OK, pretty certain this isn't worth repairing ('02 Dakota with 200K+), but boss is asking how much to fix before deciding to repair or get new truck.
In South Florida, caught an 8x8x8" chunk of concrete on a blind curve at about 25mph. Cracked rim, tire wrapped on axle, ripped spring shackles off, dropped driveshaft. Body damage is minimal (work truck, so cosmetics not big issue). But is sitting at tow yard, and obviously I'm not going to flatbed around getting estimates. No fluids leaking; maybe diff OK? Figure need new spring/shackles, shocks, u-joints and/or driveshaft, wheel/tire (can use spare for now).
Any mechanic experts want to ballpark this from the pics? Thanks in advance for any info.
You might be able to find someone that can get junkyard parts and charge you cheap labor, but overall, I don't see a cheap fix there. Too many unknowns. You may need new suspension items and rear end or differential, along with driveshaft, etc.. Your axle may be bent, so that's why I say the whole rear end, rather than an exercise in futility. The bed perch looks bent too.
Honestly hard to say without seeing it, but it looks like enough damage to be worth hear the value of the truck because it simply ain't worth much. And then after all is fixed, the rear end alignment may never the be same and it may end up crab-walking down the road. I say take the insurance money, if there is any to be had.
The bed perch doesn't look bent to me, but the bed has definitely moved since the body lines don't line up.
Your best bet would be to go to a they-pull junkyard, walk the lot, find a dakota with the same axle and drive config (8.25, 9.25, 2WD, 4WD) and have them simply pull the 4 leaf spring bolts and brake line at the chassis fitting and bring the entire thing to you, with driveshaft if it's a CC with same engine/trans. Find somebody good with a welder to rebuild that front spring tab, and lay it all up under there.
I've been known to return worn out equipment to service but I think I'd pass on that one. Your frame is tweaked along with the ripped parts. It'll be expensive to get it to drive safely, not just straight. Your rear axle may be toast. I'm sure there are a bunch of parts that had substantial shock to them on impact. I'm assuming the boss didn't have comprehensive insurance coverage. I'd say that truck is not feasible to fix. Consider it a parts truck at best. For what it would cost, you can buy a newer truck with less miles and without a tweaked frame. It looks like $3000-5000 but the little things that go wrong down the road may add another $2000 or more to the repair cost.
