The American Council of Frame and Alignment Specialists (ACOFAS) recently held its 18th Technician and Management Training Clinic at Mutual Wheel Companies in Milan, Ill.
The two-day clinic focused on “Frame Diagnostics, Analysis and Gauging.” During the clinic, participants were divided into two groups and given different scenarios for the inspection and gauging of two tractors that had been in collisions. ACOFAS says teams were required to determine if the vehicle could be repaired, what had to be removed to accomplish the repair, and gauge the frame to justify the repairs. The teams also needed to estimate the cost of repairs to determine if the repairs were cost effective.
ACOFAS says the clinic provided frame diagnostic Instructions for:
- Chassis with need for leveling due to a leaning problem.
- Chassis with a front end pull.
- Chassis with unusual tire wear problem.
- Chassis that has a bad shake or vibration problem.
- Chassis that was in an accident involving rollover, twist, or impact.
The clinic also provided information needed to correct frame issues:
- Who owns the vehicle?
- Who is the responsible party?
- Is this an Insurance claim?
- If this is an insurance claim, what is the chassis market value, salvage value and owner deductible?
- What needs to be removed and reinstalled to facilitate the frame repair?
- How are you going to straighten the chassis frame?
- Will the frame need to be reinforced after correction?
In other ACOFAS news, the organization’s next meeting is its annual business meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. Jan. 21, 2013 at The Mirage in Las Vegas during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW). The event will be held in the Barbados A room, and ACOFAS says the meeting is in conjunction with HDAW and follows the SOLD! service-orientated seminars.
To promote attendance to the three meetings, ACOFAS says it is offering a $100 rebate to all members who attend HDAW, and another $100 rebate to all members that attend the SOLD! seminars. These rebates will be used to reduce the cost of member’s annual dues. ACOFAS will be at booth 1521 during the HDAW13 Exhibition.
ACOFAS also is holding its next technician training clinic from April 22-23, 2013 in Dallas. The clinic will focus on “Chassis Vibration: Diagnostics and Repair,” ACOFAS says, and will feature experts on driveline including: Engine, Transmission, Drive Shafts and Differentials. There also will be experts on wheel end vibration including: Tires, Wheel Bearings and Wheel Hubs.
For information regarding this program contact either [email protected] or [email protected].
