? or would it be all costom?
 
I have a spare mount that I can cut off a frame rail as all I need is the inner fenderwell, but that may not solve your problem. It may be best to take the car to a frame shop. It cost us about $350 to straighten the front of an 87 Daytona that had been hit hard enough to move the front of the engine bay over about an inch-and-a-half.
 
ok. i think i will look into that. i had a few hot rod guys come and look at it and said it is not a problem as is. but they are not a body guys:) so i will get some pics up so you all can see the damage.
 
my 68 dart was hit in the right front, the rs frame rail was cut off and re-capped with a stub right in front of the k member. Car was still bent at the A-pillar. I had 2 NOS front rails installed. When they cut it loose the A-pillar was straightened.
 
ok lol i ment camber not caster. i just realized i put the wrong thing there lol. that could be a huge difference how much is it to rebuild a front end? like ball joints and tie rod ends and all? its all dirty and greasy so pretty much all of both sides are leaking at least some.
 
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