Structural Sectioning Procedures: Ford/Lincoln - UPDATE

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. Introducing a sectioning joint to many of these parts will alter how the part reacts to collision forces. For this reason, sectioning a part is only allowed if supported by vehicle maker repair information. Let's see what Ford/Lincoln says about structural sectioning.

Ford Motor Company defines structural repairs as any repair or replacement of parts that:

• "Carry crash energy or vehicle loads (frame rails, reinforcements)
• Form part of the occupant safety cell (pillars, roof rails, rockers)
• Provide attachment for safety systems (seat belt/SRS mounts)
• Are factory-welded, -bonded, or -riveted to other structural components"

The vehicle-specific Workshop manual provides the type of welding and sectioning joint required for the repair being performed. Failure to follow OEM procedures compromises the safety and quality of the repair.

Ford/Lincoln has two position statements pertaining to structural sectioning that you should be aware of: Ford Structural Repairs and Lincoln Structural Repairs.

Ford Structural Repairs states:

• "All vehicle collision and mechanical repair operations should adhere to procedures and guidelines as specified in Ford Motor Company's Workshop Manuals, Body Repair Manuals, Technical Service Bulletins, Job Aids and Ford Motor Company's Original Equipment Part Instruction Sheets."
• "Where no specific Ford Motor Company procedure exists, structural repairs should be made at original factory joints or seams."

"Clip" Repair (Sectioning of Two Vehicles) Procedure Not Approved states:

• "Ford Motor Company does not approve or validate so-called "clip" repairs (i.e., joining panels or structures from two separate vehicles) to restore collision damage."
• "Ford Motor Company's body structures are engineered, crash-tested and validated as a complete system. Clip repairs introduce untested welds, mismatched alloys and unknown heat-affected zones that can alter how crash energy is managed and jeopardize occupant protection."

Lincoln has their own Clip Repair (Sectioning of Two Vehicles) Procedure Not Approved statement available, which mirrors Ford.

Ford/Lincoln vehicle-specific Workshop manuals can be found at: www.motorcraftservice.com

For additional Ford/Lincoln information, check out the following pages:
Ford OEM Information
Lincoln OEM Information

Additional I-CAR Collision Repair News you may find helpful:

• Collision Information Website Access: Ford/Lincoln
• Step-By-Step: Accessing Ford/Lincoln Repair Information

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Related I-CAR Courses

Course Ford Collision Repair Overview

Course Sectioning Overview

Course Sectioning Scenarios