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Chapter 8 Nonstructural Panel Repair
Reading the Estimate
The first step in any repair is to read the estimate or
repair order. Study each line of the estimate. Find out which
parts will be repaired and which parts must be replaced.
Analyzing Damage
The next step in the repair process is to analyze the
damage. The collision repair technician must be able to
identify high and low spots in a panel. Beginners can
feel that a panel has ripples, but they often cannot deter-r r
mine if a particular spot is a high spot (above level) or
a low spot (below level). t
The first way to develop this skill is to carefully
examine the panel by sight. If the panel has paint on it,
examine the panel inside the shop, out of direct sunlight.
Sight the overhead light reflection in the painted surface.
If there is a bend in the reflection, there is a dent in the
panel. Study the damage carefully.
Next feel for damage. Use your entire hand as
shown in Figure 8-2. Extend your arm and slowly drag
your hand toward your body. It is important to use your
entire hand and not just your fingers. Feeling with just
your fingers will not reveal all the damage. A shop towel
placed between your hand and the panel will reduce
friction and make irregularities easier to feel. A towel
must be used to find dents on a bare metal panel, as the
bare metal produces a great deal of friction.
On a panel that is crowned in only one direc-
tion, a straightedge can be used to identify highs and
lows. Figure 8-3 shows a straightedge being used on
a door. The door is crowned from top to bottom. The
straightedge is held perpendicular to the crown. If the
straightedge rocks on a point, the point is a high spot.
Low spots will be seen as gaps between the straight-
edge and the panel.
Once high and low spots have been identified with a
straightedge, go back and feel them. Note the difference
in feel between a high spot and a low spot. A straight-
edge cannot be used on a double-crown panel (a panel
crowned from left to right and from top to bottom). On
this type of panel, you must rely on your ability to feel
the highs and lows.
As you check the panel for the high and low spots,
identify all the buckles. When studying the damage,
think through the collision event and ask yourself the
following questions:
Are body lines involved?
What types of buckles are found?
Are buckles consistent with the force direction?
Has the overall length of the panel changed?
Has the surface area changed?
Did longitudinal force cause folding?
Did lateral force cause stretching or arrowheads?
Are internal braces or inner panels damaged?
What part of the damage is the strongest?
By answering these questions, you will have forced
yourself to look closely at the damage. A careful anal-
ysis of the damage is essential to making a proper and
quick repair.
Only after you carefully examine and analyze the
damage will you be able to decide if the damaged part
should be repaired or replaced. One way to deter-r r
mine this is to compare the cost of repair to the cost
of replacement. If the cost of repair is more than 75%
of the replacement cost, the damaged part is gener-r r
ally replaced. For example, the estimated time required
to repair a dented fender is 4 hours. At the shop labor
rate of $50 per hour, the cost of repair would be $200.
The cost of a replacement fender is $150, plus 2 hours
Figure 8-2. This technician is using his hand to identify
high and low spots. Always use your entire hand when
feeling for damage.
Figure 8-3. A straightedge can be used to identify
highs and lows in a panel. Note that a low spot is
visible near the 12 1/2" mark. "