Structural Sectioning Procedures: Honda/Acura

Ask I-CAR receives many technical inquiries referring to sectioning. The collision repair industry wants to know where can you section, does the OEM have a sectioning procedure, and where can I find the sectioning procedure? Most OEMs allow sectioning to outer body panels and the front and rear rails. Sectioning reinforcements is not as common, as most reinforcements are replaced at factory seams.

Parts are made from various materials including HSS, UHSS, aluminum, and carbon fiber. These parts also have complex designs to collapse or transfer collision forces in a specific manner. Introducing a sectioning joint to many of these parts will alter how the part reacts to those collision forces. For this reason, sectioning a part is only allowed if supported by vehicle maker repair information. Let’s see what Honda/Acura says about structural sectioning.

Vehicle specific Honda/Acura repair manuals offer limited procedures for structural sectioning of various vehicles.

However, per the Honda Body Repair Manual Welding & Sectioning Guideline Revisions Body Repair News and Acura Body Repair Manual Welding & Sectioning Guideline Revisions Body Repair News: "Replacement of steel parts at factory seams and matching the replacement part configuration remain the preferred repair methods."

Along with the information found in vehicle-specific body repair manuals, it is crucial to follow the detailed Steel Parts Sectioning Guidelines provided in:

Honda Body Repair Manual Welding & Sectioning Guideline Revisions
Acura Body Repair Manual Welding & Sectioning Guideline Revisions

For additional Honda/Acura information, check out the following pages:
Honda OEM Information
Acura OEM Information

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