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If you can’t find sectioning procedures for the part, that means you can’t section it, right? The question is more complex than that. Let’s take a closer look at the subject.
What do you do when there is no specific sectioning procedure for the part? Some vehicle makers state that if damage extends beyond the sectioning locations, replacement of the entire component is the only acceptable repair.
Other vehicle makers have statements and guidelines in their repair information about sectioning mild-steel parts, exterior panels, sometimes even reinforcements, and inner panels. Vehicle makers that provide sectioning guidelines and restricted areas are:
- Ford/Lincoln - outer uniside panel and aluminum uniside reinforcements
- Honda/Acura - mild-steel panels
- Toyota/Lexus - non-structural mild-steel outer panels
The location and construction material of the part are key factors. If the part is ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) and/or structural, the answer is most likely do not section without a specific procedure.
Always be sure to reference the vehicle-specific body repair manuals before performing any repairs.
Additional I-CAR Collision Repair News you may find helpful:
- Always Follow Vehicle Maker Procedures
- Do I Really Have To Follow Vehicle Maker Recommendations?
- Ford/Lincoln Rocker Panel Reinforcement Sectioning
- Honda/Acura: Body Repair Manual Welding & Sectioning Guideline Revisions - UPDATE
- I-CAR Repairers Realm: Ford Exterior Panel Sectioning Guidelines - Now Available
- I-CAR Repairers Realm: Ford Structural Sectioning Guidelines - Now Available
- OEM Linking Pin: Ford/Lincoln Outer Uniside Sectioning - UPDATE
- OEM Linking Pin: Toyota/Lexus Sectioning Clarification
- Partial Part Replacement At Factory Seams And Sectioning Hotspot
- Structural Sectioning Procedures: Ford/Lincoln - UPDATE
- Structural Sectioning Procedures: Honda/Acura