Car Bench alignment and repair

Systems

There is a wide range of body repair equipment

available from Car Bench. This equipment is both

flexible and versatile, covering a full range of systems

designed to suit each individual workshop

and all repair situations. It is dual-purpose equipment,

suitable both for jig repair using brackets

and for repairs using a measurement system. The

equipment is described in the following sections.

Mobile bench

The mobile bench (Figure 14.22) is the simplest of

all the Car Bench models. It was primarily introduced

into the range of equipment for those

bodyshops with limited working space and height

restrictions. It is mounted on four robust wheels,

allowing it to be easily moved around the workshop.

This allows the repairer to utilize valuable workshop

space. The wheels are completely detachable, allowing

the bench to be lowered directly to floor level.

This enables a damaged car to be mounted on to

the jig frame with the minimum amount of effort.

Separate support legs are included for workshops

with uneven floors, and they can be adjusted until the

jig bed is perfectly levelled. The hydraulic pulling

unit can be mounted in any position, so pulls can be

made from any angle around the frame at the front,

the back or either side. This bench can be used with

the autocontrol measuring system, the minibracket

system and the traditional bracket system. It can also

be converted into a hoist by using the scissor-action

lift.

Mobile lift

The lift is an extremely versatile unit which can be

easily moved around the workshop (Figure 14.23). It

is unique in that the frame may be disengaged from

the lifting mechanism, allowing a repaired vehicle to

Figure 14.21The ECO 2000 mobile lifting trolley

(Celette UK )

Figure 14.22Mobile bench with autocontrol measuring system and swivel pull post (Car Bench International )

420Repair of Vehicle Bodies

be wheeled away. It incorporates the same hydraulic

pulling equipment and jig/measuring facilities as the

mobile bench.

Scissor-action lift

The scissor-action lift is quite unique in that once

the frame has been lowered to rest on its wheels, the

base unit can be automatically raised from the floor

so that it retracts directly into the frame. This gives

the necessary clearance needed to enable the mobile

bench to be moved freely around the workshop. It is

raised by using a mobile control unit with a lifting

capacity of 3.5 tonnes, which allows adjustment to

height levels to secure the frame in any comfortable

working position.

Standard Car Bench four-post lift

The jig itself is a rectangular steel frame incorporated

within a four-post 2.5 tonne lift (Figure 14.24). The

damaged vehicle can be either driven or pushed on to

the bench using a trolley jack. A special trolley is

placed under the damaged vehicle, enabling it to be

moved easily along the frame to meet the locating

points on the jig bed. Once mounted to the vehicle

the anchorage brackets are bolted to the predetermined

holes in the frame as specified on the jig

charts. This ensures that the strongest part of the

vehicle is securely anchored to the jig bed and that it

remains so throughout realignment and repair. The

anchorage bracket incorporates hollow bolts fitted

over spring hanger bolts on the front mounting of the

rear suspension, enabling the vehicle to be pivoted.

This allows further brackets to be fitted to specific

points on the vehicle, which may then be used as

checking locations. Further brackets, for repair and

panel assembly, are provided for fitting to the front

and rear suspension and mechanical pick-up points

of any type of vehicle. The swivel pull post can be

positioned at any point around the frame and locked

to it, to allow pulling to be carried out at any angle.

Figure 14.23Mobile lift with mini bracket support

system (Car Bench International )

Figure 14.24Four-post lift with autocontrol measuring system (Car Bench International )

Major accident damage 421

Alignment can be precisely checked at any stage

of the repair whilst pulling is in progress. This is

done by relating the jig brackets to the corresponding

holes on both the cross beams and the frame.

No further measuring of any kind is required.

Therefore the repairer can see how far to push or

pull to realign the section under repair. The essential

function of this system is to pull and realign

simultaneously and rebuild the damaged sections

with absolute precision while they are held in place

by the brackets. This four-post lift allows work at

any comfortable height giving complete freedom

and access around and under the bench.

Centre-post bench

This is suitable for workshops with an existing

centre piston installed. It has all the characteristics

of the standard Car Bench System.

Mini bracket/support system

This system, although greatly reduced in size and

weight, still retains the main features of the Car

Bench System. The special support arms, to which

modified brackets are fixed, are mounted on the

cross beams in the same manner as the original

bracket system (see Figure 14.23). They can be

moved both laterally and longitudinally in order to

locate the pick-up points on the underbody of the

vehicle. They may also be extended vertically and

horizontally to achieve unlimited positions for the

attachment of brackets. By doing this, Car Bench

has transformed the idea of a traditional bracket,

fixed and rigid, to a more functional system which

can be adapted to suit each individual repair regardless

of the make or model of the vehicle. Mini cross

beam plates have consequently been designed to

attach to the special support arms and have exactly

the same function as the original cross beams,

although they can now be moved nearer the car for

the attachment of this style of bracket.

Unified support system

The unified bracket system enables Car Bench users

to repair any vehicle using a bracket repair technique

but without the necessity for hiring brackets.

Because of their universal anchorage, this functional

system may be used in any repair situation, regardless

of the make or model of vehicle being repaired.

The unified system may be applied for use with all

the models in the Car Bench range of equipment. It

consists of four specific anchor points and eight

modular base blocks. These modular blocks can be

moved both vertically and horizontally to obtain

unlimited positions. Once the unified brackets are

attached to the base units, they are positioned

according to the technical data sheets provided.

Because the base blocks, incorporating unified

brackets, are fully adjustable, they give total accuracy

in all measurement readings. The data sheets

provide accurate measurements of vital control

points for mechanical parts both in position and dismantled.

The system has been designed in such a

way that it may be used in conjunction with the Car

Bench measuring system and mini bracket system

using the base modular blocks as starter packs.

Autocontrol measuring system

This system can be used with any Car Bench

model. It gives the repairer the dual advantage of

precision measuring allied to the use of brackets.

It is designed for use when damage occurs which

is not severe enough to necessitate jigging. The

system incorporates graduated rails for longitudinal

measurements, four sliding cross members for

external and internal measurements, and varying

lengths of tube with built-in millimetre scales for

obtaining height measurements. Four adjustable

sill clamps are also supplied to ensure a quick and

easy centralization and anchorage of the car to the

frame, whilst a special bridging device enables

the repairer to check for external damage to the

body shell. The system includes a wheeled storage

trolley to hold the measuring rods and adaptors,

and a catalogue of data sheets.