Chapter 20

Measuring Vehicle Damage

 Objectives

Explain how impact forces are transmitted

through frame and unibody construction vehicles
Describe how to visually determine the extent of
impact damage
List the various types and variations of body
measuring tools
Analyze damage by measuring body dimensions
 Objectives (continued)

Explain the importance of the datum plane and

centerline concepts as related to unibody repair
Interpret body dimension information and locate
key reference points on a vehicle, using body
dimension manuals
Discuss the use of tram bars, self-centering
gauges, and strut tower gauges
Diagnose various types of damage, including
twist, mash, sag, and side sway
 Objectives (continued)

Given a damaged vehicle and a body

specification manual, locate and measure key
points using a tape measure, tram bar, and self-
centering gauges
Explain the operation of electronic laser,
ultrasonic, and robotic arm measuring systems
 Introduction

When a vehicle is in a high-speed collision,

impact forces can bend the frame
Damage extent must be carefully evaluated
Vehicle measurement involves using specialized
tools to measure the location of reference points
These measurements are compared to the
dimensions of an undamaged vehicle
By comparing the two, the extent of the damage
can be determined
 Why is Measurement Important?

Severe body or frame damage can change

steering or suspension geometry
Measurement gauges are used to check specific
frame and body points
They allow you to quickly measure the direction
and extent of vehicle damage
Control or reference points are specific locations
on the frame or body for making measurements
The reference points must be restored to their
factory dimensions
 Damage Diagnosis

The estimator must assess the severity and

extent of the damage and find all parts affected
To avoid missing the effects of damage on
unrelated systems, damage should be assessed
with the proper tools and equipment
Determine the direction and force of impact, and
whether damage is confined to the body
Inspect the parts along the path of impact,
measure the major parts and check body height,
and check for suspension and body damage
 Impact Effects

A modern vehicle is designed to withstand the

shocks of normal driving
In body-over-frame construction, the passenger
area is enclosed with panels of steel attached to
a structural frame
In the unibody construction, the metal body
panels are welded together to make a unit
Under the force of impact, the frame-type vehicle
and the unibody react very differently
Damage assessment and repair also differs
 Analyzing Collision Forces

The body technician may need to know:

The size, shape, position and speed of the
vehicles involved in the collision
Angle and direction of the vehicles at impact
The number of passengers and their positions at
the time of impact
Certain types of damage occur in a predictable
pattern and sequence
If a drivers first reaction is to turn away from the
danger, the vehicle will take a hit on the side
Analyzing Collision Forces (continued)

If the drivers reaction is to slam on the brakes,

the direction of impact would be frontal
Frontal impact could leave a large opening
between front upper part of door and roof line
Damage will vary depending on what was struck
If the impact was spread over a larger area
(such as a wall) damage will be minimal
The smaller the area, the greater the severity of
damage
Figure 20-2. A hard frontal impact causes major or primary damage to the front end. Minor,
secondary damage occurs elsewhere from the shock wave flowing through the body
 Types of Frame Damage

Side sway damage

Results from side collision impacts
Recognized by a gap at the door on the long side
and wrinkles on the short side
Sag damage
Section of the frame is lower than normal
Caused by direct impact from the front or rear
Detected by an irregular gap between the fender
and the door
 Types of Frame Damage (continued)

Enough sag in the frame can be present to

prevent body and panel alignment even though
wrinkles or kinks are not visible
Mash damage is present when any section of
the vehicle is shorter than factory specifications
Usually limited to the forward of the cowl or
rearward of the rear window
Indicated by wrinkles and severe distortion in
fenders, hood, frame horns or rails
 Types of Frame Damage (continued)

Diamond damage
One side of the vehicle is moved to rear or front
Causes the frame to be out of square, and is
caused by impact off-center
Affects the entire frame, not just the side rails
Visual indications are hood and trunk lid
misalignment
 Types of Frame Damage (continued)

Twist damage
One corner of the vehicle is higher than normal
Can happen when a vehicle hits a curb or median
strip at high speed
Most accidents result in a mix of one or more of
these damage problems
 Unibody Vehicle Damage

Unibody is designed to absorb a collision impact

Visualize the point of impact as the tip of a cone
Centerline points in the direction of impact
Depth and spread indicate the direction and area
the collision force traveled
Tip of the cone is the primary damage area
Effects of the impact as it travels through the body
structure is the secondary damage
 Unibody Vehicle Damage (continued)

The unibody is designed with crush zones,

engineered to collapse in a predetermined way
Effects of the impact shock wave are reduced as
it is dissipated by the body structure
Frontal damage results from a head-on collision
In a minor impact, the bumper is pushed back,
bending the front side members
If the impact is further increased, the front fender
will contact the front door
Figure 20-10. These are typical crush zones on a unibody vehicle. They
should be checked closely for buckles, bends, paint or sealer cracks and
other signs indicating damage.
 Unibody Vehicle Damage (continued)

If the shock is great enough, the front fender

apron and front body pillar will be bent
If a frontal impact is received at an angle, lateral
as well as vertical bending occurs
If impact to the vehicle rear is small, the rear
bumper, back panel, trunk lid will be deformed
If the impact is severe enough, the quarter
panels will collapse to the base of the roof panel
Side damage will cause the door, front section
and center body pillar to deform
 Unibody Vehicle Damage (continued)

When the central area of the front fender

receives an impact, the front wheel is pushed in
If severe, the suspension parts are damaged
and the front wheelbase may be changed
Top impacts result from falling objects or rollover
This type of damage involves the roof panel, roof
side rail, quarter panels, and windows
When a vehicle has rolled over, the extent of the
damage can be determined by the deformation
around the windows and doors
 Dimensional References

A datum line or datum plane is an imaginary flat

surface parallel to the underbody of the vehicle
Plane from which all vertical dimensions are
taken
Center plane (centerline) divides vehicle into two
halves
Body center marks are stamped onto the sheet
metal in both the upper and lower body areas
All lateral dimensions are measured from the
center, and most vehicles should be symmetrical
 Dimensional References (continued)

Think of the vehicle as a rectangle divided into

three zero plane sections: front, center and rear
Symmetrical means that the dimensions on the
right side are equal to the dimensions on the left
If the vehicle is asymmetrical, these dimensions
are not the same
In such cases, use gauges that can be adjusted
to compensate for the asymmetry
 Vehicle Measuring Basics

In unibody construction each section should be

checked for diagonal squareness
Length and width should also be compared and
the center section should be used as a base
You must start with at least three dimensions
you know are undamaged
Reference points refer to the part of panel
locations used to give unibody dimensions
The distance between reference points can be
measured with a tram bar or a tape measure
 Types of Measuring Equipment

Measuring equipment found in collision repair

shops can be divided into four basic systems:
Gauge measuring systems
Universal measuring systems
Dedicated fixture systems
Electronic measuring systems
Gauge measuring systems use sliding metal
rods and adjustable pointers with ruled scales
Figure 20-15. Here the tram bar tip is touching the reference point on
the damaged vehicles radiator support. It is not centered in the hole
so the unibody must be straightened.
 Types of Measuring Equipment
(continued)
Tram bars are used for measurement and self-
centering gauges check for misalignment
Tracking gauge checks alignment of front and
rear wheels
Tram bar is a measuring rod with two adjustable
pointers attached to it
Best areas to select for tram bar measurements
are attachment points for suspension and
mechanical parts
 Types of Measuring Equipment
(continued)
Point-to-point measurement means the shortest
distance between two points
Datum measurement refers to the distance
between points measured from the datum line
Upper body damage can be determined by
using a tram bar and steel measuring tape, with
the same procedure as for underbody damage
When checking front end dimensions, measure
the attachment points for suspension and
mechanical parts
 Types of Measuring Equipment
(continued)
Each dimension should be checked from two
additional reference points, with at least one
diagonal measurement
The longer the dimension, the more accurate the
measurement
Body side structure damage can be evaluated
by the fit and operation of the doors
 Types of Measuring Equipment
(continued)
Diagonal line measurement compares
dimensions across an opening, or between four
reference points
Should be used when body data dimensions is
missing, or the vehicle was damaged in a rollover
Not adequate when both sides of the vehicle are
damaged, or the frame is twisted
Damage to the rear body can be analyzed by
the fit and operation of the deck lid
Measure rear body together with the underbody
Check dimensions from two or more references
 Self-Centering Gauges

Self-centering gauges show alignment by

projecting points on the vehicles structure into
the technicians line of sight
Establish the vehicle centerline and datum plane
To use self-centering gauges begin by hanging
two gauges near the center of the vehicle
Hang self-centering gauges from two places
where there is no visible damage, and two more
where there is obvious damage
 Self-Centering Gauges (continued)

The gauges are equipped with center pins or

sights which remain in the center of the gauge
regardless of the width of the horizontal bars
When sighting gauges for parallel, stand in the
middle, scanning with both eyes
Readings should be made at the outer edge of
the self-centering gauge, not in the middle
The gauges should always be set at the same
height or plane
The gauges remain in place during the repair
 Using the Datum Plane

To read for datum, read across the top of all four

gauges to determine if the datum is correct
If all gauges are parallel, the vehicle is on datum
To check for centerline misalignment
The center pin on the No. 2 gauge must be lined
up with the centerline on the No. 3 gauge
Then the pins of No. 1 and No. 4 can be read
The strut tower gauge shows misalignment of
the strut tower/upper body to the centerline
 Universal Measuring Systems

Universal measuring systems measure several

reference points at the same time
May be mechanical or laser or a combination
When the system is set up properly you can
monitor the key points by looking at the pointers
The pointers can be damaged during
straightening, so lower them for the pull
Most universal measuring manufacturers have
specific dimension charts intended for specific
equipment only
 Mechanical Measuring Systems

A typical mechanical system consists of:

A bridge that runs the length of the vehicle
Sliding arms that mount to the bridge
Pointers that are mounted to the arms
Specific features for vehicle make and model
The pointer may accept special adapters to fit
over a bolt head or into a reference point hole
Mechanical measuring systems are designed for
each family of body styles
 Dedicated Bench and Fixture
Measuring Systems
In a dedicated bench and fixture system instead
of taking measurements, dedicated fixtures are
used to check the body and frame alignment
The dedicated bench consists of a strong, flat
work surface to which fixtures are attached
Fixtures are thick metal parts that bolt between
the vehicle and bench to check alignment
If the fixture fits the vehicle, the underbody, strut
towers, etc. are in perfect alignment
 Dedicated Bench and Fixture
Measuring Systems (continued)
Bolt-on fixtures are used when attachment is
required to steering or suspension mountings
Pin-type and strut fixtures are used to mate with
reference point holes in the underbody
Bench extensions are included where the length
of the vehicle requires fixtures to be positioned
beyond the bench surface
At least three fixtures should be set up on
undamaged areas, then place as many as
possible in the damaged area of the vehicle
Figure 20-25. Note various fixture types.
Fixtures mount on the frame rack and fasten to
major structural panels on the vehicle. If the
bolts or pins on the fixtures do not line up, the
vehicle unibody is not aligned and is damaged.
 Electronic Measuring Systems

Electronic measuring systems use a computer to

control the operation of the measuring system
May use a laser scanner and reflective targets,
ultrasound, or robotic measuring arms
A laser measuring system uses a beam of light
aimed at a target or measuring scale
Target is hung or attached to the vehicle
Laser passes through center of the scale on the
target when measuring point is in correct position
Figure 20-34. Study the basic parts of a laser measuring system. Laser directs
beam or beams of light under and around the vehicles. Reflectors or beam splitters
then show the locations of reference points on the vehicle.
 Ultrasound Measuring Systems

Ultrasound measuring systems are similar to

laser systems, but use sound instead of light
An ultrasonic receiver beam mounts under the
vehicle center section
Ultrasound probes are mounted at the reference
points
Each probe generates sound waves, and the
receiver detects them
The computer calculates the exact location of
each probe and reference point being measured
Computerized Robotic Arm Measuring
Systems
A computerized robotic arm measuring system
uses a track-mounted robot arm to measure
reference points on the vehicle
Robot must be moved by hand into contact with
each reference point
The reading is stored in a computer
Control unit can store data and specifications for
up to four vehicle models
Measurements and deviations can be printed
 Summary

Two basic types of automotive construction:

Body-over-frame (BOF) vehicles
Unibody (or monocoque) vehicles
Vehicle damage is broken into five categories:
side sway, sag, mash, diamond, twist
Four basic measuring equipment systems:
gauge, universal, dedicated, and electronic
 Summary (continued)

Universal measuring systems have the ability to

measure several reference points at the same
time, making the job easier and more accurate
Universal measuring systems can be
mechanical or electronic, or a combination
Laser measuring system uses a strong beam of
light, beam splitters, and targets to measure
vehicle damage
Extremely accurate when properly installed and
used