Newbie Poject

[Bob K]

I do stuff like that too but I put an oak 4x4 in the bucket and put the other end to a hard spot on the frame, usually a bumper bracket. That ends up not moving the loader as long as the pulls are not far off the centerline of the 4x4. You can’t get as much of a pull with cable pullers as that hydraulic machine though. For heavy pulls I use a chain and 2 chain binders. I put both binders in line and use one over center binder to take up the slack in the chain, then with the second binder which is a ratcheting screw binder I do my pull. Theoretically I get 22000# of pull with 100# on the handle. However I found out that sheetmetal can’t handle that much pull and just ripps so I move the clamp around and do multiple pulls.

Bob K

[Phil V]

I have a '15 Lincoln MKX with a rear collision as seen in the pics. It drives well with a very slight pull to the right which I think is due to either a low tire or needing an alignment. The frame seems ok, there is a slight difference in the door gap on the drivers side backseat door which I improved by pulling the bent impact bar. All the other gaps are fine.

There is damage in the rear panel. Some wrinkling damage in the floor pan by the bumper where the tire sits. I found a donor car (Ford Edge) in a pull apart in good rear shape.

My question is how to proceed from here?
1. Remove the rear body panel then try and pull out the wrinkled floor pan? Then weld in the new rear body panel?
2. Cut out the rear body panel with the wrinkled part of the floor pan and weld in a replacement? (Red marks)
3. Try and pull it out more before choice of #1 or #2? The drivers side is a little over one inch pushed in compared to the passenger side.
4. ?

The drivers frame rail looks like its bent. However on close inspection I can detect little difference from the passenger side, the sheet metal around the drivers side is bent and pointed inward making it appearAttachment 29863Attachment 29864 to be bent.

I guess that enough as the old saying goes a pic is worth 1000 words. Here are two (the red marks is where I thought about cutting).

Finally don't answer with "take it to a body shop", I bought this vehicle as is, I'm retired with a modest income and there is no insurance payout.

Thank you in advance.

Is that car an insurance total/salvage title ? Just curious.

That is NOT a job for novice auto body man.

the ONLY way that back end is going to come out anywhere near right to remove the whole rear body panel and pull the trunk floor on a frame machine. The body man/frame man that told you the whole rear body panel needs to be replaced was right.

I tell you the truth, I don't like seeing novice or shade tree body men tackling a job like that. That was a relatively hard hit and the real damage goes a lot further than just that tail panel. There are spot welds further on that snapped in the accident that could be several feet from that tail panel and have now weakened the structural integrity of that car. That job needs to be done by someone who knows what they're doing and will do the job right.

I'm all for helping novice body men take on auto body work that is NOT structural. Dings, dents, bolt on panel replacement etc . THAT job has structural damage and should be left to a professional.

[Midmo joe]

Is that car an insurance total/salvage title ? Just curious.

That is NOT a job for novice auto body man.

the ONLY way that back end is going to come out anywhere near right to remove the whole rear body panel and pull the trunk floor on a frame machine. The body man/frame man that told you the whole rear body panel needs to be replaced was right.

I tell you the truth, I don't like seeing novice or shade tree body men tackling a job like that. That was a relatively hard hit and the real damage goes a lot further than just that tail panel. There are spot welds further on that snapped in the accident that could be several feet from that tail panel and have now weakened the structural integrity of that car. That job needs to be done by someone who knows what they're doing and will do the job right.

I'm all for helping novice body men take on auto body work that is NOT structural. Dings, dents, bolt on panel replacement etc . THAT job has structural damage and should be left to a professional.

Your repair looks fine, this is just “sheetmetal” damage. You don’t have any real issues till the quarters are drove in enough to pinch the rear door gap. I’ve fixed damage much worse than this with no issues. And kept the vehicles and drove them for years. My youngest son bought a Trailblazer 15 years ago with the roof flat on the dashboard, we stuck a top on it and he drove it about 200k. It’s now worn out and worth very little, and the prior- salvage title won’t matter when it finally gets dropped off at the scrapyard.