Unibody Repair- What You Should Know
There are many ways a car compares to a house. Both a car and a house have a frame that holds every component together. That said, collisions can damage the sub-frame of your car even when they happen while driving at a moderate speed. The damage can affect the aesthetics of your vehicle. However, a serious accident can leave your car with a major structural issue. The internal features of the car can be compromised. If the sub-frame or unibody damage is not fixed, your car can end up with long-term issues. Over time, the issues can affect the drivability of your car.
Sub-frame versus Unibody
Old cars have sub-frames while newer cars come with unibodies. Sub-frame structures are simply modular. This means it’s possible to remove them when repairing a car. However, sub-frames are not common in modern cars.
But, from the early 2000s, unibodies became the industry standard. What makes unibody design amazing is the fact that the frame is one component. Since it’s unitary, the unibody provides added rigidity to a vehicle unlike multiple sub-components. Although it’s possible to repair unibody and sub-frame, special skills and tools are required.
Repairs
Whether your vehicle has dents and dings or it requires a major overhaul after a serious damage, unibody repairs can be challenging because the car has unique specifications. As such, special skills and tools are required to maintain the original performance engineering and safety of the car after repair.
Different collision results dictate how unibody repair should be approached. Nevertheless, skilled auto body repair technicians know what to do to achieve the desired results. It’s possible to straighten bent parts in some cases. However, there are cases where rebuilding or replacing some parts is required. This depends on the scale and scope of the damage and post-collision issues.
Extensive factory welding may be required to reattach frame parts after an accident. Special welding type should be used relying on precise control of heat. The major challenge when it comes to unibody repair is straightening the bent or twisted frames. Hydraulic tool is mostly required because high pressure or force is required to straighten out the damaged parts.
Overall, unibody repair requires specialized skills and tools for excellent results to be achieved. Take your vehicle to a reputable auto body repair shop to ensure safe and successful unibody repair.
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