Body Misalignment Check
| CAUTION | Never apply heat to the bumper energy absorbers. Heat could cause the material in the absorbers to expand and flow out of the absorbers or crack the metal housing. Always remove the absorbers before carrying out body frame service near them. Never use a bumper energy absorber for pulling. |
| CAUTION | Do not attempt to correct any serious misalignment with a pulling/pushing operation. Damage to the structure could occur. |
| CAUTION | In case of severe or sharp bends, it may be necessary to use heat. Any attempt to cold-straighten a severely bent bracket may cause ruptures of the welds. It may also cause cracks in the bent part. Never heat the area to more than 650°C (l,200°F). Always use temperature-indicating crayons when applying heat to any part. |
Note. All measurements should be made from the bare metal; remove the trim and bumper covers as necessary.
Note. The subframe is not meant to be straightened. If structural damage occurs to the subframe, a new subframe should be installed.
- Repair the badly damaged areas before taking measurements for underbody alignment.
- To check the underbody alignment, take the measurements between opposite reference points, such as crease lines or weld joints.
- Monitor the upper body structure for excessive stress or movement while making any corrections to the underbody structure. Remove all the necessary glass to prevent breakage. For additional information, refer to «GLASS, FRAMES AND MECHANISMS»(ref-233011) .
Underbody Misalignment Check
| CAUTION | Do not attempt to correct any serious misalignment with a pulling/pushing operation. Damage to the structure could occur. |
Note. To make sure of accurate measurements, remove all trim from the reference points to expose bare metal.
Note. The subframe is not meant to be straightened. If structural damage occurs to the subframe, a new subframe should be installed.
- To align or square a body, take 2 opposite diagonal measurements between pillars. Take measurements between reference points such as crease lines or weld joints, which are diagonally opposite each other on the 2 pillars being measured.
- When repairing a vehicle with damage on both sides, take horizontal and vertical measurements from an intact vehicle and transfer the dimensions to the damaged vehicle. Alignment can be made by diagonal measurements taken from points on the 2 pillars.
- The dimensions of the underbody must be restored, in repairing major body damage, to provide correct front and rear wheel geometry. Once the frame and suspension members are aligned other repair operations can be carried out.