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By Jim Wilk, Licensed Auto Body
Technician
Introduction:
This 2006 Jeep Wrangler is owned by two
mechanics
who repair and sell Jeeps as a hobby. This Jeep had
collision damage in the right front area.
After repairing the suspension,
they asked me to repair the cowl area and fender
line.
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First thing I did was examine the damage. |
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The most visible damage was this wrinkle in
the side panel, just behind the cowl.
Upon further inspection,
I noticed more damage under the battery
mount. |
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combination battery tray / inner fender
support bracket had been driven back
in the collision. This area
will have to be repaired first, so I removed
the battery and bracket. |
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The
Frame-Straightening Machine:
I
removed the tire and braced the frame off
the floor with wood blocks. Next I anchored
the frame with chains to the floor anchors
mounted in the concrete.
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| I pulled
from a bracket welded at the top of the
damaged area. |
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I have lived
this long by following the safety rule of
staying clear of the pulling area.
I placed a hydraulic jack under the floor
pan area and applied upward pressure to
the buckle down there.
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| Having
already removed the battery tray, I threaded
special forged eye bolts into the
battery tray mounting holes. Then I pulled
each hole, one at a time, until the firewall
sheet metal looked flat. |
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Once the pressure
was relieved from the inner
area, I moved to the cowl area. To fix the
long wrinkle, I started pulling at the
bottom and worked towards the top.
With pulling pressure applied, I started working the buckle
area with a wood block and hammer. (I found
that flat wood works well with today's soft
metals)
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threaded the eye bolt into one of the fender
mounting holes and started pulling the outer
side panel, while working the buckle. |
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To pull
the outer lip of the side panel, I welded pulling blocks to the lip. |
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| I started
at the lower block and worked my way up,
carefully hammering
the metal as I pulled. |
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Metal Finishing:
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Once the structure and metal had been pulled to
the original shape, I began the metal finishing
process. |
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| First I stripped
the paint and primer of the metal area to be
worked. |
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Experienced Pro Technique -
Metal Shrinking:
After finding a slight outward hump
in the panel, I decided to shrink the metal in this
area.
Using the frame straightening
machine, I applied a pulling pressure to the edge of the
panel. With a torch, a shrink hammer, and a cold wet rag,
I started shrinking small spots, working my way from the
beginning of the hump to the edge of the panel.
The Procedure For Shrinking Each
Spot:
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Step 1:
I used an oxy-acetylene torch (equipped
with a welding tip) to heat an area the size
of a quarter.
I applied heat until the spot was a
dull cherry red color.
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Step 2:
I carefully tapped it with a shrink
hammer until I could see the end of the
ridge-shaped hump just starting to
flatten out.
My goal is to make that end of the
ridge move towards the edge of the metal
panel. |
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Step 3:
After hammering the hump, I quickly wiped
the metal with a cold wet rag.
When I cool the metal in this manner, I
can actually feel the metal
tightening under the cold rag, and I can see
the ridge begin to disappear. |
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shrinking the metal, I ground down the
surface with a 36 or 40 grit sanding disc
on an angle grinder.
Then I applied a light
coat of plastic body filler. |
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Then I
sanded the filler until it was smooth and level.
I power-sanded this area with 80 grit
sandpaper, then I hand-sanded with 150 grit,
followed by 240 grit. |
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| I mounted the
fender to the body, after the hidden
edge had been primed and painted. We always
pre-paint the hidden edges to completely
seal them and better resist corrosion. We
simply use spray cans of etching primer and
enamel spray paint that closely matches the
car's color. |
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Then the
area was primed with Matrix System MP-700
(super polyester primer surfacer). This
primer has a one hour drying time.
Then I sanded it with 400 grit sand
paper.
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| Painting
the front of a Jeep was done with the hood
off, to do the job properly. |
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We used Matrix System's MPB
Premium Basecoat with MS-42 Premium High Solids
Clearcoat.
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After the
painting was completed, the jeep was returned
to the owners for assembly. |
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| View of
repaired area. The
owners will apply the Jeep emblem. |
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The work in this article was performed at
R-TECH Auto
Body in Traverse City, Michigan.
More Info:
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Tools Used:
- Basic Mechanic's Tools
- Automotive Frame
Straightener
- Oxy-Acetylene
Welding Torch
- Shrinking Hammer
- Rags
- Dual-Action
Sander
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Materials Used:
- Sanding Discs, 36
or 40 grit
- Sandpaper: 80,
150, 240 grit
- Auto Body Filler
- Etching Primer
- Automotive Paint
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