tleed

My 1998 5.9 Limited got hit in the rear 2 months ago. The visible damage isn't very severe, but I had a trailer hitch on it, and the right frame rail buckled & creased just in front of where the hitch ends.

The repair shop tells me it will probably split when they try to pull it out. And they don't want to weld it because it's high-strength steel, and a weld will weaken the metal around the weld such that it can harden & crack over time. It is a sensitive area because that's where the tow loads transfer to. I get that.

So I'm looking for a replacement rear frame rail. Does anybody make them? Or is a rust-free junkyard rail my only option? The shop tells me they might be able to drill the whole rail out & spot weld a new one back in.

My Jeep is in pretty good shape otherwise, so I'm trying to save it.

dave1123

Talk to the dealer's body shop. I'm sure they've done this before. If anybody can fix it, they'd know how. I'm NOT saying have them do it!

tleed

I AM talking to a Jeep dealer. I'm not asking about the advisability of the repair. I'm asking for a source for the frame rail.

They tell me they're not sure there's a source for frame rails in whole or "sections" for that year b/c it's so old. They told me to check back Monday b/c the "other guy who's better at finding that stuff" is out today. And I didn't find an online aftermarket source myself after several searches.

andrewmp6

They might be right and no one makes the part anymore.After cars get so old the aftermarket parts are gone and no one remakes them for another 20 years.

tleed

Word today from the "other guy who's better at finding that stuff" is that the frame rail IS available from the dealer. He'll check tomorrow to verify, but the computer IS showing that it's available for about $170. Whew!

(Wonder why the guy I talked to Friday couldn't figure that out… Would've saved me a weekend of angst.)

dave1123

Well, my local dealer sells Chryslers and Jeeps to a rich crowd and anything more than 5 years old he likes to send across town to another dealer who will work on them. The parts guy is an old jeep nut, but the service manager is a corporate suit, if you know what I mean. What's REALLY funny is they send all their bodywork down the street to a Dodge dealership!