gooblinn258

I have read online that before you take your old support of you should get your frame checked and bent back to 100% originality, or the new radiator support wont fit right. I don't feel like paying a company $500+ to do this, so is there any homemade methods of straightening a frame. A buddy of mine told me you can use one of the manual adjusting straps that you would use to hold something to the back of a pickup truck? Is this possible or just dumb? All my body panels before I took the front end apart lined up close to perfect. Does this mean that maybe I don't need to get the frame checked or straightened.?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

That idea is painfully stupid. You can't bend metal that was made to withstand 60+ MPH impacts with ratchet straps. Take it to a shop, or pepper your angus.

tony_2018

Pepper it is.

Balto

Make sure to add a little salt as well.

lostforawhile

it depends on what you are bending and how hard it's hit, but people have done this on unibody cars for years, you can't use walmart straps, you have to use those big industrial ones, and have to know where to hit the metal to make it go back in shape. it's not like bending a frame on a truck or something, and they arent meant to be hit at 60 mph, if it was hit like that, it would be totaled anyway, no way in hell to fix it, I probably couldnt get that straight on a frame machine, personally I would probably skip the strap and use a come along, but you need to anchor the body down

joey1320

First question is, why are you replacing your core support?
Was the car in an accident?
Did the side tunnels shift?

You said before you took the front apart all lined up.
So why do you think it won't line up now?

There are many tools you can use to move metal, it's all about knowing how and measuring, measuring and measuring. Porto-Power, chains, straps, heat, hammers etc. but tools wont help you **** if you have no clue how to use them.

Again we need more info...

gooblinn258

The guy I bought the car from before had wrecked it and the rad support was bent preventing the hood from closing all the way. All the panels did line up as I said in the original post. Could I use something like a $50 4 ton come along , or is that still to weak?

lostforawhile

it will work, but it's a matter of knowing what you are doing

gooblinn258

Can someone summarize how to bend one back into shape? or give me a diy for it?

tony_2018

What you are wanting to do is something people in there yard with a tree. A thick strong tree. There really is nothing to it.

lostforawhile

OP go to your local library check out a couple of books on autobody, read,

B_Swapped93

I highly doubt the actual frame is bent the area at the edge of the rad support is a little flimsy and can be hammered straight. The rad support is flimsy also and bends easy you can just weld the new one in. I ran into someone doing 60km's only the rad support got fucked, ended up doing the JDM front. Guess what...it looked better then 90% of the other integra's with that front, which most likely did not suffer any damage like my integra did.

gooblinn258

Arlight this is good news thanks for the replies guys. I was planning on using a drill bit and a chisel to get the old support off. Is this a method that will work..I know you can get a spot weld cutter but thats to much money for me

tony_2018

A spot weld drill bit is not alot of money. That radiator support is worth more than the bit itself.

eghatch9295

iTrader: (1)

i have used a $5 harbor freight spot weld bit on 4 supports and counting. keep it lubed.

B and B

iTrader: (3)

I've worn out several.. On just a couple....hmmm, didn't think of lube/coolant,
What do you use?

lostforawhile

never go to drilling on her without lubing your tool, i have all kinds of spray cans of cutting oil etc, but in a pinch you can just use a little motor oil or something, it will smoke but will work

lostforawhile

I just thought about it, because I hadnt used any old school stuff for a while, but regular dishwashing soap, the cheap stuff in the squeeze bottle

tony_2018

Truth