Mention the word "Corvette" at a gathering of auto shop technicians and be prepared to pass out the aspirin. There are a lot of people in this industry who would give the 'vette their vote for the toughest fix around - even ahead of sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Whatever the vehicle involved, a good argument can be made that one of the most creative jobs in a body shop - next to painter - is the technician working on the frame rack. Pulling sheet metal back into shape is an art. When working with a specific vehicle - say the late-model General Motors Corvette - a special clamp is available for the job. But the real answer to solving the tricky job of repairing a Corvette may be to attend one of GM's training classes and learn from the ground up.

"It's like disassembling the firewall on the Corvette. If you've been to their school, it is no problem," says Wayne Deckard, sales manager for CJJ Star-A-Liner, Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Therein lies one of the biggest challenges for the body shop: keeping workers trained. It is really easy for a body shop to get in over its head and not even realize what is happening until it is too late.

"When we deliver the equipment, we demonstrate the operations of the equipment and safety features only. We endorse the repair procedures of the vehicle makers," Deckard says. I-CAR also provides reliable data for repair work.

Next to training, having the right equipment is vital. Echoing the advice given by many senior mechanics to newcomers, Jerry Crook, president of Pull-It Corp., Beaverton, Ore., says, "Buy quality equipment up front and you won't have to buy again."

At a shop like Advantage BMW, Houston, Texas, they have the advantage of working mainly with one type of vehicle. Shop manager Robert Howard is pretty confident about their ability to work on BMWs. "Most of the work we do on other vehicles is fairly light," he says.

Keep up to date
The real job when dealing with a range of vehicles is to keep up to date on education and training. This includes knowledge of everything from plastics and bonding materials to accurate measurement and frame pulling technique. Robert Olson, vice president of Chassis Liner Corp., Alexandria, Minn., points out that about half of the vehicles that come into today's shop are unibody designs and do not have a conventional frame. SUVs, Blazers, Suburbans and pickups make up the other half of vehicles being sold and are quite a different animal. That means being sure a technician is going to do the right thing before getting started.

For Howard, that means frequent reference to the Hein-Werner Collision Repair manuals for exact data on tolerances. For BMW repairs, Howard relies on the Celette bench. "I love that bench. I have all the specifications for the bench and we use it hard," Howard says. In addition, the Advantage shop has a Square Liner and a Kansas Jack. "The Kansas Jack is considered portable, but in our shop it stays in one place," he says. "It's really easy to use." Celette's latest Sevenne bench system allows the operator to raise the lift, center and lock the bench virtually automatically. Two pullers can be used side-by-side, or the main beam can be pivoted for multi-angle pulling.

"You have to be a metal magician," says Crook. He recommends multiple pulls as being best, and not only because they are the most efficient. "You take less chance of collateral damage," Crook explains. He warns that it is possible to do more harm than good if the system is not set up correctly.

Pull-It manufactures a line of clamps and both metal and nylon slings. The latter allow a technician to get in and around the body, eliminating such problems as taking the bed off an S-10 or other big pickups.

"When in doubt, refer to the manufacturer," Deckard says. "To do the job right, you are supposed to follow the manufacturer's repair manuals." Should a customer call with a question on a particularly ticklish procedure, Deckard will call one of the GM trainers to get the best, accurate information.

"Tolerances on North American vehicles are extremely tight," says Larry Carter, president of Car-O-Liner, Wixom, Mich. No matter what system a shop is using, he warns that working with equipment that is 10 years old is simply asking for trouble, given the need for accuracy.

Howard relies on the technician, not the equipment, to get the job done correctly. "We use the bench just to pull, not to tell us where the car tolerances should be," he says.

Some measuring systems offer computerized help. Autorobot Finland has developed a measurement system based on 3D measuring. The system measures both the chassis and the upper structures, then compares the measurements with the specification files. Any deviations are noted.

One nice feature about the Autorobot system is a printout it gives, specifying the read-outs. This is handy for reminding insurance adjusters or car owners what the vehicle's condition was when it was brought into the shop and can be used for before-after comparisons.

The company's Starblock can be used to mount a vehicle in the straightening bench. It follows chassis aligning movement, keeping the vehicle fixed in the fasteners, and retaining the correct height while straightening proceeds. Once the chassis, for example, is aligned, the Starblocks lock into position and straightening can continue on other body sections.

Pulling Power
Olson notes that some of today's trucks may require 10 tons of pulling power, plus universal anchoring systems to keep them in place. ChassisLiner Corp. offers a series of machines that allow 360-degree pulling and all of the add-ons that allow a technician to do a good job. Included as standard equipment are 23 tower slots for precise height adjustment, multiple towers, chain slots on the bed sides for quick anchoring, and plenty of clearance under the bed to give more room for working.

One of the keys to a good job, Carter notes, is making sure the vehicle is held level. "You can't let the vehicle get high in the rear end," he warns.

Centering the auto also is important. Olson notes that, on unibody vehicles, the vehicle is anchored with four pinchweld clamps at the front and rear of the rocker-panel pinchwelds. Some unibodies require weld-on pinchweld tabs to secure the vehicle to the tie-downs.

"Getting the vehicle anchored properly is 60 percent of the ballgame," says Bruce Hill, product specialist for KarGrabber, Brunswick, Ga. "Universal frame anchoring is the way to go," he continues. The firm markets a chainless universal frame anchoring system. Hill says that ties with chains allow the whole frame to move and can throw off the precision needed on measurements. His Universal Truck Anchoring System does both box rails and channel ties - about three in five pickups are channel.

KarGrabber will bring out an inexpensive new frame machine, called the Winner, this month. It will feature 10-ton towers attached to the rack (they do not roll on the floor as they do with some other inexpensive models). Made of 6-inch I-beam, the Winner will be available in 17-foot and 20-foot lengths.

"Once the vehicle has been secured and you have started pulling, the anchoring locations should be checked periodically," Olson says.

He says the best points to pull from on a vehicle are the energy absorber mounts, suspension mounting brackets, spring shackle mounts, transport tie-down holes, weld-on pull tabs and frame horn plates.

With a proper pull setup, the next thing is to ensure the accuracy of the tolerances. This not only means precise measurement of the vehicle being fixed, but also having a bed that can maintain tight tolerances.

More Good Equipment
All of the surfaces on Car-O-Liner equipment is machined to 10/1,000 of an inch to ensure accuracy. Carter says their new system can measure the upper body of an SUV, roof lines, and the upper and lower corners of windshield openings to a tolerance of less than 3 mm at the highest point. On the underbody, accuracy is 0.5 mm. The slide that moves up and down the body on the Car-O-Tronic measurer is a computer itself, and does not use a laser or sound triangulation.

Dent Fix Corp., El Segundo, Calif., has an easy-to-use tram that often saves the estimator from putting the car on a frame rack. The DF-3D is accurate to within plus/minus one millimeter and is handy for writing estimates and quick spot checks on progress during a frame pull.

The tram is easy for one person to operate, so proper fit of panels can be assured. It measures from one foot to 12 feet, in tenths or sixteenths of an inch or by millimeters. The tram's zeroing function allows comparison measurements to be taken without adding or subtracting numbers. It weighs just four pounds.

CJJ's Cheetah 360 II frame rack has a self-locking swing machine that locks the machine in a level position in one quick step. Once the bed is up and locked, no more adjustments are required. Overhead pulls are easy with the optional overhead attachment - one of many accessories available for working on a vehicle's sheet metal and frame.

Deckard says that even a certificate for passing a test is no guarantee of knowledge, even though it is a good start. "If you can read well and use good judgment, you can pass a test," he says. "However, there is a world of difference between book learning and practical, hands-on experience in this area. I've seen guys who are certified, who can't fix a car," he says.

They say it is a poor worker who blames his tools. Likewise, good tools won't make up for a poor technician. However, bring a well-trained worker and good equipment together and the job that rolls out of the shop is one that reflects the pride of all involved.

Collision Repair
Today, Tomorrow

by Timothy W. Morgan

With changing vehicle designs and concepts comes the need to change and upgrade repair equipment and procedures.

More and more full-frame vehicles are on the roadway, which brings a need for better holding and support for full-frame repairs. Without proper holding, a technician can lose productivity and control of a repair. And in some cases, lack of holding and support could lead to more damage than the original collision.

In addition to proper holding, the right measuring system is necessary to accurately diagnose, document and correct damage that occurs during a collision. With current and changing collision energy management systems incorporated into frame designs, damage may travel throughout the vehicle frame as with typical unibody designs. Without the use of a proper measuring system, some of the damage could go undetected causing repairs to be incomplete or unsatisfactory.

The need for documentation furthers the concerns and requirements of today's auto body repair shop. Documentation is not only necessary for the repair process, but is helpful as a sales tool and assures repair quality for the consumer's awareness.

Changing designs bring new and updated repair processes. New steel content in vehicle manufacturing brings the concern of using heat to stress relieve in a repair process. Heat can jeopardize the strength and integrity of some metals, making cold stress relieving methods a more effective repair method. Welding methods are also directly affected by the changes. Different heat ranges require different processes to maintain integrity and corrosion protection of the affected area or part.

Along with changing technology, new or improved equipment and updated processed, comes the constant need to keep the technician educated and informed. This process is not always an easy task, but it is getting easier. Computerization within the industry offers expanding data access due to online capabilities, and tomorrow's updates may only be a "click" away.

Timothy W. Morgan is the director of technical services and training for Car-O-Liner.

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