Help after a hit: engine bed displaced...

Topan · **Posted:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:11 am

Hi there, i continue with the list of problems i got after 2 days of the Raid Bleu before being Frankenlifted. ...not clever at all!!

This one happened driving real slow and hitting the tip of an enormous rock, Just the tip was out of the ground. No need to say the rock did not moved, but the KJ just got stopped on the spot: frankly scarry !! :grim:

It hit that part, underneath which is part of the bed where the engine is fixed i guess.

The result is that the whole engine bed moved backward by 1/2 an inch....

am really scared that this misalign the transmission and everything around the engine...

Waht is the solution? just untighting the bolts and moving the engine back in its position ?
Should i stop driving the KJ before reparing ? it still drives ok, but it is more noisy and i feel some vibrations in the structure of the car...

I can take more pic if needed
cheers

kapalczynski · **Posted:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:56 am

Probably the best thing to do is to loosen bolts and realign the subframe if possible. I wouldn't think it could move enough to cause issues, but if the subframe moved, your vehicle alignment is probably off an you will want to get another alignment after you do your best to recenter the subframe or you may get premature tire wear.

Good luck! Oh, and get that jeep lifted! ...and be more careful next time. ha ha

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 11:00 am

Body shops have frame alignment machines, might be a good idea to have a good body shop take a look.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 2:01 pm

X2 Found a Frame Master and let them handle this, I seen worse...

Topan · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:21 am

Sorry guy for the late feed back.
I finally received the UCA from the US. I will replace the left hand side one as it seems to have suffered.

Brought the KJ at the mechanic who appears to be pretty frightening! :grim:

"May have to replace the part where the hit was made + may have to replace the engine bed + may have to replace other parts ...."

Am getting really worried.

Oldskull, when you say you've seen worst. How bad was the damage and what had to be replace ?

Meanwhile, i am not driving the KJ. Am too scared to damage the transmission as the engine is pushed against it...

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:13 am

Don't want to bore anyone with another WAR STORY, but when I had a Auto Repair business years ago a customer had some damage to his car (a Toyota). He took it to a body/frame shop I recommended and when he got it back, he told me the car drove better than it ever had and the dealer could never get it aligned right. Goes to show that Toyota Quality like the rest of the auto companies is a lot of PR and sometimes the body/frame is not to the Engineering team's prints. The guy in the Body/Frame shop straightened the frame to the prints.

Go figure!

Let the frame shop do the work, they just want to straighten the frame as needed because that is what they do and not part swapping. :idea:

Topan · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:48 pm

yes, fully agree. i will tell my guy to first: losen the bed bolds , put every back where it was before the shock and make a realignment. then I 'll see.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:51 pm

I have seen worst but not on a KJ...I use to work for 2 body shop in my "young gun years" and have seen some prety bad hit on the frame table of a friend, now his son invest in the business and get all the new tools with electronics measuring system, the level of precision is amazing.

X2 FRAME SHOP FIRST! Those guys have the equipement to do the job, let them evaluate your structural damage before anyone touch your KJ, based on the pictures you post it seem not bad but no mather if it's 1" or 6 " they have to remove parts and panels to get the job done. Sir Sam have done a good job on a KJ for his father, I suggest you PM him, he is a talented new generation "young gun" :wink:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfPkCfT1YMY&feature=BF&list=SP7AEDB5F458EC2DE7&index=2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaEhAt9u05E&NR=1

Topan · **Posted:** Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:33 am

great links. thanks for the advices.
I will follow up closely what the mechanic is doing.

will post pics if i take some of the work.

Cheers

Help after a hit: engine bed displaced...

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