I have a 1991 S-13 coupe. The frame rail is crushed on the passenger side about 50cms before the rear wheel, should I cut it out and put new steel in thier, or leave it, or do something different. Will it take alot out of the structure.
get a new s13
just kidding…cut it out…put new frame in
don’t cut it. leave it there unless it’s impeding something else… try to pull as much of it out as possible, (use lever bar and body puller )… then get a pc of 18ga sheet metal and have is C channeled to replicate the shape of the frame rail ( with overlap clearence) get some bonding agent ( most body shop suppliers will have it in one form or another… Sikaflex or 3M 5500, or a single stage bonding agent will do… coat the part with the bonding agent ( including tabs that will bond to the underside of the floor pan ), press it into place with a block and jack… while it’s held in place and not dry brill some 1/8" holes throught the tabs going to the floor pan and use 1/8" rivets to hold it in place as an extra mechanical bonding source…
My front part of the frame has been cut out and replaced and its perfect.
point is there is no need to cut it out if it can be salvaged, a replacement , unless your willing to go down to baremetal and redo the whole thing is not going to be as strong as the original. if you can do 1/2 worth of straightening, keep the rail contiguous then cap it , it will be considerably stronger.
can you post some pictures ? im just curious…
yeah pry it back with a bar, talk about precision lol
get it cut out and redone
Can’t really post pics because all it will look like is shaped sheet metal overlaying the rail… dosen’t really show the process.
Replace it…
Bonding agent and rivits WTF… :roll:
you have zero clue what your talking about…
Automotive bonding agent is what is used to hold most major subframe sections together now. Not spot welds. efore you comment know what your commenting on .
ya bonding agent is used now because it is cheaper and easier
me myself dont trust it unless its on a new car because of contamiantion etc
weld her up
So you’d rather weaken the 20ga material with burn throughs, heat hardened zones & floor pan distortions through heat soak around the weld area then take the time to clean the surface and bond to it… ??
well whatever I’m sure like most, the easy way is generaly going to be the most accepted way to do it… rather then the ’ better’ way to do it.
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My point exactly…
Just because a car manufacture does it to be easy/cheap doesn’t make it the best way to do it.
So BAS… yea…
Sounds like you need to take a welding class.
ya i am a welder been for 10 years now
have fixed alot of frames as well made a couple compleat frames
have donr pressure tests on weld verses bonding agents and as bonds being good the weld always won out
if done right
My point exactly…
Just because a car manufacture does it to be easy/cheap doesn’t make it the best way to do it.
So BAS… yea…
1st, Who said it was cheap and easy? 2nd, how the F**k would you know anything about it if you’ve never used it , are you a welder ? have you used automotive adhesive in a position of tension, torsion and compression… do you ahving thing but your insipid comments to add ?? didn’t think so.
Sounds like you need to take a welding class.
maybe you should check out my website for my welding ability before you comment… but then again it’s obvious you know nothing about either process so don’t bother.
ya i am a welder been for 10 years now
have fixed alot of frames as well made a couple compleat frames
have donr pressure tests on weld verses bonding agents and as bonds being good the weld always won out
if done right
what bonding agents did you use? single stage? dual? was it a poly ureathane? ureathane ? epoxy based ? On what was the test done? was it a clean surface ? did you back up the bonding agent with the above reccomended rivets ? did you wait for the proper cure time..
You may be a welder but you obviously have no clue about how to use MODERN solutions… Welding is NOT the answer to everything … maybe if your some lame ass redneck who dosen’t know anything else but welding you MIGHT have an excuse.
As a frame builder you should have been taught, from the very beginning, that the less heat you dump into the frame then less you bend/twist/weaken the frame with heat… and tube framing is not even close to uni body repair… 20-18 ga vs a min of .053" for cromoly… .092 -.128 for mild steel… not even a close comparison…
i never bashed you at all …and who gives your the right to tell someone they have no clue about modern soloutions
and i also been wrking on uni bodys as well as boxed tubed frames…i know the less heat the better …as for the bonding i have done tests with 3m testing labs as a part of ongoing tests into high pressure applications for steam work as well as oil related…and general applications
we have put epoxys…polymers…all sort of diff combinations…on diff metals…plastics…clean…oily…rusty etc
so i dont know what gives you the right …to call me a redneck…i never said that welding was the answer for everything…but my liquid cooled tig keeps a controlled heat with very little warpage is done right
and i am always open to new things…
Ahh Bas… your a moron I’m just tring to tick you off and make you type long winded explination no one cares about… it seems to have worked well. I’ve had my fun… long weekend time!
2nd…
also… do you even have a 240 ? cause Im sure “others would even agree with me” you dont (add) to this community one bit, you just start shit for no reason claiming to be the pro and know damn never EVEYTHING when in fact you have 0 experince & 0 education
BUT… if perhaps you were a Certified Sheet Metal worker as well as a Certified Enginner, people “may” listen to you…
do us all a favor and quit posting here 
incase you werent aware the S13 frame rails are spot welded to the floor of the car.