Ford Kuga

 Service Manual

Body Repairs - General Information » Body Construction
Non-monocoque bodywork

Non-monocoque bodywork is built onto a frame or a chassis. Frames used for this have various construction forms, e.g. the ladder frame or tube frame. Non-monocoque bodywork is the original way of constructing vehicles.

The ladder frame is still commonly used today for truck and off-road vehicles. The bodywork is placed on the frame or chassis. The total load which occurs while driving is transferred to the chassis.

More sporting vehicles can be built with non-monocoque bodywork, mostly using a lattice tube frame. Limitations in the design are accepted for the benefit of low weight. The outer skin here is usually made of plastic or alloy. This type of construction is also common in touring car racing for instance.

Special features of non-monocoque bodywork construction:

• Partly large surface panels and high volume shaped parts.
• Thicker materials and greater reinforcements in the frame area.
• Floor pan as frame structure with high torsional rigidity and flexural strength.
• Side panels only make a small contribution to the overall stability of the body.

Instructions for repair:

A different repair technique is necessary during repairs. A deformed frame structure requires high suction power during straightening repairs.

Frequently, the body also has to be detached from the frame structure in order to carry out separate repair.

Due to the very stable frame structure, please note that the straightening behavior is completely different to that of a passenger vehicle. The frame and the attached body must be repaired independently of each other.

Further information can be found in the respective body repair manual.

General

Integral body-frame

Convertible

Non-monocoque bodywork

Special points

Deformation behavior

Crash element