8
ROUGH OUT THE WORK
By this we mean the restoring of panels to
APPROXIMATE shape and dimension EVEN
THOUGH THEY MAY LATER BE REPLACED.
Panels should be roughed out before any cutting
is done, otherwise adjacent structures to which
the panel is welded may retain their damaged
contours after cutting. If this occurs, the
replacement panels will not fit and it is a losing
battle trying to obtain a proper joint.
To illustrate:
When a wing is badly buckled, the wheel arch
generally is also damaged. If the wing is cut loose
from the wheel arch before a pull is exerted on it,
the wheel arch will remain buckled and distorted.
It will then be extremely difficult to straighten this
area so that the replacement panel can be
welded or bolted to it. Therefore, work the
damaged panels back into shape and dimension
before attempting any cutting or unbolting
operations
CHECK THE WORK
As repairs proceed, keep track of your progress
by continually checking dimensions, window and
door openings, etc.
With a unitised body, it is sometimes necessary to
overcorrect because of the stiffness of the
construction, and a degree of ‘spring back’, but
it is important not to go too far as this can cause
further damage.
One of the difficulties often presented in the repair
of unitised bodies is that of anchoring the
machine to the body. Since there is no longer a
heavy chassis against which to anchor or pull,
this can be a problem. However, the use of the
Underbody Clamps will provide a firm base and
will cope with many of the situations generally
found.
This Clamp fastens to the under body seam which
runs the length of most modern cars, and the
cars’ jacking points are usually to be found here.
The clamp should be fastened In the area of the
door pillar. It may be moved forward or backward
as required.
One clamp may be used, although greater
holding power may be obtained by using one
clamp on each side of the body and placing the
Support Tube between them as shown in the
following diagram.
The Anchor Post can push against the Underbody
Clamp and tube, as shown...
The following illustrations are examples of typical
Body Straightener Hook-ups for repairing
damaged unitised vehicles.
With all unitised body construction, special
attention must be given to certain load-bearing
or structural members such as chassis side
members, inner wheel arch panels, cross
members, the floor pans that form a part of the
cross members or box sections. These must be
brought back to the equivalent of their original
condition, which means returned to original
shape without wrinkles or excess thinning of the
metal.
The first step in making any hook-up is to anchor
the Body Straightener securely to the chassis....
The tube will help stabilise the underbody clamp and avoid
twisting the welded seam
...or a Chain can be used around the tube to
attach to the Anchor Post as shown below.
