RAM Certified Collision Center

If the frame is returned to factory specification, yes — that's the entire reason the measuring matters. Your ratings are engineered around a frame with particular geometry and particular strength. Restore the geometry correctly and the ratings hold.

Restore it approximately and they don't, whatever the truck looks like parked. That's not a cosmetic concern when you're pulling a trailer down the 5.

It's also why we won't rush a frame job to hit a date. If your truck works for a living, that's the part you actually need us to get right.

It changes the job, but it's routine for us — most RAMs that come through here are modified in some way.

What it affects: how the impact travelled through the truck in the first place, what has to come off before we can reach the damage, and whether aftermarket components can be reused or need replacing. A lift also changes ride height and alignment geometry, which matters when we measure.

Tell us about the modifications when you bring it in, ideally with receipts. It's much easier to include something in the estimate than to add it three days later.

Sometimes — and the answer usually depends on whether the equipment was declared on your policy. Many policies limit or exclude aftermarket and added equipment unless it's been specifically listed, which catches a lot of truck owners out.

What we do is document everything at intake with photos so nothing gets quietly dropped from the estimate, and itemise it clearly when we submit. If your carrier declines part of it, you'll know before work starts rather than at pickup.

We're a body shop, not an insurance advisor — for what your specific policy covers, check with your carrier or agent. If you've spent real money on equipment, it's worth asking them whether it's scheduled before you need to find out.

Yes. Current 1500s use aluminum for closures including the hood and tailgate, on an otherwise steel truck — so one vehicle can need both approaches in the same repair.

Steel has memory and returns towards shape when worked properly. Aluminum doesn't. It work-hardens as it moves, cracks if pushed too far, and needs controlled heat and a slower technique.

It also has to be worked in a bay isolated from steel, because embedded steel particles cause corrosion in aluminum panels months down the line. That's a facility requirement, not a technique — a shop either has the separate area or it doesn't.

Tell us that when you drop it off, because it changes how we schedule you. Cosmetic and panel work moves quickly; frame and structural work takes as long as it takes, and we won't shortcut it — see the towing question above for why.

What we can do: give you a realistic date at the estimate rather than an optimistic one, tell you the same day if a part moves it, and arrange a loaner or rental so you're not standing still. If you run more than one truck, our fleet accounts include priority scheduling ahead of retail work.