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how should i bend my bumper?


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i've had a couple front end pass. side collisons and needless to say, the subframe is a little bent up. i was wondering if anybody has any methods that would work to get her back into shape.

 

the two things i've thought of would be a kansas jack (which i do not have access to) and parking under a tree and jacking it up.

 

any ideas? HELP!! very unsightly, and need to impress girl. at least have it lookin decent w/a grill and a bumper skin. it's already a soobie, the panties will drop:brow:

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Really depends on how it's bent.

Up,

down,

in,

out?!?

Big tree and length of chain work for the in, out, type bends. Up, down bends are a bit trickier to do , but can be done.

Need good jack, and cribbage wood to support frame. Big tree still comes into effect on some bend it up, down, parts.

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Are you talking about damage that affects the alignment of your car, or just the fenders, bumper, and some of the sheetmetal that the fenders bolt to?

 

To straighten a twisted frame on a mazda glc my dad once stuck a railroad tie under the car, and lifted the tie with the backhoe, then let the car bounce up and down on it. Tracked straight again (but the doors still didn't close right) I don't know if it's a good idea to try though :-)

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Sorry to hijack, but my situation might be similar enough to help you out.

 

My bumper is now bent forward a bit from catching on something while backing up. What do you think about duct-taping a 2x4 to that part of the bumper to spead out the force, then driving into a tree at very low speed?

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MaroonDuneDoom,

 

Had a similar problem with my very first car after I hit a deer (well he hit me first) it was a super clean 1969 AMC Rambler.

 

I tied a chain around a huge tree, wrapped it around the bumper and slowly backed up. It took a few tires and a few hard tugs, but it worked!

 

It helps to have a spotter to watch the progress.

 

Be sure to cover the stretched out section of the chain between your car and the tree with a bunch of heavy old rugs. If the chain breaks it will be just like a steel whip and cut right through your windshield (or your head). The rugs will absorb most of the impact if it breaks.

 

Good Luck.

 

 

T.J.

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my problem is simmilar but my bumper is bent up. i hit a boulder after a night of four wheeling. i don't have functioning wipers and i had an inch of mud everywhere except the gate on my wagon. i was headed down to the river nearby to clean the windshield and windows. i'm driving with my head out the window to see and all my passengers suddenly yell "left, LEFT!!" we hit a boulder that was a half inch taller than the bumper. we went right over it and nothing got bent past where the bumper "rail" connects to the rest of the frame. all the bending was in front of the wheel on pass. side. not a damn thing broke except a temp sensor for my elec. fan. we hit the damn rock so hard that we went right over it and just bounced on the frame and fell right off it. but yeah, it's bent up on the pass. side and it does not affect alignment at all. the fender was a bit crunched but i kicked it into shape. oh, and the pass. side doors are a little harder to open now. but who cares, i don't sit over there!

 

 

hey BlueSoob, i won't tell.

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Items required;

4"X6" post, long as width of vehicle,

2"X4" blocks 12" or so,

2-ton bottle jack,

Lenght of good quality hardened chain with atleast 1 grab hook on it.

 

Place 4x6 under bumper,

wrap chain around bumper, furthest point obtainable from bend area, running chain under 4x6,

Place 2x4's on 4x6 until you have proper height for bottle jack to set on them and under bumper, leaving room for one 2x4 ontop of jack, you want the jack to the straight side of the bent bumper, but near the bend

adjust center portion of jack cylinder until it contacts board and bumper,

start pumping jack handle, being WHATCHFULL of how things are happening, especially with the jack,

repeat as needed by lowering the jack, adding 2x4's and shortening the chain hook as needed.

If you pull it to far, reverse the position of jack and chain,

Done this on many a bumper, even ones that were made out of real steel, not this heavy gauge sheet metal stuff of '70 and later cars

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Yes. You place the jack on top of the 4x6 post. You will need to add the 2x4 blocks under the jack, on top of the 4x6 to get the jack to the proper working height. The 4x6 is used to spread the forces that the jack is applying to the wood, chain and bumper. I've tried 4x4's, but have had some break. Haven't broke a 4x6, yet. You want the 6" width of it like you would a floor or ceiling joist ^, on the side, not the top

Now, as the jack is pumped up, it applies force to the bumper and the 4x6, and the chain. Something has to give here. Hopefully, ifin you're using a good quality chain, good jack, and a stout piece of 4x6, it will be the metal of the bumper that gives. That is why you need to place a piece of 2x4 on top of the jack also. If not, you would just bend the bumper lip at that point where the jack is pushing on it. I've even used a small piece of 3/8" flat stock between the jack post and the piece of 2x4 at the bumper, on some really nasty bends. It helps spread the forces out.

I have used this method to straighten bent frames on 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks, so I know it will do a bumper.

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