Im not opposed to doing it. I mean really, thats the 'right' way to do it. Before I go and spend 370 bucks, i would like to try and find out if there are any local fabricators that would be able to look at the damage, measure, and make a bracket for me.

I know for a fact others have made brackets on one-off basis, this one guy is the only guy who actually makes them to sell.

here is how the bracket works.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...er_bridge2.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...er_damage1.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...r_bridge-1.jpg

ive got a 2002 5.7 ls1 sitting in my shop that is the exact same way...

i couldnt find anyone to weld the first 2 in the car so i bought brackets for them, the last one the old man wanted a new engine installed and i kept the complete core for 200. its getting a bracket when i put it in my old truck.


i live in bum **** no where and our fab guy left town a couple years ago or he would have just built me one.

I miss my car.

I don't think an adjuster has even looked at it yet.

ive actually kicked around using some aluminum low heat welding rods to fix mine also, and then use the truck starter and make a little bracket from the back (front of car) of starter to the little bolt just above the dip stick tube.

So.....any idea of what I could expect as an offer from the insurance company (scenario below)

I was driving to work (rush hour DFW) and noticed a dry cleaner's van swerving and having inconsistent speed because he was ****ing texting. I get around him and down the road. Well, about 10 minutes down the freeway, the traffic bottlenecks like it does every morning. It slows down, then opens up, and then slows down again.

During the second slow down, I look in my rear view and see a BMW SUV braking into the shoulder. The SUV wasn't driving too fast and had a gap so I wonder what the **** is going on. Then before I even had a chance to find out what was going on, the dickhead in the dry cleaner's van slammed into. He was probably doing 30-40 MPH while I was doing about 10 (I was in 1st gear and slowing down). He hits me and then bounces off of me into a car in the middle lane.

As you can see from the pics in the detailing thread, the guy bent (possibly broke) the rear lower control arm on my passenger rear wheel. Trashed the wheel and ripped a gash in the tire.

I have an appointment with a lawyer on Wednesday. I have been to the doctor and only have muscle injuries.

So can I stick it to them because the ****stick was texting?
Can I make them replace all 4 tires? I had Michelin Pilot Sports on it. I don't want to have one new, stickier tire and 3 tires at the end of their life.
I'm was about $6k positive between what the car is worth and what I owe. I was planning on trading it in this spring.

Edit: I'm pretty good at playing the insurance game already. Just trying to figure out what's reasonable from someone who may have had a similar situation.

damn.. was hoping you knew someone.

Guess I need the bracket. The guy just charges way too much for them :/

sorry dude, i had a guy here in town that would have knocked that thing right out, especially since i have one that looks the exact same sitting in my shop, but the oil fields paid much more than he made around here and thats where he went lol.


and i agree its too much but when someone has you over a barrel they can charge what they want lol

doubt its gonna matter to the INS company that he was texting (in regards to settling with you) definitely doubt they are gonna put 4 new michelins on your car also.

looked at the pics, unless there is a shit ton more damage that isnt obvious they may not even total that car, and they will probably tell you that you shouldnt have even been driving on those worn out tires lol

Still have a good amount tire between it and the tread bars. They're a little worn in the center bcuz spinning tires is fun. Figured I could play the wear and safety issue to get at least 2 tires out of it. I don't want a new tire on one side of my differential while having a worn tire on the other side.

The car isn't totaled at all (unless he got into the unibody which it didn't look like it when the car was up on the flat bed), but its value will be significantly affected. They're going to have to make sure all the suspension mounting points are straight as well.

Also, it's a commercial policy with the company having a no cell phone use policy in company vehicles. The wheels on his van are pigeon toed because he destroyed either the steering rack or completely ****ed his tie rods.

So I actually talked to a buddy, HE has a block with the same problem sitting in his shop. We are going to fab it up this week and see if we can make it work off of that block. I have an idea on how to do it in a more simple way that should work perfectly.

And that pic isn't the best. You can't see how bent the wheel is. The center of it is about 3 inches forward of where it should be and it's bent inwards significantly.

i can see it pretty clearly. again im betting they arent even going to pay for two tires, because they know spinning them is fun and you are the one who basically ruined tham...

did the idiot admit to texting while driving?