My girlfriend was driving her sister's 2004 Alero and ran over a gym mat and it messed up the radiator. It isn't broken or leaking, but it is bent badly enough that it should be replaced. I am having issues trying to figure out what the brace is called that supports the bottom of the radiator. I am not even fully sure what it looks like since most of it was broken off in the accident. I found a radiator with transmission cooler on ebay for about $55 with shipping so that is probably what I will order unless you guys that are more familiar with the Alero are against it for a good reason. If I can't figure out what it is called, or if it is too expensive then I may just fab something up from a steel building stud. The picture below just shows what is left of the part I am talking about.

Also, is there anything I need to be aware of when I swap the radiator and tranny cooler out? Does anybody have instructions for replacing the tranny cooler? I have flushed a cooling system before, but never swapped a tranny cooler. Thanks for the help guys.

 

Hope this reply isn't too late. It's a radiator support, you should be able to find a good one at a salvage yard to install or use as a model to fab your own.
Some trans coolers have special fittings on the lines, check to be sure you have the correct tools to reattach the lines before you cut them!

 

I would presume the part in question is referred to as a radiator support?

 

Some trans coolers have special fittings on the lines, check to be sure you have the correct tools to reattach the lines before you cut them!