Trying to be brief - I was in an accident with my '08 F-150 - one hit was broad side into a car (pulled directly in front of me while doing 55mph) - second hit after the car hit was into a bank.

Beside the cosmetic damage only to the right fender, when I hit the bank is where most of the damage occured.

Sorry - no pics yet.......

On both sides of the front suspension, the upper arms connected to the ball joints are pushed against the struts. The lower a-arm (correct term? where the bottom of the strut is attached) on the driver side - where it is mounted to the frame is bent. Tie rods bent - probably more damage than my un-trained eye is seeing.

What gets me is - when I look at the front of the truck, the tow hook on the passenger site is about 2" higher than the drivers side. When you look at the frame itself it is also higher. Also, you can not open the passenger side doors.

My body guy after a quick look said the frame is definitely bent. The appraiser had a first look at it today, and said just the visible damage is over $5100. He is having the body guy tear the truck down to see what else they can see.

I have the feeling of a screwing coming......I've always been under the impression that if the frame is bent, it is totaled.
My body shop guy (who I trust - been dealing with for 20 years) says that he rarely sees the appraisers total a truck that new - has even seen where they have put an entire new frame under a vehicle.

I don't like this a bit - in my eyes, if the frame is bent, even if they try to straighten it, it will never be the same.

Can anyone share any similar experiences and outcomes?

 

If the frame is bent and the only way to fix it is to replace it, I would consider that totaled.

 

But most likely it wouldnt be considered a total loss by the insurance company. Ive heard of frames getting replaced before.

 

ya, your frame might get replaced. i read a thread a while back that this happened to a guy and he said his truck has been great and had no problems since the repairs. thats gonna be alot of money to repair tho so it might be totalled depending on other damage

 

They have a machine that will pull on your frame (You anchor down the car and work your way around to all the troubled spots). I think being totaled will depend on other damage (According to your description) Make sure to check your engine and drivetrain thoroughly. even for problems that might occur. When it's all said and done, if you still have that truck, trade it off if possible. Hope you bought GAP (and I dont believe in it.)

 

Funny - I just hit the "post" button, and my body shop called.

He has a frame machine, and is confident that he can straighten it to within specs. He also said that he will know more once he starts tearing it down. I'm going there tomorrow and he is going under the truck with me to show me exactly what he is going to do.

At the end of the repair, the truck is going to an alignment guy, whom also I know well and is very good at what he does. He did my alignment at 2000 miles when he put my AS level kit on, and still has all the specs from that alignment. If it doesn't come back with those specs, I guess I won't accept the truck.

Thanks for all your opinions - it really helps hearing them since I have never been in a situation like this.

 

not anymore, with today's frame straightening machines, they can get frames damn near perfect. i have heard stories about frames being in better "square'' after a wreck than from the factory. i would bet money they fix it, seeing as it is a 2008. i rolled a truck a couple years ago, every panel was dented or cracked (99 ranger supercab with the flareside box) couldn't open the tailgate, windshield shattered, no mirrors. anyways, they wanted to fix it, the insurance guy was a COMPLETE jackass, he must have thought i was some "punk" kid who's mommy and daddy let me build a truck on their charge card. never trust them adjusters either, be there every time he is there, crooks i tell you! remember who they work for. the shop owner decided to knock labor down from 75 bucks to 70 and that was the deciding factor on why they decided to fix the truck. another thing, do you have gap insurance? if you do, they will i guarantee fix it, too much money to pay out. i threw a sh*t storm when he said "we're gonna fix it" i ended up getting the check cut to me and i parted the truck out and believe it or not, after selling everything and the insurance check, i made what i paid for it 3 yrs previous

 

If you think the frame needs replaced, then take your truck and get a second opinion. Preferably at a dealership bodyshop. As a matter of policy, ford WILL NOT even attemp to repair the frame, they just replace them. They do this on all full frame vehicles (crown vic's, F150's, Superduty's, Econoline's, Explorers, Expy's, Rangers)

 

That sucks man, hope everything works out for you. I have heard of trucks that new getting replacment frames instead of totalling them, but if push comes to shove, If you don't like what the body shop gives you, don't take it.

 

Wrong. I took my truck to a Ford dealer and they fixed the frame and I had a lot more damage than this guy. I got in a wreck with my truck at about 7000 miles. Damage was over $14000. They didn't total it.

 

Maybe it's just my dealers policy then. They led me to believe it was ford's policy.

 

i could see a liability issue fixing a bent frame, can't see the damage inside the fully boxed frame.

 

I thought that's how they determined total or not, was based on the frame?

 

It's based on money. Most insurance companys total a vehicle when the cost to repair exceeds 75% of the vehicles value. 25k car totals at 18,750 repair cost.

 

At the end of the day, that is where I am at with this. Even with straightening the frame, the repair cost will probably still stay below 10K.

As long as my truck is straight and runs down the road true, I guess it's ok.

I do have confidence in my body guy, and he tells me that "it will be fine".

Maybe for me it's more of an emotional thing - to me the truck will never be the same.
But, on the other hand, I've just babied this truck since I bought it new 6 months ago - now to me it will be more of a "beater" - run it hard and plow those deer.........