Radiator support replacement
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2
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Radiator support replacement
Hello guys, first post here. I have a buddy who has a 97 Accord SE, he recently rear ended a guy and cumpled the front end of his car in.
I took all the damaged panels off (somehow the fenders didn't even get scratched!) and the damage wasn't that bad to the radiator support. Mainly just the top that runs in front of the radiator was smushed in pretty good, and the rails that run vertically in front of the side of the rad were pushed back.
I am debating how much time and money we want to throw at this car, but I found I can get a new rad support bracket for $50. (partstrain.com along with the rest of the body panels I am getting) The only problem is its obviously pinch welded all over the place.
Does anyone have a diagram or anything or where all the pinch welds are? It would save me a boatload of time searching for all of them. As it sits now I have the top piece off and I am debating weather I should just straighten or replace just that one chunk. The vertical rails bent back pretty easy, but you can still tell the front is a tad crooked. I would like to replace the whole thing and just call it done, and do it the right way.
I took all the damaged panels off (somehow the fenders didn't even get scratched!) and the damage wasn't that bad to the radiator support. Mainly just the top that runs in front of the radiator was smushed in pretty good, and the rails that run vertically in front of the side of the rad were pushed back.
I am debating how much time and money we want to throw at this car, but I found I can get a new rad support bracket for $50. (partstrain.com along with the rest of the body panels I am getting) The only problem is its obviously pinch welded all over the place.
Does anyone have a diagram or anything or where all the pinch welds are? It would save me a boatload of time searching for all of them. As it sits now I have the top piece off and I am debating weather I should just straighten or replace just that one chunk. The vertical rails bent back pretty easy, but you can still tell the front is a tad crooked. I would like to replace the whole thing and just call it done, and do it the right way.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
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tie a rope at the top of driver side vertical pilar, wrap it aroudn the tree and tie the other end to the top of pass. side pilar. and pull ur car back.
Time: 20 minutes
whatever u'r trying to do 1-3 days.
but i guess u wanna do it the right way,
U can see where all the spot welds are and drill through them. I think there's also some glue involved, if there is, then u can burn it off.
Time: 20 minutes
whatever u'r trying to do 1-3 days.
but i guess u wanna do it the right way,
U can see where all the spot welds are and drill through them. I think there's also some glue involved, if there is, then u can burn it off.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Yeah, the support is pretty flimsy, and just the two of us by hand bent it pretty damn straight. Like it said, its just the very top part of the rad thats really out of whack. I may just finish taking it off, take a hammer to it, and rivet it back on. I would prefer to just replace the whole damn thing, but I think you are correct about the glue. I drilled out a few rivets and its still suck on real good. Probably going to take a long time to get the whole thing off. Plus then I have to straighten out what I just bashed up getting it off.