Ford Fiesta (2011 year). Manual — part 94

Straightening

General

Straightening repairs are often required to restore
the original body shape. To do this, the vehicle
must be placed on a straightening jig so that a
pulling device can be used.

NOTE: Basic and advanced training courses are
offered for the following contents. For an overview
of all training courses offered, please refer to the
Ford Service Organisation training course
brochure.

Straightening is considered as the process of
pulling out the deformed body parts, up to cutting
out the parts that need replacing. If distorted
components remain on the vehicle, then the term
alignment work is used.

Body straightening requires practice and
experience. Before starting body straightening, the
exact direction of impact must be determined. The
straightening force must be applied in the opposite
direction to that of the impact. Only in this way can
it be guaranteed that the original shape will be
achieved again.

Note the following points during the process of
body straightening:

• Secure the pulling unit with a safety cable.

• Do not remove bonded glass prior to

straightening.

• Never apply heat during straightening.

• If necessary, open doors or hoods/lids/liftgates

during straightening.

• Check dimensions and gaps continuously during

straightening.

• High-strength steel panels have a stronger

tendency to retain their deformed shape.

• During the straightening repairs, monitor the

attachment of the pulling unit to the vehicle.

• Carry out the straightening work in several

stages, never in one pulling process. This
prevents the risk of overstretching and of joints
tearing out.

• During individual straightening steps (under a

pulling load), relieve tension by striking the
deformed areas with an aluminum hammer while
they are still under tension.

Special features of non-monocoque
bodywork

Straightening is different to monocoque body
construction because of separate straightening for
bodywork and chassis.

If only the body is damaged in an accident, light
straightening repairs can be carried out while still
mounted on the chassis.

NOTE: With strong straightening forces, these
bolted connections may be damaged (bodywork
to chassis frame). Monitor the bolted connections
continuously during the straightening work. Holding
clamps or alignment angles must be attached
directly to the chassis frame.

Straightening of chassis frames

NOTE: High-strength steels must not be heated.

If the body and chassis frame have to be
straightened, they must first be separated from
each other.

The following conditions must be met:

• The repair must be economically justified.

• The production quality and stability of a frame

must be achieved again after carrying out the
repair.

• In principle, the driving and operating safety of

the vehicle is paramount.

• Cold straightening of deformed areas with sharp

edged folds cannot be carried out.

• Straightening with the application of heat

(welding torch) requires much experience and
accurate knowledge of the behavior of steel
panels when heated.

• The temperature and duration of application of

the heat are to be considered in particular.

• Individual components of the frame, such as

cross members, brackets, etc. can be replaced.

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Complete Panel Replacement/Partial Replacement

NOTE: Basic and advanced training is offered for
the following contents. For an overview of all
training courses offered, please refer to the Ford
Service Organisation's training course brochure.

Repairs always mean intervention in the body shell
structure and thus also intervention in the vehicle's
passive security system.

NOTE: From an economic perspective, the
possibility of a partial replacement (sectional repair)
must be considered when assessing an
accident-damaged vehicle.

Partial Replacement

Description

Item

Join area

1

Original welding

2

Decision criteria

The following are always crucial for the decision:

• How economical the repair is.

• Retention of the original join.

In addition, Ford must have given its approval for
a sectional replacement solution in the damaged
area. For those partial replacements approved by
the factory and described in the model-specific
body workshop literature/technician's information,
some spare parts (service parts) specially prepared
for partial replacements are offered through the
spare parts sales department.

Sectional replacement (sectional repair) means
the replacement of a section of the body shell
structure. Sectional repairs fulfill their purpose
above all if the replacement of a complete part is
too time-consuming and thus not economical.
Approved sectional repairs are clearly defined in

the model-specific body literature. These
requirements must be complied with.

Depending on the damaged areas, further facts
are to be taken into account when deciding for or
against partial replacement:

• Severance cuts should be as short as possible.

• The effort for follow-on work on the connections

must not be too great.

• It must be possible to reproduce the optical path

of visible edges on door openings.

• Inner reinforcement panels must not limit the

straightening work.

• Inner reinforcement profiles in the pillar areas

must allow for separation.

• The Ford regulations for partial replacements

on structural frame sections must be taken into
account.

• The large surface welding seams at the

connections must be restored.

Advantages of a partial replacement

A partial replacement repair offers many
advantages for a professional repair of accident
damage:

• Repairs can be made both in the outer panel

area (e.g. side frame) and in the inner areas
(e.g. structural member, trunk floor).

• The repair can be limited to the actual damaged

area.

• Reduction of repair costs, as aggregates and

other components can usually remain in the
vehicle.

Complete replacement

In a complete replacement, the original connections
are largely reused.

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A complete replacement is advantageous if the
damaged body part can be detached from its
original connections and a completely new part
can be fitted without creating additional joints (e.g.
liftgate).

A complete replacement is necessary if there is no
sectional replacement solution.

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Corrosion Prevention

The corrosion protection provided in production
must be carefully maintained and reproduced
during body repair work, in order to ensure the
long-term warranty for Ford vehicles.

NOTE: Please take the notes in the model-specific
repair descriptions into account. Please also note
the manufacturer's instructions when handling the
different anti-corrosion agents.

Only Ford original bodywork components and Ford
approved repair materials are to be used for body
repairs. The Ford logo is stamped onto every Ford
original spare part.

Panel coatings and corrosion
protection

Body steel panels are provided with a coating for
corrosion protection purposes. The coating material
is predominantly zinc in a variety of composition
forms. Aluminum is also used to some extent.
Basically, all types of steel sheet can be coated.

A variety of coating processes are used:

• Hot dip zinc coating (no longer used in vehicle

construction).

• Electrolytic zinc plating.

• Organic coating.

• Hot dip aluminum coating.

NOTE: Welding fumes are harmful to health. Make
certain that the workspace is well ventilated and
use welding fume extraction.

The following points must be noted when welding:

• Zinc starts to melt at about 420°C.

• The zinc vaporizes at a temperature of about

900°C.

• The amount of heating determines the damage

to the zinc coating, and therefore to the
corrosion protection.

• Resistance spot welding is particularly suitable

for welding zinc-coated panels, because no
widespread warming occurs.

• With electrolytically zinc-plated panels there is

no need for any special preparation because
the zinc coating does not need to be removed.

NOTE: Coated panels have a higher electrical
resistance, but this can be compensated for by
increasing the welding current by 10 - 20% .

Corrosion protection measures during
repair work

CAUTION: Always be extremely careful
when handling solvents, sealants and
adhesives. Some products contain
substances harmful to health or give off
harmful or poisonous vapors. Always
follow the manufacturer's instructions. If
there is any doubt as to whether a
particular solvent is suitable, it must NOT
be used.

All Ford bodywork components have a cathodic
primer. Moreover, most parts are zinc-plated on
one or both sides. If possible, these protective
layers must not be damaged.

Before welding

Interior surfaces of new bodywork components
which will no longer be accessible after installation
must be painted beforehand. The welding flanges
are treated with a special welding primer. The joint
areas are not always accessible from inside later.
Therefore, prepare these areas so that no soot is
produced by burning paint during welding.

NOTE: In order to ensure that the corrosion
protection produced in production is not destroyed,
the working area must be kept as small as possible.

NOTE: Do not touch cleaned bare metal any more
with the bare hands. The dampness of your hands
will corrode the metal.

Procedure:

• Remove the primer or paint/zinc layer in the

welding area using a tress wire brush to prevent
the formation of soot from the paint.

• Thoroughly clean the welding area with a metal

cleaning agent and rub dry.

• Coat the welding flange with welding primer on

all sides and allow to dry.

NOTE: The welding primer must only be applied
thinly to the spot welding area, to minimize
spattering when welding.

After welding

During repair work, body panels are often heated
at very high temperatures, which results in the
destruction of the corrosion protection.

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