I'm Worried My Frame Is Damaged - Please Help!

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

This has really got me worried so tell me what you guys think. I've had essentially what you could call the lower rear cap off the Jimmy for some time now with cleaning up, fuel tank/sender/pump replacement, and rear bumper and beacketry replacement. Well, I put a new set of brackets on, and I've really got a visible problem concerning the outer ones. It looks like sway type frame damage, but I don't know. The drop hitch was also in a huge bind, and it will not realign for proper reinstallation. Everything lines up well in the front, or so it seems. I've looked for additional signs in the rear. Shocks binding, weird body mounts, ****** repairs, etc., but I don't see any of those things. I put my fists against the tires to make sure both wheels were equidistant from the fender edges, and three fists lined up while the fourth was about a half inch off in the wrong direction from the apparent misalignment. I don't even know if that was a conclusive test. I put a straightedge on the inner rear bumper brackets, and they're pretty close, but looking in the background I can see that their misalignment is pretty much parallel with that of the drop hitch. If there is damage, I'm hoping it exists only beyond the rear axle. If my memory serves me correctly, the old rear tires were worn evenly unlike the front ones that had very unevenly worn tread. Here are some pictures. Any ideas, suggestions, or comforting words would be vastly appreciated because I'm freaking the f out right now.

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Passenger Side

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Driver Side

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Aluminum bumper filler is in overall decent shape. Maybe slightly bent, but drop hitch appears askew independently.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Are the brackets the same? If so I'd take some measurements on the frame and compare side to side. If it tracks straight I'd just drill new holes and make the even and go with it. You said previously a carfax showed a fender bender I believe. it could have knocked the body out of whack making it look like the frame is bent....

 

[CSFJ]

Is there any wiggle room in the mount holes? like enough to make a difference if one mount is pushed in and the other pulled out to make it a little more even?

 

[Craig 85]

I noticed your hitch is not a factory hitch. Is it square to the frame? I didn't pay a lot of attention to mine when I took it apart, but when I went to re-install it I noticed it didn't fit without flexing the sides. It turns out whoever mounted the aftermarket hitch back in the day, got lazy on drilling holes in the frame. It is off ever so slightly.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Are the brackets the same? If so I'd take some measurements on the frame and compare side to side. If it tracks straight I'd just drill new holes and make the even and go with it. You said previously a carfax showed a fender bender I believe. it could have knocked the body out of whack making it look like the frame is bent....

Factory numbers match on the brackets. I'm gonna have to take more measurements. If it's not tracking properly, it's very slight. Everything looks correct except right at the back. I wouldn't think right off that it's the body. I don't think the body ever tasted whatever impact. The bumper that I pulled off was not the factory one.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Is there any wiggle room in the mount holes? like enough to make a difference if one mount is pushed in and the other pulled out to make it a little more even?

I tried that, and it was only a slight amount of wiggle room. I'm talking like a millimeter tops. The brackets landed exactly like the ones I took off.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I noticed your hitch is not a factory hitch. Is it square to the frame? I didn't pay a lot of attention to mine when I took it apart, but when I went to re-install it I noticed it didn't fit without flexing the sides. It turns out whoever mounted the aftermarket hitch back in the day, got lazy on drilling holes in the frame. It is off ever so slightly.

I didn't know it wasn't factory. But no, it's not square to the frame. You get the first two bolts in fine, and everything's off after that. I'll post a picture of one of the middle bolts to show how much it's off.

 

[Georgeb]

I would measure the location of the hitch mounting holes to. Be sure if they were drilled that it was done true and square. If they are and things are tweeked a bit it wouldn't bother me to bolt up one side of the hitch and pull the other side up with a comealong and bolt it up. Then see how things look. If you don't want the truck I am open to charity......

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Good idea on the hitch. The Jimmy desperately needs to be aligned so I'll take it to the alignment place and make sure that all four wheels are doing right so I can know if it's tracking perfect. I've been trying to measure and plumb the wheels, and I'm not really seeing anything that sticks out to me. If everything works out, I'll try the come along trick with the hitch and redo the holes for the brackets. Oh, and...

If you don't want the truck I am open to charity......

You're a funny guy!

 

[Georgeb]

Good idea on the hitch. The Jimmy desperately needs to be aligned so I'll take it to the alignment place and make sure that all four wheels are doing right so I can know if it's tracking perfect. I've been trying to measure and plumb the wheels, and I'm not really seeing anything that sticks out to me. If everything works out, I'll try the come along trick with the hitch and redo the holes for the brackets. Oh, and...

You're a funny guy!

Well..... The answer is always "no" if you don't ask.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I had a hitch bent so bad it took a 100 ton press and fire to straighten, but the frame checked square, no idea what went wrong there.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Okay. I think I have a better bearing on what's going on now. So as postulated above, my drop hitch is bent, and that can be remedied with mechanical or hydraulic force, and it'll mount true, as it did before I took it off (it was in a major bind). I took it to a good regional body shop (the supposed best around) and had them look at it. Two different guys pointed out to me that the vertical portion of the C-channel is crushed pretty bad between just south of the spring shackle and exhaust hanger on the driver side all the way to the end of the rail. It's pretty local so it shouldn't affect wheel alignment or even the drop hitch mounting, but I don't think I could move the bracket and redrill holes because it would be right on top of the buckling. I doubt even one of the bolts would be flush with the frame in that position. I'm at the alignment shop now getting that taken care of, but I'm not sure what the best course of action is going forward. The body shop wrote up an estimate for 1.5 hrs R&R of the fuel tank and drop hitch at $65/hr standard rate, and 5 hrs to straighten the frame at an $85/hr frame repair rate, and it came to $725. My last name isn't Rockefeller, and that's a lot of money just so my bumper will fit properly on one side. I'll reposition the bracket if I have any room to move it, but I don't want to half ass it.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I took a picture, but I don't think you can see it. It appears to buckle right after that hanger and again after bracket. Someone may have tried to half ass repair it already because it improves where the bracket mounts.

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[Honky Kong jr]

I took a picture, but I don't think you can see it. It appears to buckle right after that hanger and again after bracket. Someone may have tried to half ass repair it already because it improves where the bracket mounts.

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Body or frame?

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Frame