Tow Vehicle Rear Ended, Need Frame Advice

You should be fine with the receiver. It has it's own brackets, it's not integral to the frame. Replacement will have it better than what you had.

One thing I would do is, after repairs, have someone follow when the truck is in motion at typical speed to make sure that the rear end is not "dog tracking". Vans are more prone to this than pickup trucks.

When the frame was made it went thru quit a bending process to shape it. Bending it back should not be a problem unless the accidental bend was concentrated at one bend line. If you have a sharp bend line, the fix is a whole new rear frame section, but that is something that I wouldn't accept.

In your settlement, be sure to get all costs PLUS the reduced value of the truck. A truck repaired due to a major accident is worth less, or maybe worthless.

Years ago, I had an Oldsmobile that was rear-ended hard. Months after the "repair" the frame let go at the steering box and I took a full left and crashed. In the original crash, the body was pushed forward and the steering took the load. Had to sue, but got nothing, because I signed off.

my side frame brackets for the hitch are bolted on, when mine was bent I ordered new side brackets

dodge guy wrote:

2 many 2 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
He's talking about the frame where the receiver attaches to! They are already replacing the receiver. If the repair is done properly then it will not be an issue! We had an F250 here at the shop and it took us awhile to get any info from Ford. Basically if it pulls back into place it will be fine. If it needs heat it needs to stay under a certain temp. If it needed a frame it would have been totaled! It was a very clean low mileage PSD! The guy leaves his hitch in the receiver to keep people from hitting him! This is why you should never leave a hitch in place!

Did you by any chance have your hitch in your receiver?

Thank you, this is the kind of info I was looking for. No I did not have the hitch in the receiver. But it was a large old GMC Yukon that hit me at about 45mph. I think the GMC was totaled as it kind of went under my truck to some extent.

My truck actually did not look too bad, but my main concern was if they bend the frame brackets back a quarter to a half inch, to level the receiver, is the metal of such a composition to stay where they bend it back to, or will it be permanently weakened.


Thanks for all the replies.

When done properly the repair will be as good as new! The weakening comes from the over use of heat. Too much heat and the metal will become brittle and fatigue and crack eventually. With the small amount you need it pulled/straightened it shouldn't need anything more than a light pull to get it back into spec.

You'll be fine with the repair.

:B:B:B

2 many 2 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
He's talking about the frame where the receiver attaches to! They are already replacing the receiver. If the repair is done properly then it will not be an issue! We had an F250 here at the shop and it took us awhile to get any info from Ford. Basically if it pulls back into place it will be fine. If it needs heat it needs to stay under a certain temp. If it needed a frame it would have been totaled! It was a very clean low mileage PSD! The guy leaves his hitch in the receiver to keep people from hitting him! This is why you should never leave a hitch in place!

Did you by any chance have your hitch in your receiver?

Thank you, this is the kind of info I was looking for. No I did not have the hitch in the receiver. But it was a large old GMC Yukon that hit me at about 45mph. I think the GMC was totaled as it kind of went under my truck to some extent.

My truck actually did not look too bad, but my main concern was if they bend the frame brackets back a quarter to a half inch, to level the receiver, is the metal of such a composition to stay where they bend it back to, or will it be permanently weakened.


Thanks for all the replies.

When done properly the repair will be as good as new! The weakening comes from the over use of heat. Too much heat and the metal will become brittle and fatigue and crack eventually. With the small amount you need it pulled/straightened it shouldn't need anything more than a light pull to get it back into spec.

You'll be fine with the repair.

I experienced a similar situation when the Repairs on my Truck were going to be stated on the Car Fax report when I went to sell it. I used an Insurance phrase ( that they don't want you to know about ) called Diminished Value. Meaning my claim also paid for the value between my Trucks pre-accident condition and its after accident value. I believe this Law does vary between States and Insurance companies.

Bucky Badger wrote:
The hitch is going to be replaced, it's the brackets the hitch bolts to on the frame he's concerned about

Correct! :B

dodge guy wrote:
He's talking about the frame where the receiver attaches to! They are already replacing the receiver. If the repair is done properly then it will not be an issue! We had an F250 here at the shop and it took us awhile to get any info from Ford. Basically if it pulls back into place it will be fine. If it needs heat it needs to stay under a certain temp. If it needed a frame it would have been totaled! It was a very clean low mileage PSD! The guy leaves his hitch in the receiver to keep people from hitting him! This is why you should never leave a hitch in place!

Did you by any chance have your hitch in your receiver?

Thank you, this is the kind of info I was looking for. No I did not have the hitch in the receiver. But it was a large old GMC Yukon that hit me at about 45mph. I think the GMC was totaled as it kind of went under my truck to some extent.

My truck actually did not look too bad, but my main concern was if they bend the frame brackets back a quarter to a half inch, to level the receiver, is the metal of such a composition to stay where they bend it back to, or will it be permanently weakened.

Thanks for all the replies.

soren wrote:
Given the price of a replacement hitch receiver, I can't imagine that any competent shop would want to waste the time, and assume the liability of repairing a damaged one. I would also want to be assured that the frame is still dead straight, and within factory specs. I would find it hard to believe that you have an undamaged frame at this point.

The hitch is going to be replaced, it's the brackets the hitch bolts to on the frame he's concerned about