Collision Repair Training | Australia
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Collision Repair Training | Australia
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Current Events/News: Advantage Online: 2002 Archives
BONDING AN OEM WELDED-ON QUARTER PANEL August 26, 2002 -Recently, General Motors released a bulletin (GM Bulletin #02-08-98-001) that provides general guidelines for using adhesives on exterior body panels. These procedures include door skins, roof skins, quarter panels, and rear body panels. To address the general guidelines, vehicle-specific procedures are provided in this bulletin. These procedures include the outer door panel replacement on the Cadillac CTS, the outer quarter panel and rear body panel replacement on the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe, and the outer roof panel on the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire Coupe.It’s important to note that the use of adhesives is only authorized by General Motors on exterior panels that General Motors has an adhesive bonding procedure for. Additionally, these guidelines do NOT apply to underbody or upperbody structural-type repairs. At the time this article is being written, only one product maker and two products (Lord Fusor 108B/109B or 110B/111B) meet the performance requirements established by General Motors. The following procedure is for replacing a factory welded quarter panel with adhesive on a 2001 Pontiac Montana minivan. Unique to this procedure is the flange design beneath the sliding door track. In this location, the quarter panel flange is sandwiched beneath the outer flange and on top of the inner flange. Welded-On Quarter Panel Removal To begin this repair, remove the related parts and protect adjacent panels and glass from damage. Next, locate the spot welds by removing the seam sealers and coatings. Use a spot weld cutter to remove spot welds along the rear of the quarter panel, wheelhouse, dog leg, and along the sliding door track area. To drill out the spot welds beneath the sliding door track, the spot weld cutter needs to be set to drill through two thicknesses of metal: the outer upper panel and the quarter panel. Do NOT drill through the inner panel. To help separate the quarter panel flange, bend the outer flange slightly upward. The amount of bend should be limited to avoid damaging the flange.Flange Preparation
Next, prime any bare steel areas outside of the flange area to provide corrosion protection after the quarter panel has been installed. Be sure to mask the bare steel bonding areas and adjacent panels to prevent overspray. After the primer has dried and the masking is removed, prepare the replacement panel by removing the E-coat from the panel flanges. This coating must be removed from the flange around the entire panel. Adhesive Preparation And Open Time
During this process, it’s important to work quickly as the adhesive will begin to cure. The higher the ambient temperature, the shorter the cure time. In higher temperatures, it may be better to choose an adhesive with a longer open time. Other tips to extend the open time include storing the adhesive product container in a cool area or applying the product during a cool part of the day such as early morning. Adhesive Application
Next, attach the replacement panel to the vehicle. To ensure that the adhesive is not scraped off during installation, place the top of the quarter panel between the flanges first and position the bottom of the panel last. Clamp the panel in place using locking pliers and sheet metal screws. With the panel in position and clamped in place, place another bead of adhesive on top of the quarter panel flange in the sliding door track area. Next, bend the outer flange back into position over the quarter panel flange. Try to avoid hammering the panel so that the outer flange does not bounce off the inner flange. Installing the sliding door track will help hold the flange assembly together. After the adhesive has cured, remove the clamps, sheet metal screws, and sliding door track.Transferring Brackets And Trim Parts
For this particular repair, the bracket will be bonded to the new panel. Therefore, remove the coatings from the bonding surface on the quarter panel and the bracket. Next, determine the bracket placement on the new quarter panel by using the measurements taken from the damaged panel and transferring them to the new panel. With adhesive applied to the quarter panel and bracket, attach the bracket to the quarter panel. Use sheet metal screws to hold the bracket in place. After the bracket is attached, fill the sheet metal screw holes that were used to hold the quarter panel in place with adhesive. While this adhesive cures, the exterior trim panels can be attached. In this example, the replacement part was supplied without the trim attachment holes. Therefore, holes must be drilled in the new panel. To locate the holes, one of two methods can be used. The first method uses the damaged quarter panel as a template. To do this, begin by cutting away part of the damaged quarter panel to make it easier to attach this template to the new panel. Then, cut the welded-on studs off of the damaged part and drill a hole through their location. This provides the exact location where the replacement studs should be welded onto the new panel.
Quarter Panel Replacement Summary There are several key points to remember when using an adhesive for quarter panel installation. First, follow the adhesive maker’s recommendations when preparing the flange and mixing the adhesive. Improper preparation will result in a poor bond. Second, flange design can make it difficult to ensure that the adhesive is not scraped off during installation. In this installation, the panel is slid top first between the inner and outer panel flanges to reduce this risk. Third, time is critical. It’s important to watch the ambient temperature and make sure the adhesive is not beyond its open time when the panel is installed. Adhesive that is beyond its open time will need to be completely removed and a new bead reapplied. |
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