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.