Front frame boxed steel, where can I source some?

[th3 shifty]

Daughter rear ended an SUV. Passenger side front frame where the radiator housing mounts, is bent slightly. driver side is fine. I would like to cut that portion off and re-weld a new section. I wanted to know where to source the boxed steel or pieces from. I have already sourced the mounts for the radiator housing, just need some boxed steel.

thanks

 

[Hipster]

Daughter rear ended an SUV. Passenger side front frame where the radiator housing mounts, is bent slightly. driver side is fine. I would like to cut that portion off and re-weld a new section. I wanted to know where to source the boxed steel or pieces from. I have already sourced the mounts for the radiator housing, just need some boxed steel.

thanks

Before you go through all this, the frame needs to measured to make sure one rail isn't sitting back further than the other side. Common term for a bodyguy is diamond shaped instead of square. Leads to suspension setback, alignment issues, dog tracking, eating tires. Not really an accepted method anymore, but cut a frame horn off a junker and sleeve and section/ mig it on with a 220vmig. 99% of the time the damage goes further than what the calibrated eyeball can see. Frames are designed to collapse at a controlled rate so try to duplicate what's there instead of trying to re-engineer it. Over do-it with box tube etc. and instead of the frame absorbing collision energy, it might bend somewhere else and it's the cab that crushes. Years ago sectioning a frame horn wasn't considered a big deal. salvage yards would cut them off at the crossmember and send them to the bodyshop.

 

[The_Family_Tahoe]

@th3 shifty you could potentially straighten the frame with a frame machine. That would be the preferred method vs cutting and welding for all the reasons @Hipster mentions. The frame machine can hold the vehicle static and pull in the exact opposite direction the collision occurred, essentially pulling the diamond back to a square, to steal Hipster's analogy.
I am not certain about gmt 400 frames, but I know the body panels lose their ability to crumple after straightening a collapsed body panel. The frame may be exempt from this phenomenon but I don't know. I don't think gmt400 frames have crumple zones but I'm not certain.
Sorry to hear of the collision and I hope your daughter and any others involved weren't hurt.

 

[Hipster]

Bends will usually pull out , kinks or smash will often tear. The chances of it being diamond are far greater than not, the damaged frame horn gives you something to chain onto to pull the diamond out. After you cut it off is not the time to decide it needs to go on a frame machine. Measure everything first. X-pattern.

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