Chief releases holding equipment designed to upgrade existing frame racks

  Chief’s Universal Structural Holding Clamp System was designed to work with almost any frame rack.     

Madison, Indiana — December 16, 2014 — Chief Automotive Technologies has released a new holding system that can be used to upgrade existing frame racks to perform proper repairs on aluminum and high-strength steel vehicles.

Designed to be compatible with almost any frame rack, The Universal Structural Holding (USH) Clamp System works with Chief’s Structural Holding Package to hold damaged vehicles at strategic locations along the body, preventing a shift in placement during the repair process to reduce any further damage.“Damaged aluminum body panels on modern vehicles often have to be sectioned and replaced, and high-strength steel frames should be carefully anchored before being pulled,” says Richard Perry, OEM & strategic account manager for Chief parent company Vehicle Service Group (VSG). “Although many existing frame racks are not equipped for these tasks, our Universal Structural Holding Clamp System lets shop owners cost-effectively upgrade their existing racks instead of purchasing a new rack.”While Chief’s Structural Holding Package released earlier this year was developed with the manufacturer’s frame racks in mind, which feature rectangular mounting holes in their decks, the USH Clamp System makes the Structural Holding Package components useable on racks with any treadway design, including those with non-rectangular holes.With a nontraditional base that clamps onto the inner and outer edges of the deck’s treadways as opposed to fitting into deck holes, the USH Clamp System has clamping bases available to fit racks with treadways as narrow as 16 inches and as wide as 34 inches. Alternatively, the bases can be mounted using long bolts threaded through the deck holes. Once the bases are in place, the technician can build a secure connection up to each strategic holding point.Perry says that the system comes with more than 50 components that can be used in combination to secure a vehicle.The Structural Holding Package includes long and short fixtures, extension tubes, vice clamps, plate attachments among other components to help secure the vehicle at the frame, suspension mounting points or upper rails.
 
The USH Clamp System-equipped Structural Holding Package (P/N 300021) features a mobile dedicated tool board, sitting atop four rolling castors, with each tool outlined.For more information on Chief, please visit ChiefAutomotive.com.