got in an accident, right fender crushed in.. need advice
 

well the right fender is crushed in... it bent the chasis brace? underneath it backwards. it bent the radiator support frame... is there a way to replace the radiator support frame by unbolting and bolting?. two body shops said that it is welded to the chasis brace thing. someone help?

maybe a pic

will post tommorow.... too dark right now... it's snowing gahh

Wow. Where you from that its snowing?

:worthless

The upper radiator support is spot welded onto the chassis, you'll need a frame rig (not exactly necessary, but recommended), drill welds out, and weld new support back in.

snowing in ut... still havent had time to take pictures guys... frame rig? what is that? some auto body tool? can i have the shop just bend the chasis back to shape? they said that they wouldnt just bend it back... they would also have to do the rest of the work... and i would rather just put on everything (hood, fender, bumper, radiator support, reinforcement bar) but bend the chasis back...

lol you love doing that huh....SO TRUE THO ....man we need pix.....

Not really, first time I used it.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...ploda/pic2.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...ploda/pic1.jpg

added pix.

Doesn't look too bad

new radiator support
weld used fender support portion in

problem solved

That doesn't look bad at all, we've had a worse accident and used various battering tools from harbor frieght and my maxima as a reference to bend it all back into shape.

check out before and after here

http://picasaweb.google.com/m00njal/TerryMaximaCrash

after
http://picasaweb.google.com/m00njal/...OnTerrySMaxima
Don't question our usage of the pole.

hrm so if i have a shop bend out the chasis part of it, and the radiator support frame.. will everything just bolt back on?

YES, everything will bolt on fine =)

Except, the purpose of my post was to show you can even do a major crash yourself with basic tools, hooks, and chains. Ours took one week, and thats even with fooling around.

Best bet, get another maxima for reference like we did, and remove whatever parts you can, and get to work with levers, propane tank w/nozzle (home depot kit) to heat the metal occasionally and have someone help you bend things into place.

Or, you can take it to a shop. New radiator support is $80 on ebay, you can have them put that one for you, etc.

Those cheap radiator supports...are they safe? will they last?
I am replacing mine asap and am looking for an OEM one but those are about 270 at least. I want to buy the one from ebay and spray rustproofing on it.

To be honest, and I'm no expert (so take that into consideration, you ARE on a forum) the OEM radiator support and many aftermarket models/makes don't seem all that different quality. I can't imagine the ebay manufacturer using a DRASTICALLY different/lower quality metal to result in a poorer strength radiator support?

And, remember it only does so much for crash impact absorption, thats what the re-bar behind the bumper is for, as the support holds up the hood latch, headlights, and condensor/radiator, how much more can you expect? If you need one, grab the ebay one and drive very carefully from now on =)

And again, anyone please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong, we're all still noobs in one way or another.

If not, use a pole to fix yours.

http://picasaweb.google.com/m00njal/...23150682887586

totally agree with orgers, shouldnt be a hard fix at all.

The ebay ones use a thinner gauge steel, the welds are poor at best which explains the $80.

The $270 OEM one will rust and break down in a few years. It's a known problem if you live in areas with snow.