will rem ain sta tion ary du ring the repair. Misa lign-
ment can cause str ess in th e repair ar eas and can
result in future fa ilure.
VISUAL INSPECTION
Composite materials ca n ma sk th e severit y of a n
acciden t. Adhesive bond lines, interior structur e of
the doors, and steel structu res need to be inspected
carefu lly to get a true damage a ssessment. Close
inspection may require partia l removal of in terior
trim or inner pa nels.
Iden tify the type of repa ir: P uncture or Crack -
Dama ge that h as penet rated complet ely t hrough t he
pa nel. Dama ge is con fined to one genera l ar ea; a
pa nel section is not required. However, a backer
pa nel, open fiberglass tape, or matted mat eria l must
be bonded fr om behind (Fig. 7) (Fig. 6).
PANEL SURFACE PREPARATION
If a body pa nel has been punct ured, cracked, or
crushed, the dama ged area must be removed from
the panel to a chieve a successful repa ir. All spider
web cracks lea ding a way from a dam aged a rea must
be stopped or rem oved. To stop a runnin g cra ck in a
panel, drilla6mm(0.250 in.) hole at the end of the
crack fart hest awa y fr om the da mage. If spider web
cracks can not be stopped, the panel would r equire
repla cement . Th e sur faces ar ound the dama ged a rea
sh ould be stripped of paint a nd freed from wa x and
oil. Scuff su rfaces around repair a rea wit h 360 grit
wet/dry sandpaper, or equivalent, t o assure a dh esion
of repair mat eria ls.
PATCHING PANELS
An pan el that ha s extensive punctur e type damage
can be r epair ed by cuttin g out th e dama ged material
(Fig. 7). Use a suitable recipr ocating saw or cu t off
wheel to remove the sect ion of the pan el th at is dam-
aged. The piece cut out can be used a s a template to
sh ape the new patch. It is not necessa ry to h ave
access to the back of t he panel to insta ll a patch.
Bevel edges of cutout a t 20 degrees to expose a larger
bondin g a rea on t he outer side. This will allow for a n
increased reinforcem ent ar eas.
PANEL PATCH FABRICATIONS
A patch can be fabricated fr om any rigid fiberglass
pa nel tha t has com pa rable contour with th e repair
area . Lift gat es and fen ders ca n be used to su pply
pa tch material. If existing mater ial is not available
or compat ible, a pa tch can be constructed with a dh e-
sive an d reinforcement mesh (dry wall tape). Per form
the following operation if required:
(1) Cover waxed paper or pla st ic with adhesive
backed nylon mesh (dr y wall t ape) la rger than the
pa tch requ ired (F ig. 8).
(2) Tape waxed paper or plast ic sheet with mesh to
a su rface th at has a compatible contour to the repa ir
area.
(3) Apply a liberal coa t of adhesive over the rein-
forcement mesh (Fig. 8). If necessar y a pply a secon d
or third coat of adhesive and mesh after fir s coat h as
cured. The th ickness of the pa tch should be the sa me
as the repair area.
(4) After patch has cured, peel waxed paper or
plastic from t he back of the patch.
Fig. 5 FIBERGLASS TAPE
Fig. 6 DAMAGE COMPONENT
1 - PUNCTURE
Fig. 7 DAMAGED PANEL CUTOUT AND PATCH
1 - CUTOUT
2 - DAMAGED BODY PANEL
3 - 4 MM (0.160 IN.) HOLES
4 - PATCH CUT TO SIZE
VA BODY 23 - 7
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