02-13-2013, 08:50 PM
we bought our yukon denali when it was new in 2006. before taking delivery, i had it lowered, stiffer springs, larger swaybars, larger brakes and 22x10 wheels with 305/40 tires on them installed, as well as an aftermarket nav system installed. needless to say i was not planning on getting rid of the car any time soon.
a couple of months after we got it, my parents were down visiting for xmas. my dad and i took off for home depot to pick up some stuff, and as i am turning left, a 75 year old man ran the light and nailed me in the front right corner. the frame was bent a bit, and typical body damage. his fault. no injuries. insurance handled it and all that.
into the shop it went. they said they straightened the frame, and they did all the rest of the body and paint. they had trouble aligning it though, and after going back and forth a few times for a new alignment, they finally just made it lean to the left so it wouldn't pull right. the car never felt "right" though.
fast forward 5 years to 2 days before xmas 2011. i'm making a right turn. opposite me a guy in a honda is making a left turn. he ignores the sign which clearly states that he must yield to me and nails me in my front left wheel, shattering the wheel. back into a different body shop. repairs done, but again problems with aligning it.
at this point, i'm arguing with the shop, and the insurance company. i go back and forth, have a half dozen alignments done, change tires to prove it isn't a "radial pull", and rotate them again for the same reason. still pulled. we installed new control arms. still pulled. finally i convince the insurance company to measure the frame.
it was bent EXACTLY what the measurements from the first accident said it was!
the insurance company obviously could not admit that the first body shop never straightened out the frame, so they offered to either buy me out of the car, or replace the frame. since i didn't like anything out there now, i opted for a new frame.
i was stunned at how easily and quickly they did the job. 3 days and $6k later (covered by the insurance company), all done. while it was in there i had new rear trailing arms installed, as the bushings were shot. feels like a new car. finally it drives right.
and it only took 6 years!
a couple of months after we got it, my parents were down visiting for xmas. my dad and i took off for home depot to pick up some stuff, and as i am turning left, a 75 year old man ran the light and nailed me in the front right corner. the frame was bent a bit, and typical body damage. his fault. no injuries. insurance handled it and all that.
into the shop it went. they said they straightened the frame, and they did all the rest of the body and paint. they had trouble aligning it though, and after going back and forth a few times for a new alignment, they finally just made it lean to the left so it wouldn't pull right. the car never felt "right" though.
fast forward 5 years to 2 days before xmas 2011. i'm making a right turn. opposite me a guy in a honda is making a left turn. he ignores the sign which clearly states that he must yield to me and nails me in my front left wheel, shattering the wheel. back into a different body shop. repairs done, but again problems with aligning it.
at this point, i'm arguing with the shop, and the insurance company. i go back and forth, have a half dozen alignments done, change tires to prove it isn't a "radial pull", and rotate them again for the same reason. still pulled. we installed new control arms. still pulled. finally i convince the insurance company to measure the frame.
it was bent EXACTLY what the measurements from the first accident said it was!
the insurance company obviously could not admit that the first body shop never straightened out the frame, so they offered to either buy me out of the car, or replace the frame. since i didn't like anything out there now, i opted for a new frame.
i was stunned at how easily and quickly they did the job. 3 days and $6k later (covered by the insurance company), all done. while it was in there i had new rear trailing arms installed, as the bushings were shot. feels like a new car. finally it drives right.
and it only took 6 years!
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
(This post was last modified: 02-13-2013, 08:50 PM by flash.)
