Car raised in Garage

Ensuring Safety: The Importance of Frame Alignment in Collision Repairs

Your car’s frame is the main structure for your entire vehicle, almost like a skeleton. It supports all the mechanical components of your car, your car’s body and shape, the weight of your vehicle, and protects all the internal parts. You could have sustained frame damage if you’ve been in a collision.

Driving with a damaged frame is doable yet dangerous, and delaying a repair could lead to even worse damage. You may be able to throw a fresh coat of paint on or replace some parts to make your car look new, but structural damage underneath is the most crucial thing to pay attention to after an accident.

Your car’s frame keeps you and your passengers safe in an accident, so it is essential to ensure it is properly aligned and in good working order. This article will discuss the importance of frame alignment and signs indicating that your frame is misaligned.

Frame Misalignment and Its Impact

After an accident, you might think that just because the exterior of your car looks suitable to drive, the internal parts haven’t been impacted. Despite how the visible exterior appears, the impact of your car’s frame being misaligned can pose significant issues that can affect the safety and performance of your car.

There are some ways that a misaligned frame can impact your car:

  • Misalignment can cause uneven panel gaps and misaligned doors, making them difficult to close.
  • As you drive with a misaligned frame, your vehicle may start to pull to one side of the road, making it difficult to maintain control.
  • A misaligned frame can affect the suspension system, causing uneven tyre wear, compromising fuel efficiency, and impacting your car’s stability.
  • Damage to your car’s suspension and steering components can lead to more expensive repairs over time.
  • Your car’s resale value can be significantly reduced with a history of frame misalignment, as many potential buyers usually do not want to buy a vehicle with a compromised frame.
  • A misaligned frame can potentially put you and your passengers at greater risk of harm in the case of an accident because the frame won’t absorb the impact as intended.
  • Damaged frames can alter safety systems, making them ineffective and dangerous. For example, they can cause misaligned airbag deployment or improper seat belt tension.

Signs of Misalignment

After a seemingly minor crash, you’ll want to look for any signs of misalignment. While it is recommended to have a trusted body repair shop to evaluate the damage, you can look out for some of these things while operating your vehicle.

  • Unusual Tyre Wear — This usually takes longer to notice, but abnormal or uneven tire wear can signal frame damage.
  • Diagonal Vehicle Tracks—If the rear wheels don’t follow in line with the front lines while driving straight, this can indicate a bent frame.
  • Poor Fitting Panels or Parts — When the frame is damaged, you might notice that the seams around the doors, trunk, hood, and elsewhere are no longer consistent or even. This can also include doors that stick when attempting to close and are not flush when the door is fully closed.
  • Pulling in One Direction While Steering — If your car’s steering is pulling to one side or another while driving on the road and continues to do so after an alignment, you should check on the frame.
  • Strange Noises — After a crash, you might hear some new noises as you drive. This can be a telltale sign that signals frame damage, especially if paired with any of the other mentioned signs.

Proper Frame Alignment in Collision Repair by Caversham Coachworks

While your car may still run with a damaged car frame, doing so is not safe and is not good for your car. You should address frame damage quickly to avoid costly repairs in the future and to avoid putting you or your passengers in harm’s way.

Body frame damage may be repairable, and getting insight from a collision repair shop will be your best bet on how to repair it. Avoid DIY repairs and leave it up to the professionals with the appropriate training, experience, and proper equipment.

At Caversham Coachworks, we want to get you safely back on the road. We offer a variety of services, such as alloy wheel refurbishment, cooling systems and air-conditioning maintenance, paintless dent removal, swift same-day repairs, steering component repairs, the use of genuine parts, and electrical system maintenance and refurbishment. We have experience working with insurance companies and can reduce the stress that comes with repairs and their costs.

Visit one of our convenient locations in Caversham and Abingdon. Our state-of-the-art equipment helps us service traditional, modern, hybrid, and EV vehicles. Contact us today or use our free and easy estimator tool.

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