Expert: William Forster - 9/10/2007

Question
at the the body shop a new quarter panel is being splicing into the existing roof pillars on our 07 Subaru Forester. the technician said the best way to do this is by the sleeving process. Can you explain that to me or better yet show a picture of what is actually being done here. Does this provide a seamless transition from the donor panel to the existing body panels?

Answer
The technician sounds like he knows what he is doing. Many technicians just short cut here, and lap weld or butt weld the splice. What he is doing is putting a sheet metal sleeve between the panels, underneath of them. It's much stronger than a lap or butt weld splice, and the extra metal gives heat somewhere to go- this results in less warpage, and less filler. There in no reasonable way to attach the quarter at the factory seam without removing the roof skin, so the manufacturer wants it spliced in the roof pillars. If he does it anywhere else, it will compromise the vehicles structural integrity if it's ever in a serious rear collision. I have no way to send you a picture, and have no picture to send. Here is a little advice- if you want a nice, quality job, don't keep bugging the technician. If you get under his skin, he will just rush the job out, and the quality won't be as good. Bill