I have a 2007 Ford Freestyle SEL AWD CVT with the 3.0 liter v6. I did a bit of work on it that included a front brake pad change, an oil change, and a tire rotation. The first problem I ran into was the lack of jacking points on this vehicle. To lift the front of the car I used the cross member behind the engine and placed jacks on solid fame behind the wheels. For the back of the vehicle, the only recommended and somewhat viable lift point is the pinch weld in front of the rear wheel. I did the work I wanted to do and when I went to put the car on the ground the pinch weld on the passenger side of the vehicle had given out, it looks to be caused by rust as the outed two layers flaked off leaving the inner piece which still has some metal on it which bent under the weight. I then went to test drive the vehicle and noticed it pulls to the passenger side on its own, feels like it crabs to the right under acceleration, drives straight when the road is sloped down to the left, and under hard braking it stays straight. Can I contribute this to the pinch weld I destroyed or is it because I rotated the tires after 15,000 miles and maybe one that I put on the front is bad? The other thing is would it be wise to take the plastic off and remove the rust from the pinch welds and try to repair all the damage? How do I know if I have bent the frame or if it is flexing causing my problems?
would it be wise to take the plastic off and remove the rust from the pinch welds and try to repair all the damage?
No. The car is made of folded sheet metal. It can't be practically repaired.
How do I know if I have bent the frame or if it is flexing causing my problems?
Take it to a frame and alignment shop.
To lift the front of the car I used the cross member behind the engine
be careful. The manual doesn't say anything about jacking here.
You can try measuring the wheelbase on both sides to see if a significant shift indeed occurred.
The only way to fix those areas is either to chop that section out of a rust free donor car & weld it in or have a new section made from scratch.
Both will cost you a decent amount at a body shop. Unless you have plenty of experience welding j metal forming it's best left to them.
