The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop How to tell if frame is bent?

I recently started driving a 70 Chevy Impala 2drht. It used to be a good car until my cousins got hold of it and used it for a battering ram.
Both the front and back bumpers have been hit, but not real hard. I crawled under it and noticed that the front crossmember has made HARD contact with the pavement, even the oil pan has scraped the ground.

The rear transmission mount was broke so I replaced it tonight. I really had to pry the tranny to the right to get the bolt holes to line up. Before I changed the rear mount I could see where the driveshaft had been slighty rubbing on the undercoating of the tranny tunnel.

If the rear mount had been broke for a while, could the front mounts take a 'set', making it difficult to get the tranny pulled back into proper position? I have never had any trouble sliding a tranny around to get things lined up before, but I am also inexperienced with vehicles with suspected frame damage.

Any suggestions?

Don't loan it to your cousins any more...

Did your cousins go by the names of Bo and Luke?

As for the mounts, what shape are the front ones in? If they're worn or broken, they could cause the alignment issue. To check the frame I would go to a frame shop, the can probably eyeball it and tell you where its bent.

Sounds like the frame is maybe bent into a "diamond" shape. Or one front horn is bent up from the Dukes of Hazzard jumping. If the bumpers appear to sit level, check the frame for the diamond condition by measuring diagonally to common points. May have to get it on a hoist to do this. Can also do it on the garage floor by using a plumb bob to drop points that you can mark on the floor and measure to. Try and check 4 points as far apart as possible, diagonal measurements should be within 1/8" of each other, 1/4" max. Does the car dog track at all if you follow it down the road? Does it chew up one tire faster than the rest?

Cousin's names are Jeff and Brad, but may have a slight resemblance to Bo and Luke. Dad and I were talking about the car the other day and he said "I'll bet that car has a lot of stories if it could talk."

I was thinking later that the car was screaming "LOOK OUT FOR THAT <BOOM> DIP!!!"

I'll have to do the plumb bob trick. I haven't noticed any unusual tire wear, but I haven't driven it 1000 miles yet. It drives very good going down the highway. I'll have to get someone to tell me if it is dogtracking.

Thanks for the tips

Saw Jeff and Brad last weekend out in the back field with a bunch of pallets. Don't know what they were doing...

Brad and Jeff\'s Excellent Barbeque

Jeff and Brad

I wonder what they are smoking at that barbeque?

So we get bored in Minnesota and like to have a little fun with cars, what's wrong with that?