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When it comes to sectioning reinforcements, there are a few things to keep in mind. Let's take a look at the considerations around this topic.
Structural parts are made from various high-strength steels and have complex shapes to decrease vehicle weight and increase passenger safety. Introducing a sectioning joint to many of these parts, based on the design, can alter how the part will collapse. For this reason, only section a reinforcement if there is a procedure from the vehicle maker.
Because the industry is seeing an increased amount of high-strength steel in every vehicle produced, this may be an indication that sectioning options for reinforcements are declining and will continue to decline in the future.
However, this does not mean that you should assume that every reinforcement has to be replaced at a factory seam. If you look at the 2013 - 2016 Toyota RAV4 body repair manual, you will find a sectioning procedure for the 980 MPa B-pillar. This is just one example, and yet another reason to always check vehicle maker repair procedures prior to making any repair decisions.
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Article validated in 2025