7
IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE THE PROPER TECHNIQUE.
The repair of unitised bodies follows basic body
repair methods and a knowledge of metal
working is absolutely essential. A combination of
methods is always needed in these repairs, since
the,”heat-’n-beat” method alone will not always
succeed.
The techniques used are a combination of:
I.
Heavy external pulling
2.
Use of Hydraulic Rams (such as Clarke’s 10Ton
Hydraulic Body Repair Kit - CS10TK - see your
Clarke dealer)
3.
Use of heat
4.
Use of hammer and dolly block
5.
Cutting out buckled sections or reinforcing
members
Heavy external pulls are a must for all severe
unitised body damage, because THE IMPACT
WILL HAVE COMPRESSED THE BODY METAL - NOW
IT HAS TO BE PULLED BACK INTO PLACE.
Clarke Body Straighteners are designed as a
pulling machine for this reason.
Since there is no chassis, the whole job is
essentially a body repair. There is no separation
of work Into chassis repair followed by body repair.
The complete job is planned as one.
Large stationary machines which are ramp or pit
mounted do not offer easy access to the body.
A Clarke Body Straightener, with its practical
method of mounting the car on low stands, allows
easy access to all sections.
When pulling sheet metal, DO NOT APPLY ALL THE
FORCE IN ONE PLACE, AT ONE TIME.
Spread the restoring forces, pull at one place and
then, without shifting the setup, merely change
the attachment point and pull at another.
Hook-ups are fast simple and easy with the Body
Straightener as you can easily maneuvre the
equipment around the job.
HOW TO REPAIR UNITISED BODIES
DIAMOND
Diamond chassis’ can be straightened by using
the same general hook up as for front end sway,
except that due to the extra length (pulling
diagonally), a chain is connected to the anchor
post as shown below.
Chain the I-beam to the frame to prevent it from
lifting and sllipping.
Chain the high points of the chassis to the I-beam
and place bottle jacks as shown in the diagram
below.
Now proceed to jack up the bottle jacks...first
one, then the other. DO NOT push the whole way
on one rail as you may cause it to SAG. If the
damage is simple twist, there should not be any
buckles.
TWIST
Always remove twist after all other chassis
damage is corrected.
Place the machine diagonally under the car, with
an 8ft section of heavy I-beam balanced on top
of the frame, forming a ‘cross’ below the car.
