Score= IFS 1 Solid Axle 0 - Off-Road Forums & Discussion Groups

#1 11-27-2003, 06:53 AM

I have friend that is the owner/operator of a autobody shop. He got this gem in yesterday. The owner of this white KJ Limited fell asleep at the wheel-or so she says, not too far from my home. The KJ left the road and then the rear axle, coils and drive shaft left the KJ. The coils and shaft have yet to be found. The IFS escaped the ordeal with lil to no damage. The driver escaped unscathed.
According to one VERY inexperienced insurance adjuster the vehicle is NOT totaled... He believes 8K will fix the destruction.

#2 11-27-2003, 06:55 AM

more detail of the carnage

#3 11-27-2003, 06:56 AM

and now the driver's side

#4 11-27-2003, 06:58 AM

closeup of the missing rear diff yoke

#5 11-27-2003, 02:32 PM

I have to defend my profession. The adjuster is not wrong in fixing this jeep. The repair has to exceed 70% of the value of the car to total it. 8 grand isn't even close in this case. I have fixed hundreds of cars with repairs totalling over 10000 dollars. From the looks of those pictures, that is an easy, straightfoward repair. If your body shop is hesitant to fix something like that, check their credentials, and or their equipment. This is not a repair to trust to all shops. A good bodyman should go to classes at least annually. Any I-Car gold shop could repair that. If you go to a shop and they don't have I-Car certified employees, look for another shop. The days of the body shop behind the house with the self taught bodyman are over.

Dirt Dog · #6 11-28-2003, 07:25 PM

I agree. Thats actually one of the easier fixes you will see these days. No airbags that ruined the whole dash. No miles of ruined computer wiring and lines galore to fix. Just straight metal repair.
Have them send it to me. I could use another "total" to drive. [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

#7 12-01-2003, 06:48 PM

Go to the mid sized board and follow the thread with the same title.... BTW, we are still waiting for the estimater to review the supp....

#8 01-15-2004, 06:41 PM

The KJ totalled. While it was $1K off of the "magic number" the insurer cited concerns about "comebacks". On a more positive note, KJ fans should know that you can, using a floor jack, lift the entire rear of the KJ off of the ground using the spare tire as mounted on the rear gate. We did it several times in the shop with no damage to the gate or the spare tire mount. We even drug the KJ around the shop floor on a floor jack in this fashion.
We did find one thing about the rear gate- it no worky (won't open) if the battery is dead........