DIY truck body repair

In detail: do-it-yourself truck body repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Like any other automobile, trucks also require periodic repairs. However, the design of trucks is different from cars. Consequently, their repair also takes place in a slightly different way.

It is better to entrust the repair of heavy cars to professionals. Car workshop specialists will repair the car as soon as possible. After all, a truck is used by owners most often as a means of earning money. Therefore, even a short-term downtime brings very large losses.

The frame structure is inherent in both domestic trucks and foreign ones. Repair of all trucks consists of two stages:

restoration of cabins;
restoration of frames.

This division applies to any frame technology. According to this scheme, buses, light frame cars and heavy trucks are repaired. And every stage is important. When restoring trucks, it is imperative to take into account their considerable weight, as well as overall dimensions. All units of such cars are heavy. In addition, an important feature of trucks is the presence of a frame in their base.

For the repair of trucks, slipways are necessarily used. This allows work to be carried out with high precision. When the bodywork process is over, the geometry of the frame and body is carefully checked. At the final stage, the repaired car parts undergo anti-corrosion treatment, as well as painting inside special cameras.

Body repair of trucks in a car service consists of the following stages:

a preliminary inspection of the machine is done;
the geometric components of the car body are verified;
paint is removed from machine parts, places damaged by rust are well cleaned;
parts are being repaired that can be easily removed from the car;
the restoration of non-removable units, assemblies is carried out;
parts made of plastic and other non-metallic materials are being updated;
the frames of trucks are being restored;
the bodywork process of "resuscitation" of the car is completed with painting and anti-corrosion works.

Video (click to play).

Specialists carry out high-quality filling of damaged surfaces of machines. They also make a primer. The paint is selected especially carefully, because its color should correspond to that in which the car being repaired is painted. When covering the machine with paints and varnishes, the dye must be applied in several layers.

The body process of restoring cars also involves straightening, welding, and grinding. So, for example, to restore radiators and cast titanium, aluminum, copper disks, the argon welding method is used at car services. It provides increased bond strength. Consequently, the performed repairs guarantee high reliability of units and parts during operation.

The argon welding method allows you to save significant money on the purchase of new parts, since it perfectly restores damaged ones!

The most difficult and laborious is the body repair of very large trucks. Also, work on the restoration of buses is difficult due to the bulkiness of these machines. Large trucks and buses are difficult to paint because the spray booth is limited in size.

During repair and restoration work, if necessary, the damaged glass is replaced. They are either glued into the structure of the machine, or inserted into special rubber seals. After replacing the windshield, it is advisable to change the wiper blades.

You can read about car body welding here.

A frame in a car is called a power frame, which acts as the basis for fastening all

body parts, engine, gearbox, drives, etc. It is usually necessary to resort to such technology as welding a frame with minor deformations of this part. For example, if cracks, chips, folds have formed, then in this case, it will be advisable to cook the frame. However, the welding technology should be strictly observed, because not only the quality of the frame will depend on this, but also in the future the safety of using the car.

Very often, trucks, for example KAMAZ, which transport large loads, can fail right on the highway. In order to prevent the occurrence of such an unpleasant situation, you should constantly monitor the state of the frame and make timely repairs to this part.

In order for the connection to be strong and reliable during the welding of the truck frame, a number of rules and requirements must be observed.

The first thing worth noting is the need to ensure that the metal does not overheat in the area where the seam is formed. It is necessary to cook the seam in small pieces, the length of which does not exceed 5 mm.

Be sure to wait a while until the weld has cooled down.

Next, you need to process the edges. This is done by means of a plasma cutter or grinder, because this is the most suitable option for cutting metal.
When welding the frame, make sure that the transitions from the secondary metal to the main metal are as smooth as possible. Be careful not to create undercuts, as it is this defect that will cause the frame to crack. In addition, the root must be boiled along its entire length, otherwise the whole process will be meaningless.

Considering the fact that it is quite difficult to work with many trucks, which are not very large in size, and the frame is very often prone to breakage, regardless of the quality of the seam, there is only one way out - you need to strengthen the place of the breakdown. A channel and a bolted connection are suitable for this.

Before proceeding directly to the welding process, the part should be well prepared. It is important to correctly identify the damage, for this it is necessary to remove all body elements and inspect the affected area. The place where the crack ends must be drilled out. This will help prevent damage from developing.

Advice! Use drills with a diameter of 5 mm.

Such welding works are performed with a semiautomatic device.

Learn more about the welding process. As already noted, the welding process is carried out in several passes.

At the first pass of the burner - the root is boiled. Prooking is carried out with electrodes, which are a wire with a thickness of 1.2 mm with the Sv08 index. Welding work is carried out under the influence of a current of 100 A. On the second and third pass, the current indicator should be 110 A with the same welding wire, while the beads should be as thin as possible and overlap each other. On the fourth pass, the current increases to 120 A.

It is important that cooking is carried out without interrupting the arc. This is the only way you can get the most even and high-quality seam.

All seams after the end of welding must be properly processed. The metal must be protected from negative environmental influences. The connection area must be washed, then sandblasted, degreased, primed and painted.

In conclusion, it should be noted that welding a truck frame is a process that requires concentration and care. In order for the seam to be as strong and high-quality as possible, the welder must have some work experience. Since the frame is an important part on which the safety of driving depends. Do not forget about safety and when welding, be sure to wear special protective clothing.If you follow all the rules and requirements, then in the end you will get the highest quality connection.

Damage to the wagon requires a fairly serious repair, and often a simple scratch is not enough here. Traffic accidents involving trucks or overloading a trailer often entail damage that requires a major restoration of equipmentMajor damage Image - DIY truck body repair

The damage received by a truck can be of different nature, but the main blow falls on the body. As a result of an accident, dents, scratches, tears, fractures and distortions are formed on structural elements.

Such damage does not always disrupt the operation of the transport, and most truck owners believe that if the frame is bent a little, nothing terrible will happen, only the appearance has deteriorated.

In fact, in the course of an accident, damage can be obtained, which will only make itself felt after a while. As a result, an accident can:

The axle of the truck will move.
Increase fuel consumption.
Accelerate tire wear.
Stop closing the door during the geometric deformation of the body.

An accident can cause disturbances in the internal devices of the equipment, which will lead to a malfunction at any time. This can happen while parking or driving on a freeway.

As a result, the owner of a freight transport has two solutions: to restore the truck on his own or to order a body repair in a specialized car service.

Important! Even after a serious accident or other damage, you can restore the iron horse on your own. But you need to know a number of rules and nuances so as not to aggravate the situation.

How to carry out body repairs?

The recovery of the truck takes place in stages. Repairs are carried out as follows:

The cab is dismantled from the frame and installed on the slipway. The repair slip has attachment points as on the frame and allows the cab to be returned to its factory settings by leveling out certain bends.
Diagnostics is being carried out. The cabin is inspected and the places of damage are studied.
Straightening, metal. Dents to be repaired are straightened using a pneumohydraulic station. Instead of flattening, you can cut a piece of metal and replace it with a new one. But it should be borne in mind that it is easier to return the geometric shape to the truck on factory metal.
The necessary elements are cut off. If you can't get around without a grinder, then the cut must be done carefully, not along the weld.
Weldable, metal. Welding should take place in a carbonic environment in a spot-like manner to avoid overheating of the iron.
The cab is being prepared for painting. Weld seams, old enamel are cleaned. Then the surface is removed with a putty. The procedure must be carried out slowly. The durability of the repair and appearance will depend on how carefully the body is prepared for painting.

The cabin is being painted. It is necessary to carefully select enamel, paint and paint.

Leave the upper body to dry and move on to the frame. Despite its sturdy construction, the powerful iron cannot withstand the pressure of the truck, which is why it starts to be driven or twisted by a screw.

To straighten the frame, use induction heating or a gas burner. However, using a burner weakens the iron and makes it softer. To return the frame to its factory parameters, a special slipway is used, on which deviations from the norm are monitored. After that, the heated metal is directed in the required direction.

After repairing the frame, we assemble the body and look at the result of the work.

Pros and cons of DIY body repair

Have you decided to repair the damage yourself? Great, but first learn the main pros and cons of doing this.

The advantages of self-repair are:

Saving money. Restoring equipment on your own does not require a lot of funds. You can always find components several times cheaper than those offered in a car service.
Quality. If you want to do well, do it yourself. Each driver takes care of his car like a child, so he will always be careful about his work. You can choose parts, painting and other materials yourself.

Despite two significant advantages, self-repair has a number of disadvantages. The main disadvantages are:

The need for special equipment. The whole procedure for restoring the body and the trailer requires a slipway, a rack, a grinder, a welding machine, an induction heater and a number of other devices.
Time costs. If you do not have sufficient experience in working with metal and repairing trucks, the restoration procedure can take more than one day.
Difficulty in implementation. To get a good result, you need to have skills in handling tools and know the basic properties of metals. For example, if the frame overheats, the structure may weaken. Outwardly, you will be able to return the geometric shape, but with a small impact, the metal may not withstand and cause even more damage to the rest of the structure.

It is recommended to repair trucks on your own only if you have certain skills and special equipment. In another case, you should not risk it, because you can spend time and money, but in the end you still have to contact the masters of their craft.

Trust the professionals

Special equipment and a staff of professionals, each of whom knows his own business, is what is needed for a quality repair. Do you want to receive a truck after restoration, as from the factory? Freight car service "Motion Technology" will provide you with such an opportunity. The main advantages of the service:

Professional equipment. Stands, induction heating, slipways and other accessories from renowned manufacturers.

Experienced staff. Behind the shoulders of nude craftsmen, hundreds of repairs have been completed. They know what is best for your truck in a given situation.
Quality materials. Paint, enamel, putty - the high quality of these materials will ensure the preservation of the exterior of the body for a long time.

It is not worth risking a technique that costs a fortune. Spend hundreds of times less and get a well-repaired truck within a few days. The full list of services can be found on the company's website.

Message Ivanych »12 Aug 2011, 21:26

Message Ermak »13 Aug 2011, 20:44

Message Ivanych »13 Aug 2011, 21:08

Message Ivanych »16 Aug 2011, 20:52

Message Volodia3281 »16 Aug 2011, 23:12

Message DIESEL »17 Aug 2011, 19:57

Ivan why plywood and not a 40a or 50a board.

Added after 1 minute 6 seconds:
And where did you buy such eyebrows? What price.

Added after 3 minutes 26 seconds:
Himself, too, will have to rework the body. Until now, the native floor is made of mahogany, although it is already full of holes and weak. Hold on until the fall, so as not to lose work yet)))

Message Ivanych »17 Aug 2011, 20:10

The board is very poorly laid out, dries up. and loaders always load from the side, it turns out against the grain. And this is special plywood. she now spreads on all trucks and on Koreans and on KAMAZ trucks. I'll try, but it will definitely serve for three years.
And the eyebrows are my relatives, as they stood on the old Japanese wooden one, they remained, without them I can no longer imagine fasteners.

Added after 9 minutes 37 seconds:
Another photo is below. oak interlayer between body and frame! I had to pull the body to the frame with ten stepladders, on a wooden one there were six

Message DIESEL »17 Aug 2011, 20:16

All clear. It's just that he changed his native floor on the Hinka to a 40k board and served for two years without any jambs. The partner has been driving the 40ke for four years and is also good. Chipped and cracked, of course. But this is all from concrete and iron))) You have to carry a lot of things that can damage the body and the floor.Well, plywood is most likely for intercity cars. Everything is there on flights or so packed that horseradish crumbles and damage the floor))) Something like this IMHO.

Added after 3 minutes 23 seconds:
The spacer between the metal is a must, it is impossible without it. There are also rivets in places in front of the frame under the body in the place where the frame is reinforced under the CMU. Or wooden or conveyor belt)))

The restoration of the skeleton of trucks and other large-sized equipment has its own differences. Initially, this concerns the dimensions and weight of both the cars themselves and their individual mechanisms. The second difference between the repair of the body of trucks, in contrast to the restoration of the metal frame of "cars", implies the obligatory presence of a frame on trucks. We will learn more about the features of these types of work from the article.

ATTENTION! Found a completely simple way to reduce fuel consumption! Don't believe me? An auto mechanic with 15 years of experience also did not believe until he tried it. And now he saves 35,000 rubles a year on gasoline! Read more"

The main difference between the repair of a truck and a "passenger car" is the design. Accordingly, the repair is carried out in a different way. It is better to entrust the repair of the truck to specialists. They, as a rule, guarantee not only the high quality of work, but also the result in the shortest possible time. This is only a plus for the owners, who in most cases use a truck as a means of earning money, and even the shortest downtime brings big losses.

So, in view of the fact that almost all trucks are equipped with a frame system, their repair can be carried out according to two scenarios.

Frame restoration.
Restoring the booth.

This classification can apply not only to trucks, but also to frame cars, for example, such as UAZ.

A slipway is an indispensable tool if a truck body repair is carried out. It is this professional equipment that is able to ensure high accuracy of the geometric component of the body or frame during the restoration process.

The final stage of body repair involves anticorrosive treatment and painting of the car in special closed boxes.

The cost of restoration work depends on various components. As a rule, the price is determined by a specialist after examining the damage.

As well as car body repair, these restoration works are also carried out in accordance with the rules and consistently. The skeleton of a car can be tidied up even if the car is involved in a major accident.

Consider the main stages of restoration work on a truck body:

First, a qualified inspection is carried out;
The geometry of the body is diagnosed;
Parts are cleaned of traces of rust and paintwork;
Easily removable body elements are restored;
Straightening, straightening and bringing to the original geometry of the body elements is carried out;
The frame is being repaired;
Painting and anticorrosive work is being carried out.

As for welding, argon welding is used for non-ferrous body elements. The latter provides a strong and reliable connection of body elements. Argon arc welding is also called universal, because it can solve a wide range of tasks facing a body repair specialist. This type of welding is considered super modern, it allows not only to repair the components of the body with high quality, but also to save finances for the purchase of new parts.

The most labor-intensive is considered to be in the body repair of trucks, the restoration of the frame of the bus. This complexity is explained by the large dimensions of the latter. On the other hand, if a garage or service is equipped with a modern-type painting camera, then cars up to 14-15 meters long can be restored in such a box.

Recently, on the roads of our country, you can find a considerable number of Japanese trucks. Isuzu and Nissan are finding their recognition on Russian roads more and more often.Regardless of the area of application, the "Japanese" are always at their best, because the cars from the Land of the Rising Sun are powerful, fast and have excellent traction characteristics. All this, including being equipped with advanced and reliable electronic assistants, makes these trucks attractive in our country and around the world.

The popularity of Japanese trucks can be explained, in particular, by the fact that Isuzu is assembled in our country, and Nissan supplies light Spanish-assembled Cabstar trucks to Russia at an affordable cost. Nissan Kabstar, among other things, is incredibly economical, has a high payload and ease of use and comfort.

Unfortunately, in the course of active operation, the body of even the highest quality car falls into disrepair. It "gets old", its parts get rusty, deformed, and so on.

If in the recent past all body problems were eliminated by drivers mainly with their own hands, today the companies that carry out body repairs are highly valued and are in great demand. If earlier domestically produced trucks were in vogue, parts for which could even be produced independently, then a modern, improved and powerful truck already requires more qualified service.

Repair of bodies of Japanese cars requires different approaches. As with the maintenance of any large-sized equipment, the repair of the Isuzu and Nissan skeletons has its own nuances.