Damage Analysis and Estimating Flashcards

A front-corner impact has pushed a vehicle's front frame rails to the left of centerline. What type of frame damage is this?

Answer: Sway

Sway is side-to-side damage that moves the front, center, or rear section away from the vehicle centerline.

Which frame condition describes a center section that sits lower than the manufacturer's specifications, often after a direct front or rear hit?

Answer: Sag

Sag is a vertical misalignment where part of the frame sits lower than specification.

On a body-over-frame vehicle, one side rail has been pushed rearward relative to the other so the frame forms a parallelogram. This is called:

Answer: Diamond

Diamond damage occurs when one rail moves forward or rearward relative to the other, creating a parallelogram shape.

After a rollover, one corner of the frame sits higher than the opposite corner. Which damage condition is present?

Answer: Twist

Twist exists when one corner of the vehicle is higher and the diagonally opposite corner is lower than specification.

A frame rail that has been shortened by a direct head-on collision, with wrinkles in the rail, has which type of damage?

Answer: Mash

Mash is a reduction in length caused by a direct front or rear collision that buckles the rail.

In unibody damage analysis, what does the 'cone concept' describe?

Answer: How impact energy spreads outward and deeper through the structure from the point of impact

The cone concept explains that collision force radiates through the unibody in a widening pattern, so damage may exist far from the point of impact.

When measuring a vehicle for structural damage, the imaginary horizontal plane used to take height dimensions is the:

Answer: Datum line

The datum line is a horizontal reference plane from which all vertical (height) measurements are taken.