EVOLUTION OF THE FRAME RACK – FROM THE GROUND UP!

We’ve come a long way since the “mechanic’s creeper” and anchoring cars to the floor for structural and cosmetic repair. The first-ever Chisum frame-rack back in the 1960s revolutionized the auto body repair industry. Lavell Chisum’s drive-on design took the vehicle off the floor and put it on a raised platform about 30 inches in the air. This advancement also took the technician off the floor, making the vehicles more accessible for repairs. Pulling towers were connected to the platform which also enabled easier repositioning. Though the drive-on rack held a vehicle more firmly in pinch-weld clamps than with chains going to the floor, technicians still experienced unwanted movement at times. Additional chaining, setup, and anchoring procedures were usually needed to properly secure a vehicle.

By the late 1970s, benches were introduced to the collision-repair industry; they were designed out of necessity in order to work on unibody vehicles, which were becoming more prominent on the road. Benches made working on unibody vehicles easier and they provided better anchoring to hold the vehicle in a more stable position. Although the early benches did not have the drive-on capability, they had an advantage over the old racks. Mounting procedures were a bit more time-consuming and labor-intensive using a bench, but once mounted, a vehicle could be repaired without loaded suspension or having tires drag across the drive-on platform. Such benches were designed to provide more underbody accessibility for the technician. Bench-style frame racks eventually added scissor lifts, which lifted the vehicle higher and added a drive-on feature that had removable ramps. These improvements made the drive-on bench a usable bay even when not being employed for frame repair. Assembly, disassembly, using it for plastic work, or just parking a car overnight made it a versatile bay.

Fast forward to modern times. Vehicle manufacturing has become much more sophisticated. Stronger and stronger materials are being used, plus a ton of technology is now incorporated into every new vehicle. Yet many shops are still using an outdated frame- alignment equipment that lacks the functionality, efficiency, and safety requirements to meet the needs of today’s collision repair community.

A Proper Anchor is the Most Important Procedure in Structural Repair

It’s all about controlling the pull, but many of today’s benches still leave a lot to be desired in terms of anchoring. A milled surface is absolutely essential for a controlled pull. For example, if you had a 1/8” piece of steel and put it in a vise on a workbench – if the vise or the workbench the steel is bolted to has even the slightest movement, it’s going to be very hard to control where you want that piece of steel to move as you’re applying force. However, with no movement whatsoever, you can bend that piece of steel precisely where you want and less power is required to do so. In other words, a milled surface provides complete control and isolates your pulling power to where you need it. Zero movements enable you to consistently maneuver a vehicle exactly where you need it to go without worrying about an unintentional shift or creating collateral damage.

Many times, with a side hit, a tech will need the structure to move where the vehicle is being held. With arms anchored to a milled surface and the pinch-weld clamps mounted on a milled arm, you can control where all the power is going. With an unmovable grip, the pinch-weld clamp can slide on top of the milled surface while holding the vehicle up. This enables a tech to get the rocker area to move in length with the arms-to-bench mount and the pinch-weld clamps to move in width (sliding on top of the arm) so when you need an anchored point to move, it will slide in the direction you need it to. You can also secure the vehicle in additional places with 3-dimensional holding functionality.

Whatever area you’re repairing will move where you need to, and it will not shift or slide out of the place where you are anchoring it to – due to the extreme holding power of a true milled surface.

Removable Ramps Are Also Key to Success

The comfort of your technicians is always top of mind. Removable ramps allow for greater access to the vehicle. Some benches keep technicians in uncomfortable conditions, working in cramped spaces. Getting the ramps out of the way lets technicians focus on the job at hand (not their back strain), by allowing for freer movement in all areas. And as far as ramps go, the wider the better for larger vehicles, while providing drive-on ease, especially in tight shops.

Newer Materials, Greater Challenges

Today’s manufacturers are faced with more stringent federal safety standards, including dynamic side-impact tests required by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This has led to new vehicles being manufactured with the most extensive use of high-strength steels ever employed. Due to these stronger metals, it is imperative to avoid collateral damage to mounting areas or the part you are pulling at the junction to adjacent parts.

The need of auto body shops to use technologically advanced collision-repair equipment is more important than ever. I encourage you to upgrade to a bench-style frame alignment system that will make your life easier. We’re all looking for fewer roadblocks and fewer problems in our shops. Safer operation, better quality service, and speedier turnaround of our repair jobs translates into greater profits.

--Nick Mattera