A little while back, someone clipped my trailer hitch while I was parked in a driveway and wrecked my towing receiver.
Bent the hell out of it and destroyed the hitch. It looked like a banana when I was finally able to pull it out. Anyway here's my dilemma. I went to remove the receiver from the frame and then I noticed that it wasn't only the receiver that was bent, the frame rail is bent also. Not allot, but noticeable. In the pictures below you can see how far off center the hitch is now and I have circles the bent frame rail. It doesn't look that bad. Do you think I can get away with heating it up and using a porta-power and a big Oak tree to straighten it, or do I really have to get the frame straightened at a shop?

I want to start fixing the truck up and this looks like where I should start cause it looks like hell.

 

I wouldn't suggest you heat the frame. Heating metal greatly affects the metalurgy. It would be best to take it to a frame shop and have it done right.

 

Luckily its on the back and not the front. At least you dont have alignment issues in the back.

As far as how you do it its up to you. Factory straigtening can get spendy. Some places really dont like doing it, so may do it poorly. If its basically for cosmetics you may be best off to just do it yourself, money and end result wise.

I would agree on not using heat.

 

That sucks! Some people are Idiots. A frame shop will be your best bet. But will be expensive. If you can't afford it, you can get another frame to swap it with. Or try straighten it up. You can take off the bed and take off the hitch and do one side at a time. Use some heat while pounding it back. You can try the backyard way which is use a come-along to bend it back. Use a tree or something that will not move.

 

I promise I'm not out to get you 22dodge, although it may seem that way. But I worked 3 years in a body shop and I know from experience that they more often than not heat the frame when they pull it. Also, being a mechanical engineering student and having taken materials science classes, I also know that as long as you dont cool the metal at an accelerated rate it won't alter its integrity by a noticable amount. Just don't go dumping cold water on it when its hot. Also, one of the biggest reasons to use heat is to make sure the frame bends back in the right spot, cause its very easy on a frame machine to put another unrelated bend in the frame while trying to pull out the first one. Keep in mind though that you don't neccessarily want to make it red hot.

To the OP... I agree that the back of the frame rails are a straight enough shape from the factory that a porta-power and some heat should work great.

 

that's fine, my credentials are superior and I know the facts about heating metal... yes it can be done but you better know WTF you're doing so it doesn't crystalize and crack.

I have more degrees and certifications that you can imagine.

 

Lol. My ____ is bigger. Sigh. Yay preschool.

 

LMAO! If you have as many degrees as you say, than you would know that "metallurgy" is the study of materials science, not a physical characteristic of a metal that can be changed with heating.

And I know that if you heat a metal and cool it in the same way it was cooled after the manufacturer originally formed it, the molecular structure may have minor changes, but not enough to significantly lower the structural integrity of it.

But whatever, my point was a body shop will likely heat the metal, so taking the truck to one doesn't necessarily mean its getting done any more "right" than you could do yourself.

 

I had a similar problem with a pick-up that was damaged in transit to the railhead. We didn't have a frame machine so we parked it next to a tall curb, heated the rails with a torch and then pulled the frame straight with the winch from a wrecker. You probably will have to pull a few clicks passed "straight" because the metal developes memory. I know this because I have 98.6 degrees. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks all for your input and suggestions.

Now I am aware that the metal is not to be made red hot. Just heated enough to become pliable, and that I should use a large immovable object, such as a tree and some sort of winch to pull it just past straight.

Sounds like a fun and "in-expensive" project for a change. I'll post pics when I get it done. I guess the only thing that will cost me $$$ will be the new receiver...


BTW...I invented Bodywork and frame straightening...I just forgot, it'd been so long...or was that the internet....