A weld on my sub frame that connects the cross member has broken from some sort of underbody collision. My insurance company has a $1000 deductible (but also has accident forgiveness), which makes me wonder if I should just reweld it (if that is a good idea), or go through with a collision claim. A body shop was able to align the front suspension except for the toe on the right side since the tie rod end was frozen (the broken weld is on the right side). Right now, I can feel the toe change when braking or on grooved pavement. My inner tie rod end also has some free play in it and my steering occasionally squeaks very loudly.


A body shop said that there is a lot of undercarriage rust on the car and recommended to just have it welded to save $. They said that since the car was able to be aligned (except for the frozen tie rod end), that the damage wasn't too bad.


A Jaguar/Land Rover mechanic said that the front end has shifted, and the subframe needs to be replaced. He said that due to the shift, the suspension will wear much faster.




Who do I believe? What approach do I take? Is this car safe to drive right now? The attached pictures show the area of damage. It may be hard to tell exactly what is going on in the pictures.

 

I'd replace it via insurance & drive it sparingly until then.

 

Weld away!

A good weld will make it just as strong as new.

Just make sure a good welder does the job.

After all when these are made they are welded together.

 

If the surrounding metal is stable, weld it. As stated a proper weld is stronger the metal its on, but you may introduce a new failure point so be sure that everything else is in order.

 

I'd tend to agree with the others. I'd find an excellent welder and let him place down an beautiful bead of welds. While he's under there I'd have him check for any other possible issues that may have been overlooked. Probably should cost less than $85.