kbp810

On a night run through a tight trail Friday night, ran into a spot where I had to turn around. While backing up looking behind me all I could see was small brush, then in an instant out of nowhere... crunch! Wasn't until I pulled forward a bit that I saw the one single tree in the semi-clear spot that I had just backed into. Sad thing is I have a backup light, and if I had turned it on I'm sure I might have seen the tree... was just an innocuous enough of a situation where I didn't think I needed it.

So now I am trying to decide if I want to file this with my insurance company and let them take care of it (with deductible, risk of rate increase, or worst case, getting dropped after the adjuster sees my heavily modded jeep and/or hears how it happened)... or perhaps just pounding it back out the best I can and then installing some crusher corners over it. I was already planning on doing the crusher corners in the very near future, and of course it's a little unfortunate that I would just so happen to actually crush a corner this weekend.

Anyone have any opinions on the matter or want to weight in on what my odds are of a clean crusher corner install after this? I don't need it to look pretty underneath, just good enough to get the nutserts in the right spots.

Didn't even hit the tree hard, thats just really thin sheet metal

Jhouse93

Hmm hard to say, if you install the corner and don't properly mask all the crunched seams off you run the risk of starting rust. I know my insurance company doesent discriminate against offroading even in a rollober situation. .they just wont mess with the people drag racing

kbp810

I just bit the bullet and filed a claim; after cleaning the weekends muck off I noticed that the exposed metal from the areas where the paint flaked off was already starting to rust, and seems likely that to keep it from flaking (and hence rusting) further I'd likely have to strip and re-paint the whole piece (make that two pieces) after the attempt to re-tweak it back into shape. Then even after that I wouldn't be 100% certain still that the corner guard would still install cleanly; not to mention a section of the top channel is also dented in and creased a bit as well.

Might as well just go ahead and get it fixed right... but still planning on doing the corner guards shortly thereafter - which will probably make it feel a bit strange to go through all this just to drill a bunch of holes in it later, lol.

jkkrawler

Idk how true but I've heard your insurance will cover of road damage as long as you weren't in a competition of some sort.

jeep_creep88

Go to a body shop and ask them about having them put that one corner gaurs on, my body shop painted my grill black and got me all aftermarket lights and bumper and everything because it cost less than factory parts ask around

kbp810

Yeah, and I had asked them over the phone a long time ago about if I would be covered off road and the answer was yes, as long as it wasn't race or competition related... I just still worry about that old story about when the person over the phone tells you one thing, but when the adjuster shows up it's another story. I'm fairly confident I'll be covered (should find out today for sure).

I was just thinking about that this morning on the way to work, it certainly can't hurt to ask.

RMucho

If you already filed a claim, it's in the national system. But to calm the worries, you are covered unless off roading is excluded from your policy. I have never seen a policy that showed this. Racing is. That is why your agent or adjuster said that.

When you file a claim, tell them you were stupid. Policies cover stupidity, right? He will get a kick out of.

planman

If you were on a legal trail--forest service, BLM, county, etc.--it generally would be covered.

However, for the cost of your deductible, you could buy armor to cover the damage and pound the tub back. That's what I would do., because if it has happened once, it will likely happen again--unless you change where you wheel.

If I'm going to use insurance, it would be because I rolled it down a hill or something that is more than a couple thousand dollar loss.

You can always withdraw a claim.

kbp810

Yep, changed my mind and cancelled the claim... wish I had came to that conclusion earlier. Doesn't make sense to me to deal with all the insurance drama, pay the deductible, then either risk damaging them again (because I sure am not going to stop wheeling it), or just to cut and drill up brand new body panels to install corner guards.

Went ahead and ordered some OR-Fab corners... not sure if I care for the little gecko logo on them, but they're priced right, 3/16" steel, come powder coated (assuming they survive shipping), and come with the LED tail lights.

Going to start working on the re-shaping part tonight; then clean it up, primer, matching rattle can of touch up paint and clear coat, and see how were doing.

Worst case, I can try to go crawling back to the insurance company, or suck it up and pay out of pocket at the shop

Better case, guard fits fine but still some visible body damage above or below it (not a big deal to me)

Best case, guard covers the damage and looks like it never happened.

HardRooster

That rear corner may be thin, but it's high strength steel and is a BITCH to reshape. I had much less damage on my corner but it was a ton of work with the stud gun and an old school drill n tug slide hammer. (I do this for a living BTW)

Looking at your damage, I think a body shop would likely replace that corner AND the quarter panel. I think we would. And that's your couple thousand dollars right there. If it's me, I don't think twice and I let insurance handle it. Get it fixed right, then do your corner guards.