I have question about my jeep... as some of you may know it was hit about a month ago been to the body shop and body worked looked good... but it had to go back because of suspension problems resulting from accident.. from what i was told dont really remember all the parts but a bent arm and a new bearing was the problem with the suspension... i was thinking about trading the riot in because i don't want a car that is going to need work every so often.. but i would like to keep my riot if it isn't going to cost me a arm and a leg going down the road... since it is a unibody i was told no frame damage?.. any advice would be appreciated
advice about jeep...
burrell9
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I have question about my jeep... as some of you may know it was hit about a month ago been to the body shop and body worked looked good... but it had to go back because of suspension problems resulting from accident.. from what i was told dont really remember all the parts but a bent arm and a new bearing was the problem with the suspension... i was thinking about trading the riot in because i don't want a car that is going to need work every so often.. but i would like to keep my riot if it isn't going to cost me a arm and a leg going down the road... since it is a unibody i was told no frame damage?.. any advice would be appreciated
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1,412 Posts
Here's the deal as I think I remember it. If your frame has been warped in any way, you should replace the car. If a suspension piece like a suspension arm was injured and replaced. Things might be OK as long as the frame is OK. There are alignment points on the chassis, that you place string on and run across the bottom of the car. If they cross in the correct spot the frame is fine. If they do not cross in the right spot the frame has been injured. Does anybody know where these points are in the Patriot?
when i orginally got the car back it was out of alignment really bad soo i took it back and then said that an arm was bent and they ordered it from the place i am waking up early tomorrow and going to the shop with the insurance adjuster... soo there is a frame?... very confusing..
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The Patriot is a unibody vehicle. The "frame" is made up of sheet metal channels molded into the body. A method used by Chrysler since the early 1960's. (my 1963 Chrysler wagon for example). A good body shop can twist and jerk these back into shape. If the doors still all fit correctly it is a pretty good bet the bent suspension arm is the problem.
ok i got my jeep back everything seems pretty good steering wheel is really straight... when im driving tho and i take my hands off the wheel the stering wheel seems straight but it doesn't seem like the car is going on a straight line. i know i probably sound crazy and all but in mind im basically convinced there is something still wrong.
Have someone follow while you drive straight down the road to see if your Pat is dog tracking. That is the front wheels are off to one side or the other from the rear wheels. This can happen when the mounting points for the front or rear suspension are bent and the body shop aligns the wheels so it drives in a straight line and the driver may not realize the car in actually going down the road partially side ways. I saw this last week, a lady was driving a very sharp mustang (it looked new although it was I think 6 or 7 years old) with dealer tags. The front of the car was about 8" to 10" to the left of the rear, one of the worst I have seen. when she stopped at a red light I caught her attention and asked if she were test driving the car, she was and I told her what I saw and that she needed to have someone drive it so she could see how bad it was. She thanked me and said she really liked the car but it felt strange while she was driving it.
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Have someone follow you to see if it is tracking straight? Bending ( or breaking ) a suspension arm in an accident is pretty common; if all else seems well you should not have to worry about the replacement piece...
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