6
Use a steel plate between the jack and the
chassis to spread the load, otherwise the jack may
collapse the chassis. Blocks may be inserted inside
the channel-type chassis to help prevent the
bottom flange from being crushed. To keep the
jacks stable place a block of wood under the
base when jacking from the main beam.
SWAY
To correct SWAY damage, hook up the Body
Straightener as shown in the diagram below. Side
anchoring from the Anchor Post at either side of
the damage is required in center-sway
straightening.
chassis as a temporary support. When you have
finished pulling, cut off the plate.
Occasionally on SWAY pulls you may find that the
Body Straightener lifts off the floor. Put a block of
wood between the beam and the chassis to hold
the Body Straightener in position.
Rear end SWAY can be pulled out in the same
way.
One of the SWAY corrections which may seem
puzzling at first is that of the X or “hourglass’’
chassis. Almost always, these are bent only on
one end and the center box tube remains
aligned with the other end, as shown in the
diagram below. These may be corrected with a
hookup similar to the one shown here:
In cars with low door sills, it may be necessary to
put a block of wood between the chain and floor
panel to protect the body metal.
Here is a good time to remember several notes
of caution concerning the use of chains.
•
Do not pull chains around sharp edges.
•
Do not heat chains with the torch.
•
Do not bolt links together.
•
To be on the safe side, place an old tarpaulin
or cover over the chain when pulling, so that
if a link does let go, the snap back will be
smothered
Keep a continuous check as you proceed. You
should pull a little beyond center to allow for
spring back in the metal. Make a final check after
tension has been released.
For front end SWAY, hook up the Body Straightener
in the manner shown below.
Wedge the Anchor Post of the Body
Straightener against the chassis. If
you can’t find anything to anchor
against, wrap chain around the
chassis and the post, or weld a
piece of steel plate to the
If the car is raised high enough, the chains will
slant down and clear the body panels - bumper,
valance etc. The drawing shows only one
hookup, however, variations of this may be made
to suit the particular conditions of damage.
KICK-UP
To repair KICK-UP, or ROLL-UNDER, hook up the
Body Straightener as shown below:
Don’t forget to measure when you have finished
pulling to ensure that the rails have returned to
their proper dimension.
When pulling from front to rear as shown in the
sketch below, weld a strap on the chassis to keep
from stretching one side of the chassis longer than
the other. (This applies to the “hourglass type”
chassis).
