Frame Damage?

[awesomeissquid]

I assume the front crossmember the steering rack mounts to suppose to be flat across the bottom. Mine seems to be bowed a bit and trying to figure out how critical this damage is. We took a hard hit on the last trip when we landed on the skid plate that probably caused it. Trying to figure out if I need to get it into a shop or if I can keep running it as is. Thoughts?

Center of crossmember

Left and right sides appear to be flat

Skid plate

 

[whitec13]

I would assume as long as your crossmember itself is still where it needs to be and is solid, that a lower side indentation shouldn’t affect function. Check bushings and see if they are flexed one way more than another or squashing. See if you can take measurements from a point on each side and have someone reference those same points on theirs for a benchmark. I would say you are good to go, but understand your caution too.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Looks good to me, far from critical. You are enjoying the best of over engineered Land Cruiser parts including the frame’s quality.

 

[Malleus]

It's fine; the bend just adds a little more structural rigidity.

 

[excessive]

hammer out the dent on the skid place and move on, that area is extremely beefy because it is meant for jacking.

 

[MongooseGA]

Trail cred.

 

[TRDdrew]

mines been bent like that for years lol

 

[Import Driver]

You're good. You'll forget about it as soon as something else breaks.

 

[Kabanstva]

As far as I’m Concerned if your frame is bent it’s a total loss. I can take it off your hands so you don’t have to deal with this mess. Ship it to illinois?

 

[awesomeissquid]

Thanks for the reply’s everyone. I’ll just go back to ignoring this and enjoying the ride.

Pretty impressed that is the only damage since we might have been going a bit faster than planned and came to a rapid deceleration on a large boulder that totally ran out in front of us.

 

[2001LC]

The wide lower metal of that crossmember, bends easily. Just jacking up at that point, bends it. But the crossmember as a whole unit, is usually just fine. I'll bet the front & rear upper lending edges from side to side, are still level/straight.

 

[trdcorolla]

My SLEE aluminum skid is dented just like yours, I should check my frame next time I drop the skid. Thanks for this thread to remind me to look.