Collision Repair for Heavy Duty Trucks

It’s important to know that SMC/FRP panels should be cleaned only at the beginning of the repair process. Cleaners should not be applied after the initial cleaning through the rest of the repair. If you use flame heat to help separate composite panels, you must remove the afterburn with a P80 abrasive. If you are using an adhesive such as 3M™ SMC/FRP Repair Adhesive and you need to adjust the panel during installation adjust it by sliding the panel to avoid causing air bubbles in the adhesive. Finally, do not over clamp during part mating, as this can result in too much squeeze-out and can reduce the strength of the bondline.

The main differences between truck repair and repairing smaller vehicles are the size of the vehicle and the higher frequency of composite panel materials. Heavy truck repairs require many of the same sealers, cavity waxes, metalworking and aluminum repair products as the smaller vehicles many shops work on every day. Therefore, you should not need to make major changes to your product mixes, though you may require larger amounts.

In most cases, bonding adhesives can be used with rivets or other mechanical fasteners to enhance the strength of the bond between metal parts. (You should always use a bonding adhesive if it is specified by the vehicle OEM.) When the addition of an adhesive bond is not required, a high-quality bonding adhesive can also be very useful as an isolator when working with dissimilar metal panels and fasteners during heavy duty truck repair. This involves simply applying the adhesive to bare metal on mating flanges and allowing it to cure. The adhesive can also be applied to drilled holes where dissimilar metals and rivets come into contact to help prevent galvanic corrosion.