The collision repair field is one of many industries that deal with the multiple facets of mechanical and electrical engineering. However, most collision repairers will deal primarily with the mechanical engineering aspect and have a dealer or other professionals deal with the electrical system components.  Some might refer to this field as “automotive engineering,” or “automotive design engineering,” regardless of the terminology, we will be discussing the engineering field, particularly the related mathematics and science.  If we compare the auto body field to some other fields that work closely with engineering, you will see a vast difference in how these fields compare with each other, as it pertains to collision damage, or damaged component repairs.  Let’s look at an example, if a large ocean liner crashes into a pier and the ship sustains structural damage, the ship goes into dry dock for repairs.  While there, does the ship go on a Ship-O-Liner and do the ship’s technicians pull the damage back into shape by eyeballing it?  Not at all.  If the ship had sustained any structural damage, the procedure would require the removal and replacement of the damaged components, as there is no realigning or repairing damaged components.  The ship technicians would be required to adhere to the original design specifications, and the ship would be measured multiple times before final welding and/or riveting of the replacement parts.

What might happen to the typical collision damaged vehicle?  In some repair shops, the vehicle would be damage-analyzed while still assembled.  Parts would be ordered, and the vehicle would be torn down and placed on a frame machine.  At that time, in many cases, there would be more damaged components found and ordered.  The repairs would begin, since it would be a waste of time to remove the vehicle from the frame machine.  As parts showed up, the technician would try to fit the parts, all while taking measurements with a tape measurer or tram gauge, since three-dimensional equipment “takes too long to set up” or the subscription is outdated, broken or unavailable because they never bought one.  The vehicle would come off the frame machine and go into the plastic department.  From there, it would go to the paint department and then on to reassembly.  While the vehicle is being reassembled, the technician might have to drill larger holes to make parts fit correctly; from there, the vehicle would go for a wheel alignment – often on the day delivery is scheduled!  The wheel alignment shop then calls to inform you that they cannot perform the proper adjustments to align the vehicle aka “the vehicle will not take an alignment” due to the front or rear suspension being out of specification!  Has this ever happened to you?  Well, here is a solution that will help you avoid this and other similar productivity-killing situations.  I have developed a plan to prevent problems with any vehicle repair.  The theory is simple, logical and if followed precisely, will assist you in securing a proper, safe and liability free repair. It is broken down into two components; the EME Principle and 54.

The EME principle or “Every, Most and Every”

• Every

every collision-damaged vehicle must be measured.  Regardless of the type of damage a vehicle may or may not have sustained, some components might have been jarred or skewed from their original position and will need to be checked, or you may need to verify if the vehicle was in a previous unrelated collision.  Most three-dimensional measuring equipment, such as a Car-O-Liner, Celette or Chief, allows the vehicle to be measured without being placed on the frame machine.

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are designing vehicles with an emphasis on safety in the passenger compartment with the addition of Ultra High-Strength Steels (UHSS) and Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS).  Most OEMs utilize UHSS or AHSS in martensitic steel, boron alloyed steel, and UsiBor for inner structural reinforcement pillars and panels.

The late model structures are designed to force the collision energy around the passenger compartment to the opposite end or side of the vehicle.  If you look closely at any frontal crash test video, you will see the late model vehicles will stay ridged in the center section while the rear of the vehicle will continue to move in a forward direction.  This is a great example of why a vehicle hit in the front will not take a wheel alignment; the rear section moved forward, and rear suspension components were displaced due to the collision pulse, even though there may have been only minor to medium damage in the front.

• Most

Most measured collision damaged vehicles will require structural alignment (if allowed by the OEM) and/or component replacement.  Even if the wheel/suspension assembly gets ripped off the vehicle, many of the suspension components are attached to the structure of the vehicle, so there could be damage or movement to the attachment points.  If you measure the vehicle and there is no structural damage, you will know that when you first start the repairs to the vehicle, not after it has been repaired and ready for delivery (or so you think).

• Every

With every structurally realigned vehicle and/or any joined component replacement, the vehicle MUST have at least a four-wheel alignment check.  Look at any crash video and examine the suspension movement.  Although I can’t say that the vehicle must have a wheel alignment, I can state it must be checked for proper adjustment.  A four-wheel alignment check is just that, a check.  You are simply verifying the position of the adjustable components on a suspension system, with no adjustments being performed.  The days of “set the toe and let it go” are over. A two-wheel alignment is only proper for pre-1980’s vehicles.  Collision damaged vehicles must have a four-wheel alignment (or what I refer to as an “all-wheel alignment”).

“54”

The “5” represents the five areas of the vehicle that must be measured, and the “4” represents the number of times it must be measured.

Areas of Measurements:

1. Underbody (including four Centering Points): this is the starting point for most three-dimensional measuring systems and is the foundation of the system.  This is where Zero Plane, Centerline and Datum Plane are established.  The underbody set-up will establish all the other measurements you will need to properly ascertain if the vehicle structure is within specifications.
2. Underhood: the underhood area measurements will establish if the radiator core support and strut towers are within specification. This is imperative for proper wheel alignment.
3. Side Structure Openings/Glass: a vehicle that has side damage will offset or skew the pillars, rocker panel, floor pan and even the roof structure.  Measuring this area will ensure that during the repair process, the center section or passenger compartment is restored back to the original integrity.  The side structure measurements will also ensure that the doors will line up properly during the repair process.  Over the past 30 years, bonded stationary glass has taken a more active role in the structural integrity of vehicles. The areas where the bonded glass is affixed have gotten tighter in tolerances.  Due to these tighter tolerances, repair technicians are challenged to ensure accurate measurements when replacing structural parts that involve bonded stationary glass.
4. Trunk/Hatch Opening: These openings will need to be checked for proper operation and alignment.  The trunk/hatch area needs to be measured for collateral damage after a side or frontal impact.  Especially when dealing with an SUV or station wagon. The vehicle could have collateral damage due to the attachment of the hatch/tailgate assembly.
5. Suspension Mounting/Parts: If the vehicle structure has sustained damage, it would be imperative that the suspension mounting areas be checked since many of the suspension parts are attached directly to the structure. This is a major cause of wheel alignment issues. Much of the measuring equipment available today will allow you to measure suspension components and make comparative measurements.

The 4 Times: Times to Take Measurements

1. For the Estimate (damage report)/Blueprint (disassemble prior to repairs): If the vehicle is not measured during the estimating process, it will be impossible to write a complete and accurate estimate. The estimate should function as a blueprint, much like the blueprint used by architects and contractors.  It is the foundation of a good repair. Too many times, in collision repair shops, estimators feel that damage to a vehicle is a one- or two-day job, and there is no way the vehicle sustained any significant damage or structural displacement.  In some cases, this may be correct. However, the unitized monocoque and monocoque over full frame vehicles need to be measured to verify if they have sustained any structural displacement or if there are any pre-existing issues. The measuring for estimating can easily be done on a two-post lift with three-dimensional measuring equipment.
2. Prior to Repair, on the Bench: once the vehicle is on the structural realignment equipment, it will need to be remeasured due to a change of the datum measurements (height). This will assist the technician in their repair plan for the structural realignment (if allowed and necessary) and/or replacement of components.
3. During the Repair, Replace, and or Sectioning Procedures: the repair process will encompass either repairing (structural alignment if allowed) and/or replacing structural components. Those components will need to be positioned accurately back on the vehicle prior to welding, riveting, bonding or any combination of the joining method required by the OEM. Some vehicle tolerances are near one millimeter in height, length or width, so there is little to no margin for error.
4. Final Prior to Removal: to ensure proper repairs. The structural alignment technician will also need to print a post-repair measuring report for the work file. This report will need to be accessible for proof of structural alignment if required later. The estimator is the “quarterback of the shop.” If he or she fails to document the repairs this could have catastrophic consequences.

The estimators or damage assessors play a pivotal role in the shop’s success and profitability.  They must set the repair process in proper motion by writing an accurate damage report.  The report will be used as the work order after it’s put through the management system and will eventually be the final repair invoice.  It is imperative that this damage report encompasses all the damage that is repaired, and/or replaced and then refinished.  All too often in repair facilities, the damage assessor writes an incomplete estimate and will generally say, “I’ll just call for a supplement” or “I don’t have time to get that deep into this vehicle, I will worry about it later” or the dreaded “they won’t pay for that, so I’m not writing for it.” That is, quite simply, no way to run a collision repair facility.  Oftentimes, one will hear “the insurance company will not pay for (the procedure in question).”  The insurance company representatives are not repair professionals; insurance companies reimburse the vehicle owner for the repairs and cannot dictate the repair process.

Each OE will recommend or require specific repair procedures.

The business of collision repair has drastically changed over the past 18 years due to advanced materials, ADAS and all electric vehicles.  The days of repairing vehicles based on your opinion and past experiences are over.  Repair facilities need OEM repair information and training just to understand what is and is not repairable.  The days of using heat to repair vehicles are also over. Advanced High-Strength Steels cannot be heated. Most OEMs state repairs should be performed cold with stress relief accomplished by vibration (hammering with blocks of wood).  The complexity of the metallurgy used in today’s vehicles needs to be fully understood by the estimator and the repair technicians.  The liability issue is bigger than it has ever been, and most repair facility owners are causing their own demise.  We have seen too many vehicles repaired incorrectly during our investigations.  98% of the time we discovered that the vehicle was never measured, which was the contributing factor to the issues that led to the investigation.

I consult with many shops that are involved with a Direct Repair Program (DRP).  Many DRP contracts state that the shop must have a damage estimator that has passed the ASE B6 test, as well as an I-CAR qualified welder. Many contracts also require the shop to have three-dimensional measuring equipment with the ability to print out before and after measurements.  I strongly agree with these requirements.  Although these requirements will help ensure that the repair facility will have some of the tools and knowledge to repair the vehicle correctly, unfortunately passing a test doesn’t guarantee accurate profitability damage reports. Passing any welding test doesn’t guarantee proper repairs and owning three-dimensional measuring equipment doesn’t guarantee the vehicle is safe to operate.  Most of the issues we find with the measuring equipment are the lack of understanding, training and processes in the shop.  Many times, we are told by facility owners and technicians, they don’t use it and haven’t used it in months, or they only use it on big hits.

The Estimating Process Utilizing the EME 54 Theory®

On Monday morning, a vehicle is towed into the shop. The customer completes the paperwork and signs the required authorizations.  The vehicle is drivable; however, it is not safe to drive.  The vehicle is moved into the estimating/blueprint area of the shop.  This area has some hand and air tools, a fluorescent drop light, creeper, hydraulic jack, jack stands, camera, computer or estimate pad, two-post lift, speed squares, tape measurer, tram gauge and a three-dimensional measuring system.

The vehicle is a 2024 that has sustained damage to the front.  The hood does not open, and both fenders are damaged.  The front bumper assembly is pushed into the vehicle structure, but the front doors operate normally.

Step 1: Take photographs of the four corners of the vehicle, the VIN tag and label, license plate, full view of damage, close-ups of the damage and undercarriage, doors, trunk, closed or open hood, exposing damage if applicable.

Step 2: Do a “walk around” of the vehicle. Start by walking to the opposite end of the vehicle from the damage. The reason for this is that you are looking for any secondary or indirect damages. Remember, the new metals in vehicles are designed to transfer collision energy from the front of the vehicle around the passenger compartment to the rear of the vehicle, and from the rear to the front.  After opening and closing the trunk, it operates normally.  Now move to the rear doors to check their operation.  Both rear doors operate normally.  Now, you will need to do a quick check of the rear suspension by placing your fingers between the rear tire and the rocker panel on one side and then compare it to the other side.  If there is a difference, there is some sort of damage to the rear suspension cradle or mounting areas. If it is equal, that does not mean there is no damage; it will still need to be measured.

Step 3: Take the damaged parts off the vehicle also known as teardown, blueprinting, triage, or disassembly.   This can only be done if the vehicle owner agrees and based on your state’s rules and regulations for collision repair facilities with respect to writing estimates.  For our example, you need to remove the hood latch/lock bolts to open the hood. Remember to take photos during this process.

Step 4: Raise the vehicle up in the air. This is one of the most important steps since there could be a lot of movement to the undercarriage.  Look for any leaks, bends or kinks in the rails, floor pan or trunk floor.  Look at the suspension mounting locations for any movement.  Look at the exhaust mounts and heat shield mounting locations.  Pay close attention to bolt and nut mountings for scraping and displacement.  Any movement in these locations would suggest structural movement.  Any damage found should be photographed.

Step 5: Set up your electronic measuring system, follow the equipment maker’s procedures. You will need to look up the vehicle specifications in your system and use the data for underbody, upperbody and point-to-point to compare to the damaged vehicle. You are now ready to take measurements on the vehicle. Take four measurements in the center section of the vehicle to obtain the centerline. After obtaining the centerline, start with the first of the five important areas, measure the complete underbody and then the underhood area. Make sure to measure the strut mounting bolts on the strut tower and the radiator support reference locations.  Moving to the side structure, measure the door hinge mounting locations and the striker mounting locations.  In the fourth location, measure the trunk area reference locations and then the suspension parts.  You may need to remove all four tires so the suspension mounting locations can be accessed.  It is imperative that these measurements be taken, along with using the speed square to check the knuckle assemblies for bending if a wheel was impacted.

Step 6: With all the visual investigations and measurements taken, you can now diagnose what is and is not damaged.  This along with some research of OEM repair information, and you are ready to start writing an accurate damage report. There should not be any surprises during the repair process, since you have completed a thorough investigation. A supplement should only be needed for parts price differences, unforeseen parts, or an OEM change of available parts.

Step 7: The vehicle should now flow though the shop easily without delivery issues, because you have conducted a thorough investigation and written an accurate estimate.

If you follow the P&L EME54 Theory®, you can accurately ascertain all damages, have good production workflow, limit supplements and make safe, liability-free proper repairs. Your productivity will grow, along with your profit margin!