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Although truck collision repair shops take great pleasure in their work, not every expert is the finest in the industry. And, like all people, they make errors. In some cases, technicians may be compensated extra if they can move trucks through the shop more quickly. This encourages less cautious technicians to take shortcuts. This list includes several frequent shortcuts as well as how to recognize them. Here are five frequent truck mistakes to look out for, some of which may take some time to notice.
Trucks and trailers are large machines with a lot of moving components that spend a lot of time getting wet and dirty. Because of the nature of their use, it’s critical that trucks and trailer panels are properly cleaned prior to repair and painting. A truck collision repair technician, generally a painter's assistant, must properly mask off every portion of the truck that is not to be painted before any painter puts a paint gun to the primed panel. If the technician leaves any exposed areas, they will very certainly be sprayed needlessly. If you can believe it, some shops will paint straight over crucial elements like mufflers, wiring, and various suspension components instead of trying to avoid them.
This is definite evidence of shoddy craftsmanship and cutting corners. Dirt and grit might also seep into the paint if the masking isn't done correctly. This can be polished off in some cases, but in others, the truck may need to be repainted.
Carefully inspect the repair area, especially around your door jambs and trim. Depending on the paint and the area sprayed, overspray may make a surface seem foggy or even too glossy.
Color matching is a science that requires the use of specialized equipment as well as a skilled eye. Color matching may be difficult since trucks are painted in various tints these days, but what makes it even more difficult is that vehicles' color changes over time due to exposure to the environment.
Furthermore, we've heard stores promising consumers that color would "balance out with time." If a shop feeds you this rubbish, take out your phone and contact your insurance provider. Even if you have a unique paint color, there are ways to make things merge correctly, such as painting the whole side of the truck to guarantee perfect color matching.
Take your vehicle out in the sun to check for it since the paint might seem to match under the shop's lighting but look different in the daylight. You could also inspect the repair under fluorescent lighting since an artificial light source may sometimes reveal significant color differences.
Sometimes the person who disassembles your truck for bodywork is not the same person who assembles it again after the repair. Technicians are under pressure to finish work on time, since questionable shops may offer additional compensation for completing jobs ahead of schedule Consequently, shortcuts are sometimes taken, and panels may acquire sounds, vibrations, and squeaks that were not there before the accident.
Check your wipers, turn signals, power windows, and lock switches to see whether they're all in functioning order. Check for any problem codes, such as your airbag light turning on or your check engine light turning on. Check that your headlights are working correctly and are aimed where they should be.
Drive the truck on various routes, turn off the radio and listen for anything out of the ordinary. If you don't take care of that minor squeak now, it can drive you insane in a few weeks. The sooner you address any concerns after the repair, the simpler it will be to hold the shop accountable.
These days, truck manufacturers construct vehicles with very narrow panel gaps, so reinstalling panels properly needs accuracy and devotion. A professional hurrying through a repair may not be as concerned as you are with recreating factory panel gaps. Some people may not notice these details, but a poorly aligned panel jumps out like a sore thumb to an expert eye.
How to identify it: Examine the gaps between the mended panels and compare them to holes in other parts of your vehicle. Are they compatible with the present panels? Also, make sure the spacing is consistent around each panel. While you're about it, check whether your hoods and doors open and shut smoothly.
Proper tire alignment is another area that body technicians might ignore, even though it is critical for the health and durability of your tires. This action is only done by inferior body shops attempting to save money by cutting corners on repairs. Tires don't reveal improper alignment wear patterns for a long time, and this one is simple to blame on the truck owner long after the vehicle has been sent to the truck collision repair shop.
How to recognize it
The last thing you want to have to do after picking up your truck from a collision repair is to return it for more repairs. You don't want that to happen, and neither does the insurance company or the repair shop. Make sure you don't commit these mistakes, and you will get outstanding results.
