Vehicle Damage Warnings
Precautions For Body Structure
Operation
WARNING: Failure to take proper precautions when performing the body repair work can result in severe personal injuly. Be sure to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury.
- Wear clothing and protective items suitable for operation.
- Before attempting any body repair, be sure to disconnect negative (-) cable at battery.
- When using the body frame repair device for pulling-out operation, avoid standing in front of the pulling chain.
- Whenever a repair work near the fuel tank using frames or sparkes, be sure to remove the fuel tank from the vehicle and prevent the removed fuel tank from fuel leakage.
High-Strength Steel
Note:
- When body panels made of high-strength steel having the tensile strength more than 590 MPa damaged or deformed, be sure to replace them with new spare panels in repair work. Because such high-strength steel panels will remarkably loose it strength by cutting, heating and welding.
- Refer to Sheet Metal Specification for tensile strength of steel panels.
Body Panel Repair
Note:
- Side body outer panel is to be replaced as the entire unit, not partially.
Procedures of replaccing side body outer panel in this section show procedures of partial replacement considering degree of damage and man-hours for repair specific to some market.
- The number of spot welded points should be increased by 20 to 30% in number from original welding points. The numbers and locations of the welding points in the drawings shows the original spot welding.
- Although the spot welding is recommended in the repair procedure, you shall adopt the plug welding when the panel thickness for welding points exceed the performance of your spot welding device.
- Select hole diameter for plug welding referring to following table according to panel thickness and type of steel panel.
* dia. 10.0 (dia. 0.39 in.) or more for parts using high-tensile steel panel
- Refer to Sheet Metal Specification for types and thickness of steel panels.
- Prior to welding, always remove paint layer and plating from body panels at every welding points in order to prevent incomplete welding. Also, always apply the welding primer/spot sealer to prevent rust on welding points.
- When installing new parts, refer "Body Dimensions" and Panel Clearance.
- After repairing body panels, be sure to apply seam sealer, cavity protection, underbody coating and anti-corrosion compound to all areas originally protected by the manufacture referring to Sealant Application Areas, Undercoating Application Areas and Anti-Corrosion Compound Application Area.