Hanging Mopar Sheet Metal: Part One

All sheet metal is not created equal. When you are repairing a collision-damaged vehicle, the owner expects the car to be fixed like new. That means more than the paint on the fender matching the paint on the door. It means that all clearances, seams and gaps must meet specs. And the best way to ensure this occurs is to use Mopar collision parts.

Make your repair job easier and your customers happier. When you are fixing Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles, nothing compares to Mopar® original equipment collision repair parts. You get top quality parts that are easy to install and result in the best fit and finish—something that your customers are sure to appreciate. And don’t forget that Mopar collision repair parts come with a limited warranty backed by a nationwide network of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers. Let’s take a look at why Mopar collision parts are better and installation procedures for a fender and hood.

WHY MOPAR COLLISION PARTS ARE BETTER

There are three sources for collision parts: (1) a Chrysler dealer, (2) an aftermarket supplier and (3) the salvage yard. In some cases, sourcing salvage parts from the bone yard might not be a bad idea, but be careful. You don’t know if that part has been damaged and there might be slight differences from model-year to model-year that can make exact matching difficult. And the sheet metal you are salvaging might be rusting, which can lead to problems down the road.

Aftermarket parts are another source for collision parts. Many times, these parts are less expensive than the OEM pieces (this is not always true, as we will see), but these parts are copies of the original parts. The aftermarket providers do not have the Chrysler specifications for dimensions, tolerances, material and heat treating.

It was not that long ago that rust was the number one killer of automobiles and having the dealer add rustproofing to close a new car deal was common practice. Nowadays, that has all changed as corrosion protection is used throughout a new vehicle.

During the manufacturing process of a unibody car, the factory applies corrosion protection using a specialized electrostatic-coating process, as shown in Figure 1. This process cannot be duplicated in the body shop. However, the body shop still has a responsibility to apply corrosion protection (to maintain vehicle warranty) and to use replacement parts, such as fenders, that have corrosion protection material applied (generic parts might not have such coatings).

The same level of high-grade galvanized sheet metal and protective electrostatic coating used to manufacture your customer’s vehicle is in Mopar collision repair parts. So when your repair is made with these parts, the repair parts match the vehicle’s factory parts and come with the same level of corrosion protection as the vehicle did when it was new.

Furthmore, because generic aftermarket parts don’t meet these same standards employed by Chrysler, those parts might not wear as well on your customer’s Chrysler vehicle. Thickness of aftermarket metal is often compromised and many parts are more susceptible to wear and corrosion because their coating standards are not as stringent as those followed by Chrysler. And, material tests show most generic metal parts lack the outer zinc plating.

INSTALLING A NEW FENDER

Fender replacement is pretty straightforward. That’s a good thing because fenders get banged around a lot and are repaired and replaced often. After removing the mud guard and the inner splash shield (or wheel well, depending on the nomenclature with which you are familiar), remove the fasteners that secure the fascia to the fender. Remove any other fasteners that secure other components, such as the cowl grille, to the fender.

To install the new fender, reverse the order of the removal steps. Remember, though, placement is important to achieve proper alignment with the door and hood. After the fascia is pulled away from the fender, the fender can be removed. On a vehicle such as the late model minivan, there are five mounting bolts that secure the fender to the unibody (Figure 2).

As shown in Figure 2, after the fender has been positioned on the vehicle, install the center upper rail bolt (labeled 1), but do not tighten. Then, install all the bolts that attach the fender to the upper rail (labeled 3). After those bolts have been installed, install the bolts that secure the fender to the lower cowl panel and the rocker panel. Adjust the position of the fender, then tighten the bolts. To finish the installation, place the fascia in position and secure it with the appropriate fasteners. Then, install the cowl grille, inner splash shield and mud guard.

The job, though, is not done. The crucial step is checking the fender for flush and gap. If the fender is flush, the surface of the fender will be on the same plane as the hood and door. And if the gaps are correct, the spaces between fender, door and hood will be consistent along the entire length of that space.

Figure 3 is an illustration showing all the gaps on a late model minivan. For the fender, the gaps are designated as C, D and E. If the gaps or flush do not meet spec, loosen the fender bolts and adjust the fender position until it is correct.

INSTALLING A HOOD

Another piece of sheet metal that is often damaged in a collision is the hood. Hoods are another sheet metal component in which metallurgy is of critical importance. For example, inferior hood sheet metal cannot provide the strength required in the hood where it is attached to the two hinges. Federal Safety Standard MVSS 219 states that “…no part of the vehicle outside the occupant compartment … shall penetrate the protected zone template … to a depth of more than 6 mm.” Mopar collision repair parts ensure this standard, as they are tested to meet MVSS 219 in full vehicle testing, while aftermarket parts are not.

Hood removal and installation is a bit more complicated than a fender. And it requires an assistant to help you handle this large component. Remove the top attaching bolts on both hinges, then loosen the bottom until these bolts can be removed by hand. With help from your assistant to support the opposite side of the hood, remove the bottom bolts that attach the hood to the hinges.

To install the hood, position it on the vehicle. With your assistant holding up one side of the hood, install the bottom bolts finger tight. Next, install the top bolts finger tight. To adjust the hood, keep the mounting bolts tight enough to hold the hood in place while allowing adjustment of the hood position.

Before closing the hood, make sure there is enough gap between the back edge of the hood and the cowl panel. A common mistake is too small of a gap that causes the back edge of the hood to contact the cowl panel, denting the panel and/or chipping the paint. Close the hood slowly. If the hood is not centered properly, it can contact and dent the fender. To correct the alignment of the hood, shift the position of the hood. When the hood is level with the adjacent fenders and cowl, raise the hood and tighten the mounting bolts.