Hit a rock in the road, bent radiator support cross-member
#1
Thread Starter
Hit a rock in the road, bent radiator support cross-member
I was unable to avoid a rock in the middle of the road and did some damage. Somehow this beast, approximately the size of a football, went under the car without completely destroying my front lip. It put a small gouge on the bottom of the lip but otherwise no visible damage. It then made contact with the radiator support, I can only guess it got rotated and wedged between the car and road, forcing the support up into the radiator. It was a hard enough hit that the bottom of the radiator cracked, coolant was gone in less than a minute.
Initially I thought I could just replace that cross piece and the radiator. It looks like it is a weld in piece but I'm concerned that maybe there was additional frame damage. The driver side upright to the A/C condenser is slightly tweaked. Do you think when the cross piece was forced up it pulled the uprights in closer together? Could this affect alignment?
Deductible is $500. Do you think this is worth filing an insurance claim? Any general tips or advice would be appreciated.
Top view:
Driver side upright:
Passenger side upright:
Looking through the grill:
Another angle:
Initially I thought I could just replace that cross piece and the radiator. It looks like it is a weld in piece but I'm concerned that maybe there was additional frame damage. The driver side upright to the A/C condenser is slightly tweaked. Do you think when the cross piece was forced up it pulled the uprights in closer together? Could this affect alignment?
Deductible is $500. Do you think this is worth filing an insurance claim? Any general tips or advice would be appreciated.
Top view:
Driver side upright:
Passenger side upright:
Looking through the grill:
Another angle:
#2
It shouldn't affect alignment. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though it wouldn't hurt to get it on a frame rack. Anything out of alignment can be pulled back, or put in place before being replaced.
Call around and get a quote to have it checked. Then go from there.
Call around and get a quote to have it checked. Then go from there.
#3
if thats the only damage minus the rad and esthetics ur fine. that rad support doesn't offer any structural rigidity on these cars. honestly i would bang it out best i could and keep on trucking.
#4
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That exact thing happened to my car not that long ago. But my rad support looked a bit worse than yours. I had the radiator and rad support replaced. I had a certified shop do it, and there was no other damage. The alignment was also perfect.
#5
Thread Starter
Thanks for the replies. I am going to attempt to straighten it out the best I can. Depending on my results, I'll either use as is or have a new piece welded in. I will get my alignment checked out also, good to hear that everything else should be fine.
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