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That car can never be trusted IMHO.
Oh I have my problems alright. I've tried every frame shop in Craigslist within 70 miles, and no one will touch a Tesla. All I need is a measly rail pull down 1" and in 3/4". It'd be $600 on any other car. But Teslas are scaary, and sacred...
I am close to buying a block and tackle from Harbor Freight and doing the goddam pull myself, like the cavemen did. Although Ingineer does know a guy...
But the rest is simple.
I don't know your specific car but I know from speaking to Tesla and a couple Tesla certified body shops when I had my salvage car that there is no frame rail straightening at all on the car. They rivet, weld and glue the rail and if it's damaged it's completely replaced.
Oh I have my problems alright. I've tried every frame shop in Craigslist within 70 miles, and no one will touch a Tesla. All I need is a measly rail pull down 1" and in 3/4". It'd be $600 on any other car. But Teslas are scaary, and sacred...
I am close to buying a block and tackle from Harbor Freight and doing the goddam pull myself, like the cavemen did. Although Ingineer does know a guy...
But the rest is simple.
Washing it down is probably not a bad idea. You already have it that far why not powerwash the whole thing for an hour or so. Not going to hurt anything as long as the vehicle is down to the frame. If it isnt then you could mask those areas off with tarps. (This is coming from the guy that lives in Michigan and the road salt makes him get a car wash every day just to try to keep the rust down.) Not a bad way to go if you can get an unlimited car wash pass for $25.lol
I was thinking to myself...
"This guy needs a frame rail pulled and he's talking about my car that simply took an exfoliating salt bath?"
Washing it down is probably not a bad idea. You already have it that far why not powerwash the whole thing for an hour or so. Not going to hurt anything as long as the vehicle is down to the frame. If it isnt then you could mask those areas off with tarps. (This is coming from the guy that lives in Michigan and the road salt makes him get a car wash every day just to try to keep the rust down.) Not a bad way to go if you can get an unlimited car wash pass for $25.
a few tubs of boiling hot water (to dissolve the salt) and a shopvac will likely do the trick here.
While wearing a HAZMAT suit?
Well the frame rail rivets, bolts, and glues into a frame receiver which is sort of flared down to the rail. I can't simply replace the rail as that flaring is deformed too. So there has to be a pull. It's not a big pull, but especially if not done with heat there's the possibility of cracking.I don't know your specific car but I know from speaking to Tesla and a couple Tesla certified body shops when I had my salvage car that there is no frame rail straightening at all on the car. They rivet, weld and glue the rail and if it's damaged it's completely replaced.
That's a good idea, but not as likely as another idea -- I might connect up with one of the local classic car clubs. There is -nothing- that those guys won't do and can't do. One or another of them has any kind of equipment needed for anything.Check around for the local trade/tech school for the high-school kids, they usually have autobody shop class, welding and machine shop, etc. They probably have a frame machine that you could use to pull it, make a donation and show the kids how it's done, etc...
I'm a pretty good all-around engineer, and it looks to me like this small of a pull shouldn't cause any problems, but I've been wrong before. There are many issues here which I won't go in to, but the body man I have the most confidence in, is far, far away. He feels he can do the pull with no problems, but has instructed me to take more off the parts car than I'd ever expected, just in case something goes wrong.I do wonder what the impact on such construction with Tesla's particular aluminum alloy. The ductility of aluminum is certainly different from that of mild steel...
And here's the man who Ingineer and I have high confidence in. Yes I've forwarded the pictures now. If I can manage your quote when I get it, I'll forward all the materials you ask for.I'm just basically worried if you ship the car to me and something goes wrong on the pull. I want to have enough parts there to fix the car, so it does not tie up the frame machine for a week until other stuff gets there. I still have not gotten your pics of the damage.
In my case though, the bend is gradual over a larger area. There is no kink anywhere, but the frame rail is deflected 1" up and 3/4" out.The stress of bending aluminum induces local hardening in the affected zone which makes the metal brittle such that trying to reverse the bend will cause it to crack at that location. But the material can be heated in such a way that it will anneal back to the soft condition that allows bending/straightening without cracking. This knowledge and ability is held by machinists and metal workers skilled in the art.
Well the frame rail rivets, bolts, and glues into a frame receiver which is sort of flared down to the rail. I can't simply replace the rail as that flaring is deformed too. So there has to be a pull. It's not a big pull, but especially if not done with heat there's the possibility of cracking.
In my case though, the bend is gradual over a larger area. There is no kink anywhere, but the frame rail is deflected 1" up and 3/4" out.