WEAK FRAME!?!?

uthunter

Well-Known Member
First Name
Greg
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Threads
16
Messages
239
Reaction score
436
Location
UT
Vehicle(s)
2017 F-350 CC & 2019 Ranger Lariat Sport & 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac - SuperCharged
My brother bought his first brand new truck two weeks ago. It still has the temp sticker in the window waiting for the license plates to arrive.

Last week his wife didn't see a car traveling down a 25mph road and pulled in front of it, hitting the drivers side front quarter panel.

The bids are back from the body shop as well as the independent insurance adjuster... $28,800. Frame is damaged beyond repair and they want to get a new frame and move the entire truck over to it. My brother is fighting to get it totaled so he doesn't have to deal with the problems from the frame switch; but we don't know what will happen yet.

I'm more than a little bothered that this impact, which didn't even cause an airbag deployment, resulted in fatal frame damage. Thoughts?

20200117_222937.jpg
Sponsored

 

RedlandRanger

Moderator
First Name
Rob
Joined
Nov 14, 2018
Threads
35
Messages
4,592
Reaction score
8,826
Location
Oregon
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4, 1973 Mercury Capri
Vehicle Showcase
1
Sorry to hear about the misfortune. I'm no expert but that looks like a pretty serious impact to me - I'm amazed the air bags didn't deploy. Looks like more than 25 MPH.

As far as the frame goes, what that photo shows wouldn't lead me to believe there is a frame weakness. That driver side is pretty caved in.
 

Sashimi_Moto

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
225
Reaction score
319
Location
WA
Vehicle(s)
2012 E450 C-Class, 2019 Ranger Lariat 501A FX4
This is not a go kart hitting another go kart. These are very heavy objects and a 25mph-ish collision, especially a head on (ish), transfers a lot of energy. So what would be surprising is if there wasn’t frame damage. With all of the tech, sensors, cameras etc, that are placed in the front of modern vehicles, it makes front end damage the absolute worst place to take damage from a cost standpoint. I wouldn’t be surprised if the body repair exceeded the frame swap.
 
Last edited:

RoadBoss

Well-Known Member
First Name
Travis
Joined
Apr 6, 2019
Threads
18
Messages
484
Reaction score
755
Location
Lakewood, CO
Website
www.TJAoutfitters.com
Vehicle(s)
95 Isuzu trooper, AE86 corolla, 19 ranger XL
Occupation
video/film, small business owner
modern cars are designed to crunch, manufactures want the cars to absorb the impact instead of the people inside.
it really doesn't take much to tweak the frame
 
OP
OP
uthunter

uthunter

Well-Known Member
First Name
Greg
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Threads
16
Messages
239
Reaction score
436
Location
UT
Vehicle(s)
2017 F-350 CC & 2019 Ranger Lariat Sport & 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac - SuperCharged
For reference, the front passenger door won't open due to the bent frame, though the vehicle was still driveable and my brother drove it to the body shop.

I'm worried about our insurance rates once the insurance companies realize a 25mph crash results in a totaled vehicle. I've known lots of people in wrecks, but never have seen a new and expensive vehicle totaled so easily.

I guess I'm odd man out wishing the frame could withstand more impact while having the body and safety devices absorb the forces. It makes me wonder if some of those rally videos we see will result in bent frames too.
 
Last edited:


Dokkenmire

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2019
Threads
2
Messages
191
Reaction score
445
Location
United States
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger Xlt Sport Supercrew 2wd
My buddy had a 2003 Mustang Cobra, leaving his in laws one day he came out of their driveway too hard and slid the rear a little bit. His right rear tire slid into a neighboring driveway that had 1 extra layer of asphalt more than the road itself did. It folded the wheel and suspension up under the car and bent the frame, totaled the car. He said he wasn't going that fast because of the loss of traction. Guess they make everything squishy now for safety.
 

Deleted member 1634

It's all about energy transfer. If the truck hadn't absorbed so much of the impact, all that force and motion gets transferred all the way through the assembly to the soft bags of meat inside. I'd rather have the frame bend and scrap the truck then for me and my passengers to be tossed around the cabin and incur injury.
 

P. A. Schilke

Well-Known Member
First Name
Phil
Joined
Apr 3, 2019
Threads
141
Messages
7,012
Reaction score
36,169
Location
GV Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger FX4 Lariat 4x4, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus, 2005 Alfa Motorhome
Occupation
Engineer Retired
Vehicle Showcase
1
My brother bought his first brand new truck two weeks ago. It still has the temp sticker in the window waiting for the license plates to arrive.

Last week his wife didn't see a car traveling down a 25mph road and pulled in front of it, hitting the drivers side front quarter panel.

The bids are back from the body shop as well as the independent insurance adjuster... $28,800. Frame is damaged beyond repair and they want to get a new frame and move the entire truck over to it. My brother is fighting to get it totaled so he doesn't have to deal with the problems from the frame switch; but we don't know what will happen yet.

I'm more than a little bothered that this impact, which didn't even cause an airbag deployment, resulted in fatal frame damage. Thoughts?

20200117_222937.jpg

Hi Greg,

Sorry to see your brother's misfortune. The frame goes through quite a bit of pre prototype analysis to ensure it absorbs a lot of the energy of a crash. Then quite few prototypes are pulled into the wall, Parked sideways and have a sled waited down sled pulled into the sides. I think that the frame did its job to reduce the energy pulse into the driver's compartment...the unfortunate "side effect" is damaged frame beyond repair. There are frame stubs for both front and rear as well, but it would be better in my opinion to total the vehicle, Let some body shop rebuild it and get your brother out of the headache...

Good Luck!


Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co.
 

Noseoil

Well-Known Member
First Name
Tim
Joined
Aug 26, 2019
Threads
5
Messages
123
Reaction score
401
Location
RATON NM
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger / 2013 Honda Civic / Red Rocket mini bike (zoom!)
Occupation
Retired
Vehicle Showcase
1
"Last week his wife didn't see a car traveling down a 25mph road and pulled in front of it, hitting the drivers side front quarter panel."

Need a new wife & new truck, problem solved. Just sayin'...
 

VAMike

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Feb 22, 2019
Threads
1
Messages
3,270
Reaction score
4,145
Location
Virginia
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger Lariat SuperCab
The reason the highway death rate has gone down since the 70s isn't because there's been any change in how people drive, it's because the cars squish to protect the occupants. As far as the airbags, they've improved: a lot of effort goes into making sure they only pop if it will help, because there's a good chance that the airbag itself will break your face. I don't see any sign that any occupants hit the front windshield, so not deploying the airbags seems like the right strategy.

Also, the idea that someone was going 25 on a 25mph road... :LOL:
 

John Lyman

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Threads
23
Messages
317
Reaction score
425
Location
Atlanta, GA
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger Sport 4x2 Oxford White
Vehicle Showcase
1
It also looks like you got hit at an angle that would put the stress hard on the frame. These new cars and trucks are designed to crumble up front and back to keep the passenger cabin in tact.

my son bent the frame some on my ‘16 wrangler when he side swiped a car (totaled the Toyota ) not going that far but it was the angle.
 

THLONE

Well-Known Member
First Name
Thom
Joined
Feb 12, 2019
Threads
10
Messages
1,456
Reaction score
2,167
Location
Tucson,AZ
Vehicle(s)
68 Chev C-20, 2019 Ford Ranger XL 4X4
Occupation
internet wise guy
Vehicle Showcase
1
Nuts and bolts buddy, just make sure you take it to an experienced tech.
 

Anthony

Well-Known Member
First Name
Anthony
Joined
Feb 6, 2019
Threads
43
Messages
693
Reaction score
1,278
Location
Connecticut
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger XLT FX4 SCrew
Occupation
COO
Vehicle Showcase
1
Frames have a front crumple zone that are designed to absorb some of the impact of a crash. The frame did its job and does not indicate a weak part, but one that worked as intended.

Glad your wife is ok. I would want it toweled as well, whenSpeaking with your insurance, indicate the diminished value in addition to the repair costs.
Sponsored

 
 



Top