bent frame rail

[encycloware]

i had a mechanic to come over and look a 280zx

and he said he needed to jack it up to look under the car

and he jacked it up on the frame rail on the driver's side - this would ringht under - drivers floor board area

 

and I bent down and watched this and saw the frame rail bending so i told him to stop

 

well his jack bent in the bottom of rail - about  1/4 of an inch  or a liittle more and left some marks on the rail - the side of the hollwo rial appear to be still solid and the

 

the bend is about 4 inches long - it's basically an impression from his jack 

 

he never lifted the tires off the ground -

 

if he was going to jack this way - he should have used wood to maybe

 

the rest of the upper rail appears straight and level  - only the bottom part next to the ground appears

bent in and not level with the rest of the rail

 

i did notice tha the door of the car seend to shut tighter - after this - but maybe that is just me noticeing things all of a sudden

 

my question - should i be concerned about damage to the car - saefty wise -  

 

thank you for any assiatance

 

i will try to take a picture and show you tomorrow

 

[seattlejester]

Bent frame rail won't be a catastrophic issue safety wise, most z cars (240z-280zx) have probably a wrinkled frame rail from years of jacking. 

 

Yes he probably should have used a bit of wood to spread out the surface area or just use the pinch welds.

 

Even so, the frame rail should have been able to take quite a bit of weight before caving or denting, I suspect maybe some rust is present there, and if there is a large amount of rust this could be a cause of concern.

[encycloware]

i appreciate the advice - more than you know -

 

I told him to jack at the pich wield - but he said he knew waht he was doing -

and then he bends it -

 

i think he would have done more damage if he had continued - his intent was to cawl under the car

so i stoped his job and decided to have it towed to a shop to be worked on -

i guess it is possible the car could have fallen on him

 

he did not break the metal - it's like he bent in the sqaure shape rail at the bottom - bent it out of shape with the end of his jack -

it looked like the jack was bending the hollow rail before it could even lift the car

 

I do not see any rust in this area - even after the bend

i have no idea how to inspect inside the rail

 

after this incident I looked under the car on the other side and I did notice a rust spot at the end of the other rail on the passenger's side near the rear -

so maybe  water has collected inside to of these sqaure rails over time

 

 

I have a rust problem at the rear of the car from tailpipe exhaust over the years

 

I'd like to find a good way to stop this rust - but I think I going to need a rear panel around the lisence plate

 

If at some point the rails need to be replaced -- is there some source on this

that someone can recommend -

 

i have a 280zx 83 coup - orginal owner -

130,000 miles

it needs body work and new paint job

[Nelsonian]

I have used this product from Eastwood Automotive in every opening I could get the nozzle into in an attempt to stop any rust it would cover.

http://www.amazon.com/Eastwood-Internal-Coating-Prevention-Nozzle/dp/B003NTPE9W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1448861405&sr=8-2&keywords=eastwood+internal+frame

As you and I well know (born and raised most of my life in NC), you are in the rust belt.

[encycloware]

thanks - do you spray this on existing rust - or do i have to cleanit  to the bare metal before spraying

 

me to all my life in NC --- do you know anyone in eastern NC who does body work on 280 zx cars

[Nelsonian]

Here is Eastwood's video for product application.

 

I moved away from NC back in '95, but still visit friends and family every year so not sure on body work other than this company in Wilmington (National Speed), who did an incredible job on the lime green 240z awhile back. 

http://nationalspeedinc.com/

 I might be able to come up with a few shops around Raleigh, Cary area after asking friends living there.

[Nelsonian]

As I mentioned, I sprayed this into every nook, cranny or pocket I could get the nozzle into including the roof area from the hatch hinge pockets. I tried to eliminate every accessible bit of rust on my car with the exception of dipping the car.

[(goldfish)]

He doesn't know what he is doing.  You don't lift these cars from the floor stiffeners, they aren't made to take the weight.