Is This Frame Damage Repairable

[GeneP]

My son's 95 S-10 Pick-up 2 WD (Lowrider). We just had a state inspection done. The truck failed for "frame damage" at the crossmember just under the motor's oil pan. My best way to describe what I see is that there is a small steel skid plate welded on the front underside of the crossmember. It looks like maybe a speed bump was hit forcing the skid plate up. There is a support ontop of this skid plate which is welded up the front of the crossmember channel. As the skidplate bent upwards its support pushed in on the crossmember channel causing it to bend in slightly which raised the top of the channel (Crossmember) right up to the bottom of the oil pan. Its real close to the pan, but the oil pan is not marked or bent. Is it possible to jack the skid plate back down with some heat on the crossmember to pull it back down? I figure its less than an inch. You really gotta look to see this problem. I got an appointment with a collision shop that has frame equipment but hate to see what its gonna cost.

Thanks,
Gene

[TorinoGT69]

What state are you in? That really should not effect state inspection. The best advice as far as repair is to do what you are already planning to do. A frame shop with a frame machine is going to be the only ones who can properly repair that damage. Of course frame damage is not ever fully repaired because anytime a frame is bent it creates a weak area which is much easier to re-damage.

[Mikado14]

As Torino noted, it really shouldn't affect inspection and I see you are in Maryland. In Pennsylvania, which I have been told, is one of the toughest on state inspection and I am a licensed Inspection Mechanic, that would pass under certain conditions. Have you tried another shop?

[GeneP]

Thanks Torino & Mikado,
Yes I am in Maryland. I am in a way sorry I took it to that particular shop but in a way not so sorry. They "Nit-Picked" dumb stuff and I really am surprised they found the bent crossmember. The list of petty stuff they found appears that they looked to fail the truck. I typically do my own wrenching & don't usually rely on shops for work & this was my 1st experience with these guys. I had to really stare at it for quite a while before I could see where it was actually bent & still questioning if it really is. That much force to bend the crossmember I think would leave some kind of mark on the oil pan & there ain't. It even looks like the motor might be sitting low on the motormounts like the rubber on the mounts is squished. My son has a friend with the same truck & is going to compare the shape of the crossmember. If its actually bent I have a another shop with frame equipment that I trust. The rest of the petty stuff I can fix in my driveway in an afternoon.

Thanks,
Gene