jkgts1 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Just recently bought a z and found this wrinkle in the body. I'm guessing just take it to the frame shop? Thanks, jkgts1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 If it were me, and I was just going to 'drive' the car, I'd leave it be. If you're gona be doing a swap, suspension work, ect... you might want to get it straightened.. but I'm sure it wont be cheep at a frame shop.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 You could easily hammer that out yourself and weld in a new plate for strength. Mine were pretty wavy in that area, although no where near the divot you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 That's caused by a stupid jack maneuver or a front end collision? Seriously, what would cause that? I have a partially crunched frame rail from some person jacking the wrong place AND a crushed floorpan from the same but nothing that looks like that, so I'm wondering about that "wrinkle." Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkgts1 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 I'm pretty sure the car was hit in the front driver corner, and that just happened to be the spot that absorbed the hit. I could just pound it out but I'm worried about it not being straight. Am I being overly concerned? jkgts1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 i see the buckle, and i see the possibility that your framerail is slightly bent. measure the distance between the framerails at the firewall, and at the radiator support. see if the numbers differ. if they do, this means your suspension geometry is a tad out of whack also. Your driver's side wheel may have more toe out than passenger, unless it has been compensated for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 jkgts1: I'm a former paint and body guy with a lot of experience in collision work (over 25 years) It's hard to tell from the picture, but that appears to me to be frame damage from a collision. I think I'm looking into the wheel house at the frame rail between the cross member and the T/C bucket? If that is what I'm lookng at i'm not sure a jack could have done that and if it was a collision, it could have been a pretty good hit. It appears it would have been a hit from straight on in the nose. What concerns me is there are a couple other places that would bend first. Look for other possible signs of a repair job. The undercoat looks stock, but look for places that the undercoat is crack or has been resprayed. Look at the panels (hood fenders ect) in the jam area to see if they have been sprayed to match. The most important thing though is to make sure your frame is straight enough that the wheels are running true. When I did frame work we had a lot of fancy guages and equipment to measure frames. A lot of guys didn't even know how to use them correctly. But to be honest, the tool I used the most to measure frames was a common tape measure. (and my eyes) Simple checks can be performed at home by anyone. First thing to try is measure the wheel base on both sides and make sure both side are the same. Have a helper hold the end of the tape right in the center of the hub (eye ball it is close enough) and measure to the center of the hub at the other end. (center of rear wheel hub to center of front wheel hub) Do both sides and if they differ by more then about an 1/8" to 1/4", you have a problem. Next check is a little harder. With the tape measure, measure from the rear on one side to the front of the other, in an X pattern. Use a point that is on the suspension and is the same on both sides. For the front I usually used the ball joint grease fitting. In the back on a zcar, maybe use the center of the strut housing, I don't know, I'd have to crawl under mine to pick a good spot. This tells you where the wheels are sitting with out regard for the sheet metal. Sometimes the rail can still have kinks and such but the wheel is where it needs to be. A good body man would work the kink out just so someone doesn't see it, but a lot of guys let it go once the frame is true. If this measurement is almost exactly the same, the chassis fairly square. Both methods are crude but pretty effective. If both are close, you probably are alright. Third check is to have someone get in the car, stand directly behind it, and let them drive away from you straight with out turning. Squat down low and as they drive away watch to see if the car dog legs or tracks straight. Does it roll with front and rear wheels aligned or does one side stick out on one end. These are just crude checks to see if you have a really bad problem. If they turn up something bad, don't worry, frame damage isn't the end of the world. Shop around a little bit, make sure the shop has a unibody alignment machine. Most shops charge about 4 to 8 hours just for set up and tear down, so it will be a few hundred buck. You can save yourself a few bucks by removing the bolt on panels in that area if you want to DIY. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkgts1 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 Thanks for the advice. When I have a chance I'll check those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.