Front suspension: WTH am I looking at?

[NickelDance]

So, last fall our daughter wrecked her '97 200k mile Collectors Edition one-owner from California, and State Farm totaled it. I kept watching it on Copart, visited it a couple of times, and finally couldn't stand it any longer. I lost my mind and bought it back when it came up for auction.

I just finished pulling off all the bent sheet metal and various crumpled pieces, and now have a better idea of what I'm dealing with. I'm worried about the front axle. She slid the DS into a brick wall at 35-40 mph and then hit a solid brick column dead center. (She was not injured. Thanks for asking.) I was there when the tow truck loaded it. The front DS tire was knocked off the wheel, but the PS rolled and appear to be straight.

When I picked it up, both wheels had crazy negative camber. The tie rod was bent, which I figured was caused by the big forklifts that Copart uses to move around the wrecks, but that wouldn't account for what I'm seeing. Removing it didn't change anything. What I do see is that the top of each side of the coil spring assembly is way off center and tilted outward

off-center of the bump stop. The truck has a 2 1/2" OME lift. Is that off-center coil assembly a function of geometry? Or is something seriously screwed up?

While I've got it all torn down, what else should I plan on rebuilding or replacing? The only wheelin' it's ever seen is maybe a dirt country road, and I don't expect that will change. The daughter just wanted the lift to look tough and wear some bigger tires. -sigh-

Thanks for any help.

 

[Njck22]

Kids wreck cars. Having been a kid that wrecked a car. What do you plan on doing with it? I would worry about putting someone in that again after an impact on the frame like that.

 

[baldilocks]

It appears that the front axle housing is quite bent. I’d have the frame checked out for damage and straightness before spending any money on moving forward.

 

[NickelDance]

It appears that the front axle housing is quite bent. I’d have the frame checked out for damage and straightness before spending any money on moving forward.

Thanks. Good advice.

 

[BILT4ME]

Looks to me like the knuckle studs are sheared off on the DS.

There is a lot of bent stuff on the front of that.

Do what @baldilocks said and get the frame checked before you go any farther.

 

[Tachycardic]

To have repurchased the vehicle instead of buying another 80 does show that you had some sort of emotional connection to it--and I realize that CEs with low mileage aren't a dime a dozen on the marketplace. I don't know what you do for a living, but that time sink of a vehicle will likely bring you grief psychologically and financially. Either prepare to deal with a (likely) misaligned frame (and then everything afterwards) or pick some choice parts to make a coffee table or something and part out the rest.

I'm happy to hear that your daughter is well, but the tone of your post suggests that you still harbor ill-feelings for what happened. Kids do stupid stuff and want to look cool while doing it. Thank the Almighty that she didn't harm/kill herself or others.

 

[AaKnight]

just curious how its coming along. looks like a hell of a rebuild. id be interested in watching it come back to life!

If you've got the space, you might consider watching the auctions to see if you can find one with opposite damage to use for parts. I imagine axle, headlights, fenders hood, bumper, knuckles and the costs to ship, prep and install them.... its gonna be gruesome.

but- end game is a fully restored 80.... might work out well for you in the long run!