Is There a Procedure for Disassembling a Service Assembly?

Posted on 19 June 2014

The fourth column in the OEM Technical Information Matrix, Partial Service Part/Assembly Replacement Procedures at Factory Seams, can get a little tricky without further clarification. For the most part, this is a column that I-CAR is still researching published OEM information to get the answers to. The question is: Does the vehicle maker have procedures for replacing a partial service part or assembly at factory seams?

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Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel - Removal (Air Chisel)

Posted on 17 June 2014

Ever hear how an air chisel is for mechanics and nothing more than a crude tool for cutting a hole in a part to gain access? Would you ever use it to remove an exterior body panel from a reinforcement?

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What's A Mitsubishi Rear End Crossmember?

Posted on 13 June 2014

When it comes to repair information, vehicle makers use a wide variety of terminology for replacement parts. All of the different names can be confusing, especially when repairing a variety of vehicle makes and models.

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Didn't I Print That?

Posted on 12 June 2014

Have you ever printed a repair procedure only to find out that later on when you went to reference the information, it wasn't there? If so, most likely you discovered it the day after your short-term subscription expired, or it was for a procedure that was particularly difficult to find in the manual. You may have wondered if you did something wrong or if the procedure even exists.

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Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel - Removal (Belt Sander)

Posted on 09 June 2014

How do you remove spot welds on something that is harder than a drill bit? Well you could always use a file belt sander.

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Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel - Removal (Drilling)

Posted on 05 June 2014

To drill or not to drill, that is the question or more appropriately "how do I drill boron-alloyed steel so I don't keep going through drill bits?" Many of us have asked ourselves this when working with boron-alloyed steel or ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS).

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Product Maker Information On OEM Technical Information Matrix

Posted on 03 June 2014

There are an increasing number of materials being used in vehicles to help make them safer and create a quieter passenger compartment. Foam fillers, seam sealers, and adhesives often help accomplish this. It is impossible to see the location of all of these materials simply by looking at the outside of the vehicle. Not to mention, when you look at a product maker's catalog, there are many different options for replacement materials. So the question is: where do I find this information to repair the vehicle properly?

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MIG Brazing What Is It, Why Should I Use It?

Posted on 02 June 2014

Why MIG Brazing?

It is widely known that GMA welded; fully galvanized steel will lose some of its properties, including corrosion protection, due to the heat created during welding. OEMs are starting to counter this problem by using MIG brazing along with "stitch" and "skip" methods to control the heat. However, MIG brazing should only be done in areas specified by an OEM procedure. With MIG brazing, the lower heat input burns away a minimal amount of the zinc corrosion protection (galvanizing) adjacent to the weld (see Figure 1).

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What's A Mercedes-Benz Outer Side Longitudinal Member?

Posted on 30 May 2014

When it comes to repair information, vehicle makers use a wide variety of terminology for replacement parts. All of the different names can be confusing, especially when repairing a variety of vehicle makes and models.

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Do I Really Have To Follow Vehicle Maker Recommendations?

Posted on 29 May 2014

It's just a recommendation, if they wanted me to follow it, they would call it a requirement, right? Wrong!

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Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel - Identification

Posted on 26 May 2014

Knowing whether or not a part is made of boron-alloyed steel is important for repairs and replacement. OEM repair information is the best source to identify if a part is UHSS.decisions. The location of the part can be used to determine if the part is likely to be an ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) part. However, part location is not definitive, the part could be boron-alloyed steel or it could be a part that is below 600MPa steel. The location will help to prompt further research into straightening, sectioning, or replacing at factory seams. Steel identification may also help determine removal and attachment methods.

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What Is This Vehicle Made Of, And Can It Be Fixed?

Posted on 22 May 2014

With the use of advanced materials constantly increasing, it is hard to know where to start. I-CAR has addressed the first step to this common issue with the first two columns in the OEM Technical Information Matrix: the Body Construction Materials Identification column and the Body Construction Material Repair Guidelines column. Let's take a brief look at each one.

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Weld Bonding Required on FCA/Stellantis Vehicles

Posted on 20 May 2014

So you've got a Chrysler sitting in your repair facility and a service part, but no installation procedure. What do you do? On any other steel vehicle, you would duplicate the original attachment method and plug welds are ok, but not a Chrysler. A while ago (August 14, 2013 to be exact) FCA/Stellantis released the collision bulletin, Welded Sheet Metal Repairs and Replacements, that changed the way that their vehicles should be repaired. In this bulletin it states that: "weld bonding of replacement panels is the recommended installation method to utilize when repairing Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, or Ram vehicles."

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Cosmetic Repairs To Aluminum Exterior Panels

Posted on 20 May 2014

Repairing mild steel body panels with collision damage is nothing new. Using hammers, dollies, and picks when access to the backside is obtainable is a very common practice for straightening. With areas of limited access to the backside, using a weld-on dent puller for straightening is also quite common. So why does this change when dealing with an aluminum exterior panel?

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What's A Ford Lap-Joint Backer Plate?

Posted on 13 May 2014

In your recent pursuit of late-model Ford sectioning information, you've scanned past the term "lap-joint backer plate" in their body repair manuals. Wait a minute, pause, rewind, what is a lap-joint backer plate and how do you make that?

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