GQ Roll Over

[spektrum]

Hey all,

Unfortunately the unthinkable has happened to me! While taking a relaxing drive up a dirt track, I slipped a wheel off the edge in a slushy clay section, and rolled-over down the hill. The roll-over was quite slow as there was thick scrub. The heavy hauler recovery was expensive - it was the only recovery vehicle that wasn't dragged across the mud while winching. I have the GQ back home now. Worst thing -- it was only 3rd party insurance! Unfortunately for me, I had just spent a bucket of money reco'ing the engine and hadn't got around to upgrading the insurance.

Damage List:
- 1 rear door
- 1 f/r quarter panel
- windscreen
- roof panel damage

I managed to pop the roof back out with a few select kicks. The door and quarter panel are easily replicable. The snorkel straightened up perfectly with the use of the heat-gun. No damage to the driveline, wheels, engine etc. All the doors open/close perfectly.

I have a problem with the front window frame. There are no creases around the window frame, but when I did a diagonal measurement across the window frame, there was a 20mm difference. It's not visible by eye, but I'm guessing that a new window will not fit unless this is corrected. Question: Can the roof be repaired? Can a repair shop cut off the roof and replace it? Any ideas of cost?

It is (was) a nice vehicle and would be a shame to see it parted out...

[MudRunnerTD]

Hey mate, very sorry to hear about your bad luck.

Bugger!

Yes i reckon a decent panel shop would sort that out for you pretty easy. a select placement of the portapower and Bob's your Aunty. Go and get a couple of prices and tell them that it is cash and not insurance.

Good luck mate

[Sir Roofy]

Sorry about your rig mate can happen to the best
have to be on the ball all the time

[MEGOMONSTER]

Sorry to hear about the incident and hope the truck and you get back out on the dirt soon

[04OFF]

Sorry to hear that mate, just about anything can be fixed tho, i suggest you remove all the inside trims above the door line (if you have not already), that way you can inspect for hidden damage.

Is the roof skin/gutters really bad so the roof needs to be replaced, or does it just need the pillars to be re-alined back to factory spec?, i would avoid "replacing" the roof if you can as it a pretty big job.




While i would normally only suggest a panel shop to do any repairs "correctly", it does sound like you a pretty switched on with what you have explained already.


You may be able to use a bottle jack and a strong length of wood, placed in a diagonal configuration from the floor corner (with wood to spread load), up to the opposite side "A" pillar/roof structure, sort of like your own makeshift portapower.

Id suggest you measure diagonals on "all" pillars front to back to make sure they are not all slightly out , you need to work out whats bent "before" pushing, then you you know exactly where to push and what to measure to make sure she's back into the right shape.


20mm is not to much, but you need to make sure no spot welds have or do pop, and nothing is creased that should be straight etc, anthing like this will need to be fixed so the roof retains its full strength.

[97_gq_lwb]

A lot easier to repair with new panels if you can find them.
I seen a roof and gutter brand new on ebay a few months back for a gq.

[AB]

Sorry to hear that mate, at least everyone is ok. Let us know how you get along too and what you decide to do....

[spektrum]

Thanks guys for all your support.

Thanks 04OFF, your article was the first one that I read through after my roll-over. Thanks for sharing your experience. Regarding the bottle-jack, I had a similar idea, but to use a chain block/tackle to pull the roof to alignment. Its approx 20mm difference, therefore 10mm per dimension. Its not even visible by eye. I have done a number of cross-measurements around the vehicle and rest appears to be okay. There are no creases, so I hope that it will straighten without too much effort. If I can get a window back in, it will give me the flexibility to obtain a few repair quotes. I would have liked to do the the repair myself, but I just don't have the space/tools/time to do the body repair (I specialise more in the autoelectrical/mechanical work). Unfortunately it was only 3rd party insurance, so all repairs will be self funded.

I wonder if this is a good opportunity to look at a dual-cab conversion? Does anyone know approx costs for this? Do you know any workshops in Melbourne that can quote on the works?

[Finly Owner]

It sounds like it was scary costly roll over. Thankfully you sound like you came through unscaved. The patrol sounds like you'll keep it alive too. Best luck, and safe wheelin when you're back on the tracks.



Tim

[Woof]

The best part is that no one was hurt mate, hope that you get the Patrol back off road soon.

[oncedisturbed]

Buuger on the news bud but at least you came out of it safe, remember the rig can be replaced over time - YOU can't

[04OFF]

The best part is that no one was hurt mate, hope that you get the Patrol back off road soon.


yes, as completely crap as it all may seem, this ^ is the ONLY thing that really matters, bits of metal can be fixed or replaced, humans are not so easy.



spektrum, would you have any pics you could post by any chance, so we can see what you have to work with ?

yeh i have used the jack and wood before with great results, it gives a nice slow controlled push, i was lucky enough to have use of a portapower to push mine, but the jack idea would get same result, just a lot more stuffing around.

[spektrum]

Ill upload some pics soon. You are all completely correct, I am very grateful there were no injuries. We both walked away without a scratch.

[spektrum]

RHS - RR Door and FR quarter damage. I have already straightened most of the gutters.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/DSC_3390.jpg


Front window frame was free from creases. Bonnet it okay. Snorkel came good after the use of the heat gun.
LHS - Damage to the RL quarter (can be repaired at a later date). Roof rack visible in the background.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/DSC_3368.jpg


Rear doors are okay. Bit of damage to the top right.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/DSC_3394.jpg


Respect the environment! .. All debris was removed from the site, including windscreen and roof rack.

[oncedisturbed]

you are lucky :) that's a bit of a drop

[spektrum]

Thanks .. It's hard to show the whole picture in 2D photos. There was actually quite a lot of scrub in the spot where we went over. The decent was dampened by all of this, and we were very lucky to roll over slowly. I vividly remember it all happening all very slowly, and wondering when it was just going to come to a stop. Most of the experience was in disbelief.

Also from the look of it, the camera was not level. These photos look steeper than it actually was -- yet still, was no walk in the park either.

[spektrum]

Thanks 04OFF for your suggestion with the hydraulic jack. That roof structure was extremely rigid. I was able to perfectly align the roof, to the mm. I took many cross-dimensional measurements, and to my surprise everything was spot-on.

Had the new window installed today, and it fitted without any issues.

The roof panel had popped out to its basic shape, with the addition of a few battle scars (from the old roof rack). At this stage I will be just rubbing back and spray painting the damaged areas. I am already well over budget (engine reco) on this 20yo vehicle!

[chester]

That suxs mate,where abouts was it?

[spektrum]

Somewhere near the Otways. It was only meant to be a easy drive to meet my parents at their campsite. I had only just put in a low-km engine, and still testing it out.

Hindsight is annoying. Thinking about the line that I took ... at the time it looked like a good option, but turned out to not have enough margin for error. Once a wheel dropped off, the rest followed. I think it's too easy to become complacent driving close to the edge.

[spektrum]

It's coming along pretty well now. Just struggling to find a FR quarter panel and RR door in the same colour.

Does anyone know if the lower plastic panels come off easily ..

[04OFF]

Hindsight is annoying. Thinking about the line that I took ... at the time it looked like a good option, but turned out to not have enough margin for error. Once a wheel dropped off, the rest followed. I think it's too easy to become complacent driving close to the edge.

I know the feeling, i bet just like my situation, you have completed much harder more dangerous tracks without incident, then just when your not too concerned with the difficulty, a walk in the park turns into...................:animierte-smilies-f

[spektrum]

Yes exactly. It's not a good idea to relax too much on an easy track.

I too have driven on Morton Island. It was a great place for camping. Have you been back out there since the roll-over?

[04OFF]

Have you been back out there since the roll-over?

Nah mate, but ill take the troll back there one day for sure, the mrs said she never wants to go back ever, but she may change her tone when time comes that im actually gonna go, im happy to do a boys weekend regardless, plus you never know, i may just find the dinghy i lost over there somewhere :biggrin:

[Chris79]

Hey mate, bit of bad luck about the car. Good to see it coming along and knowone was hurt.

How were you close to the edge? were you trying to squeeze around debri or something?

[spektrum]

Hey mate, bit of bad luck about the car. Good to see it coming along and knowone was hurt.

How were you close to the edge? were you trying to squeeze around debri or something?

After a few solid days of rain there were a few slushy mud holes. I just lined up to go to the left of it, but as I got closer to it I realised the track narrowed. The track was slightly downhill and cambered to the edge, so as I tried to turn in she just kept going straight. It was really slippery clay, and once one wheel dropped off, even tho we were barely moving by that stage gravity took us down.

It was just a string of bad luck events that all lined up. Normally I would have been in 4x4 and lowered the air pressures, but on this occasion I stayed at hwy pressures. Also driving close to the edge in muddy conditions was also stupid (hindsight!). At least we are both okay, that's all that matters.

[Chris79]

After a few solid days of rain there were a few slushy mud holes. I just lined up to go to the left of it, but as I got closer to it I realised the track narrowed. The track was slightly downhill and cambered to the edge, so as I tried to turn in she just kept going straight. It was really slippery clay, and once one wheel dropped off, even tho we were barely moving by that stage gravity took us down.

It was just a string of bad luck events that all lined up. Normally I would have been in 4x4 and lowered the air pressures, but on this occasion I stayed at hwy pressures. Also driving close to the edge in muddy conditions was also stupid (hindsight!). At least we are both okay, that's all that matters.

Good to know mate, the smallest things can go bad so easily.

I did a similar complacency type thing once. Was driving along a dirt road connecting two tracks so pop'd it back into H2, got to the track that was only slight downhill but damp clay. Didnt even think to drop it back into L4 because it was down hill. As soon as I dropped the front wheels off and touched the brake she locked both front tyres, ran away and slid off the track resulting in a headbutt with a tree. Lucky for me it was minimal damage but could easily have been as bad or worse than your accident.

[spektrum]

For anyone that's interested .. here's the progress report:

Found all the required panel in the correct colour (what an effort that was). Not going to worry about replacing the roof panel, its just too much work for a 20yo vehicle. It's "reasonably" straight -- just need to squint.

Found a place in Melbourne that mixes the automotive paints (acrylic) and supplies them in pressure packs ($25 each). Not much painting to do, so this will make it a lot easier. Also good for future touch-ups. Also bought the clear-coat for the final coat.

Will post up some images when I can find the time...

[AB]

Nice work mate, keep us informed.

What place in Melbourne did you go for the paint?

[spektrum]

Jefferson Paint Supplies

[Brendan56]

Ah we're always interested! Sounds like its coming along nicely.
Good luck with it all! Keep us updated, and am excited for pics!
Cheers,
Brendan.

[spektrum]

Yep .. will be working on it tonight. Ill post up some photos tomorrow.

[spektrum]

PROGRESS REPORT

Please ignore all the mud and dust .. I don't want to wash it until I have primed any bare metal areas. I know this should have already done, but spare time is a bit limited these days.

To reiterate .. my intentions are to repair the vehicle to a 'reasonably clean' condition on a budget. My reasons for this are purely based on this being a 20yo vehicle that only gets used for camping and 4x4'ing. Damage is inevitable within reason (hopefully no more rollovers!). I had only recently installed a newer low-km engine and frequently maintain it .. so it's a reliable old bus.
:icon_driving:

I am happy with the results of the roof straightening. All cross-dimensions are now perfectly square. Hydraulic jack and a length 90x35mm structural pine did the trick. I had to make a base to hold the jack on the correct angle with the force vector. This method gave a very controlled force (thanks to 04OFF for the suggestion). New window & rubber fitted with no problems.

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LHS: Looking a little better now. Snorkel straightened with the use of a heat gun. Gutter still requires attention. Damage to the rear panel; not sure what to do with this. I'll shop around for a good panel beater quote.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/001.jpg


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RHS: RR door has now been replaced. It's a good match, even the dust matches :biggrin:. Rear panels are undamaged. Front guard removed, and waiting for the replacement. Drivers door was actually pushed in on the day, but popped out on its own accord during recovery. It seems to be okay so I won't bother replacing it at this stage. Roof gutter requires attention.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/002.jpg


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Front Guard: The damaged panel before removal. I had to cut off the brush-bar to remove the panel. The brush bar had bent up into the panel, so either way needed to be cut off and straightened. At a later stage I'll fabricate a joint that allows to bolt-on the brush-bar at both ends. Wheel arch flare had all the lugs ripped off.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/003.jpg


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Front Guard: The damaged panel removed. No damage underneath.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/004.jpg


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LHS Roof: With a few good kicks, the roof popped out to achieve the general roof shape. The roof-rack left a few dents. My theory is that the full-length roof rack distributed the load on the roof, therefore minimising any point-force loads. At this stage I will just clean up the damaged paint, and re-spray these areas. The snorkel appears on an angle, but only because I haven't reinstalled the pillar bracket.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/005.jpg


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RHS Roof: Similar to the other side .. symmetrical damage :biggrin: . I started with few spots of primer on the roof. I'm thinking about installing a new roof-rack once the gutters are repaired .. this should partly cover the roof damage.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/006.jpg


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LHS Rear Damage: This was the damage mentioned earlier. It's a pity I can't just unbolt this panel and replace it. In this state it's going to make it difficult to refit the arch flare. I know there are rubber flares available, I just prefer the plastic ones.
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http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/007.jpg


In my opinion, I think the Patrol sustained surprising little damage considering to the 2 rolls down the hill. Very lucky .. but I'm more grateful that we were uninjured.

[taslucas]

Your right about how little damage it got..... Two roll overs would right off most cars. GQs are tuff!

Tap, crackle, pop

[NissanGQ4.2]

Do you need plastic rear flares or did they survive?

[spektrum]

Do you need plastic rear flares or did they survive?

The RR and LF flare are fine (still attached too).

The LR and RF are damaged. They had most of the mount lugs snapped off.

[Brendan56]

A few battle wounds, though as you said i wouldn't do it again. but at least you got out of it with you and the truck intact!

Cheers mate,
Brendan.

[NissanGQ4.2]

The RR and LF flare are fine (still attached too).

The LR and RF are damaged. They had most of the mount lugs snapped off.

Just PM me if you are looking for some 2 replace yours damaged ones, and I will check mine out...... I think mine had a couple of lugs broken 2 but not sure which ones without checking

Cheers

Todd

[spektrum]

Now that I've gone this far .. decided to keep going and fully repair all the dents.

[04OFF]

Thanks for the pics, Nice work so far, great job on the roof, ive seen worse looking patrols driving around.

That LHR quarter does look a little nasty, im not familiar with the make up of a Q, but again, as you are obviously pretty handy on the tools, ill throw out my thoughts again ?



Perhaps you can remove the LH tail light, and gain access behind some of the gaurd damage, use a long bit of steel bar with a flat end (or even a crowbar if you need to), then use a block of wood as a pivot point (placed in a strong area, inside, near where the tail light sits perhaps) and use the bar as a lever to push the dents out, this may allow you to get a basic shape back into the panel.

Clean/polish the paint so its reflective, and use a vertical fluro work light if you have one, throwing light across the outside of the panel toward your face, this will let you see where you are "flexing" the metal before you push really hard, you can use a rag on the end of your bar when pushing big concaves in the panel, and use a bar corner for real sharp areas.

Another trick if you use a crowbar, you can get a golf ball and hack saw a slit in it , then fit it over the sharp end of your crowbar, that way it wont put sharp outward high points in the panel when pushing, you can also drill a hole in a golf ball and just bolt it to a bar, or steel rod etc.


The way i look at it, the panel is already stuffed, so you can only make it better really:wink:

[spektrum]

Thanks .. Your correct, I can't make it look any worse :)

I think the damaged roof areas are now at a stage they can be body-filled.

As you stated, access behind the LR panel is fairly limited. I'll try the crowbar idea to see how much I can pop it out. My other idea was to pull the panel out using the slide-hammer. I could drill a few select holes, and use the slide-hammer to bang it out. The holes can be welded closed, and body-filler the final job. Thoughts?

[04OFF]

The slide hammer can work good, but drilling holes method should be last resort, i feel you will end up needing/spreading so many holes all over the place to get that straight-ish, you will just end up with a bigger mess to fix.

Another way you may be able to try,(but need access to a welder) is to tack weld a washer on to the panel, then insert slide hammer in to the hole in the "washer" and pull that way, perhaps if you buy a box of cheap washers, you can afford to leave them all on allowing you to pull in different locations to ease the damage out by spreading the pulls.






Getting back to your roof, while i think of it, im pretty sure "Ti" model Qs came with clip on chrome covers for the roof gutters, may be worth keeping in mind for later to cover damage.

[spektrum]

That's a good idea welding the washers, might give that a try.

I'll get a few measurements later. From memory it's only pressed in about 10-15mm at the deepest spots.

It has been so cold in Melbourne the past few weeks ... I have really had the CBF's after getting home from work ...



The slide hammer can work good, but drilling holes method should be last resort, i feel you will end up needing/spreading so many holes allover the place to get that straight-ish, you will just end up with a bigger mess to fix.

Another way you may be able to try,(but need access to a welder) is to tack weld a washer on to the panel, then insert slide hammer in to the hole in the "washer" and pull that way, perhaps if you buy a box of cheap washers, you can afford to leave them all on allowing you to pull in different locations to ease the damage out by spreading the pulls.






Getting back to your roof, while i think of it, im pretty sure "Ti" model Qs came with clip on chrome covers for the roof gutters, may be worth keeping in mind for later to cover damage.

[spektrum]

Status Update:

Not sure about repairing the RL panel damage -- I'll probably just make it look worse. There are quite a few complex creases. I think the best action would be to cut it out, then weld in a section from another vehicle -- It's a job for another day...

Gutters are now almost finished .. can't believe they actually look straight again. I'm thinking about running a thick bead of Sikaflex along the inside of the gutter to ensure a good water seal.

Repaired the wheel arch flares. Most of the tabs had been ripped off the RL and RR plastic flares... but it turns out they are easy to repair. Plastic creases are easy to straighten with the heat gun. There is a lot of surface area for the glue to adhere to for the tabs. I spent some time locating and numbering each tab location, then roughened up the surfaces with a razor blade. After taping each one in position, I used 30min epoxy resin and filled in the whole area between the tab and flare. I'm thinking about also passing a pop-rivet or M4 screw/nut through to add extra support. (pics coming soon)

The new RR door had window tinting .. so had to remove it. Rubber window trims were perished , so I've switched out the trims from the old door. Fitted the electric windows, central locking, and interior trim from the old door.

In a lucky find at the wreckers .. they had a few bits to repair the electric side mirror. Also bought a new grille .. one less thing that I need to repair :)

[97_gq_lwb]

I'd try the local panel shops i had a roof dent on a gq a few years back in a bitch of a spot they used the easy beat pulled it out near perfect for $40 cash.
If you find a good one you'd be amazed at how straight they will get it.

[spektrum]

I'd try the local panel shops i had a roof dent on a gq a few years back in a bitch of a spot they used the easy beat pulled it out near perfect for $40 cash.
If you find a good one you'd be amazed at how straight they will get it.

Thanks. I guess they have years of experience and the right tools ..

[97_gq_lwb]

Yeah the prices aren't usually bad either if you do most of the work and make it easy for them.
considering the time you could spend yourself stuffing about.

[spektrum]

Yeah the prices aren't usually bad either if you do most of the work and make it easy for them.
considering the time you could spend yourself stuffing about.

100% true!

I'm waiting on a new front panel .. once that's on I can drive around a get a few quotes. Can't wait to have a working Patrol again...

[spektrum]

Thought I might post up a quick progress report. Basically it's mostly all done. It's not a perfect job, but then again it's mainly used for camping/4wd'ing ...

After straightening, body-filler, primer, and spray-putty .. I didn't put enough newspaper around. The spray putty over-spray made a mess!
http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/20120811_224924.jpg

http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/20120811_225136.jpg

Old vs. New guard. It's an aftermarket panel, but it would've been better to buy a genuine from the wrecker and respray it. The aftermarket panel had an antenna hole which needing to be filled, no hole for the indicator, and some minor cutting/modification to make it fit.
http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/20120801_141221Large.jpg

I filled the antenna hole, and added indicator hole. Guard has just been sprayed, and the clear-coat be be done next.
http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/20120819_172716.jpg

The roof has just been sprayed .. Clear-coat going on next.
http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/20120819_181939.jpg

Semi-finished. Good enough for now.
http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q494/spektrum426/Nissan%20GQ/20120905_120850.jpg

[Stropp]

good job mate, better than i could do.

[spektrum]

Thanks .. it's good having it working again. I missed driving it !!

[mrflibbles]

good work, so many would have said stuff it and parted it out or swapped running gear over to another. you have done some fine work to get it back to a fairly straightish vehicle again... i hate body work!

[Dave Holio]

good job on the repairs , pita about the roll over but its good to know that you walked away .

[04OFF]

Great work mate !

You did a brilliant job on the gaurd holes, shame the gold isn't a bit closer, but the burgundy looks a pretty good match.

Roof is great, does not look like its been rolled, any joy with the rear 1/4 ?


Top efforts so far :clapping:

[growler2058]

Good job mate well done NOW DONT DO IT AGAIN!!!

[spektrum]

Thanks .. Yeah the burgundy is almost a perfect match. It's a pity the gold is slightly different. At some stage I will do some blending across the door. It's possible that I had the wrong base colour under the gold ... and also 20 years of vehicle colour fading.

I cut the hole in the guard with the Dremel cut-off wheel. Came up quite well, except I stupidly mis-marked one of the measurements ... should have double checked everything before cutting. It didn't matter too much as the indicator assembly fitted okay.

I haven't started on the rear 1/4 yet. I plan to start on that one next week.