Collision Repair Training | Australia
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Collision Repair Training | Australia
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Current Events/News: Advantage Online: 2003 Archives
THE AUDI A8 DOOR ASSEMBLY
The outer panel includes the door skin and the lower, outer edge of the door shell (see Figure 2). In Figure 2, notice the sound deadener adhered to the inner door skin. This thin, stiff membrane helps prevent the aluminum skin from vibrating. The pieces of the outer panel are riveted and welded together (see Figure 3). The inner panel includes the upper door frame and the inner part of the door shell (see Figure 4). The inner panel also has all of the movable glass parts attached or welded to it, which makes it easy to transfer all of these parts to another outer panel if this part of the door is not damaged. The pieces of the inner panel are clinched and welded together (see Figure 5). The inner panel slides into the outer panel and bolts into place in four locations around the inner edge of the outer panel (see Figure 6). A wedge-shaped adjustment plate is used between the inner and outer panels in the lower inner bolt location (see Figure 7). This plate allows an in-and-out tilt adjustment of the door before torquing the bolts. Audi recommends a specific torquing sequence to avoid adding stress to the door panel. The upper inner bolt is torqued first, then the outer inner bolt, then the outer lower bolt, and finally the inner lower bolt to 30 Newton meters or 22 foot-pounds. The intrusion beam differs from the traditional design in raw material, appearance, attachment method and mounting location (see Figure 8). Instead of the traditional round, ultra-high-strength steel construction, the intrusion beam on the Audi A8 is made of aluminum and has an extruded structure that connects the beam to the lower door seam on the outer panel (see Figure 9). Instead of being welded to the inner door panel, the intrusion beam is bolted. Also, instead of spanning across the middle of the door shell, the intrusion beam attaches to lower parts of the outer panel and the inner hinge bracket (see Figure 10). Unlike a traditional intrusion beam, if it is not damaged, this intrusion beam can be easily transferred to a new outer panel. Additional information on aluminum exterior panels can be found in the soon-to-be-released I-CAR Enhanced Delivery program “Panel Replacement Aluminum Program 1.” Watch for it in your area. |
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