Wedge Clamp Systems Inc. CHAINLESS ANCHORING SYSTEM User manual

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CHAINLESS ANCHORING SYSTEM
USER MANUAL
Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................................2
Setting up the Chainless Anchoring System ...........................................................................................................5
Set up Procedure....................................................................................................................................................6
Using the Mobility Wheels ................................................................................................................................... 12
Removing a car from the Chainless Anchoring System ........................................................................................13
Anchoring Problems and Solutions ......................................................................................................................14
Anchoring To Weak Pinchwelds ...........................................................................................................................16
Anchoring with Obstructions on the Pinchweld ..................................................................................................16
Anchoring with Very Short Pinchwelds ................................................................................................................16
Anchoring To Offset Pinchwelds...........................................................................................................................17
Anchoring Wide Body Vehicles ............................................................................................................................18
Anchoring Cars with Sill Damage..........................................................................................................................19
Parts Diagrams and Listing ...................................................................................................................................22
Wedge Clamp Systems Inc. 170-21320 Gordon Way, Richmond, BC V6W 1J8
Tel: [phone] | Fax: [phone] | Toll Free: 1-800-615-9949

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INTRODUCTION
This section explains how to mount a car on the Wedge Clamp Anchoring System. The
anchoring system is designed to let you make multiple pulls to a car without changing
the anchoring attachments and without damaging the car in the pulling process.
An important component of the Wedge Clamp System is the specially designed
pinchweld clamps. These four anchoring clamps are identical and are designed to
anchor the car at the lower corners of the passenger compartment torque box area.
These clamps secure the car by its pinchweld flange - the 1 to 2 cm deep flange under
most unibody vehicle sill (rocker) panels. This pinchweld flange usually consists of two
or more layers of sheet metal which are connected to the main structural areas of the
car. (For vehicles without pinchweld flanges refer to the following section “Anchoring
Problems and Solutions” on Page 13 for information on anchoring these cars).
WARNING: Serious damage or injury can occur if a vehicle is not anchored securely for
pulling. It is your responsibility to evaluate the car and determine the safest anchoring
method. Always check the anchoring points during pulling to be sure that the car
remains securely anchored.

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The pinchweld clamp is not a continuous clamp – the jaws cover an area of 200 mm
with a 75 mm cutout in the center. This cutout allows the clamp to fit around
obstructions such as fender bolts, flanges, etc. The two smaller jawsallow for a greater
biting force than a single large jaw. The clamp is constructed from a special high
strength ferriferous steel allowing it to be made light in weight without losing strength.
The four pinchweld clamps are held in a rigid anchoring framework with the four steel
anchoring bars and wedges which secure the clamps to these bars. The clamp bodies
have wide mounting flanges and are cast in a precision mold to keep the clamps
square to the anchoring bar frame.

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The Wedge Clamp System is available in two different anchoring options: the chain
anchoring system, and the chainless anchoring system. The difference between these
two systems is the way the anchoring system is secured to the floor. The chainless
system fastens to the floor with cast aluminum stands which attach to rails on the
floor. The chain system fastens to the floor with lengths of chain and chain cinches
which attach to floor anchor pots.
Pinchweld Clamp
CHAINLESS ANCHORING SYSTEM
72” Anchoring Side Bar
Steel Wedge
80” Anchoring Crossbar
Rail Anchoring Stand
Anchoring Rail
Rail Spacer Wedge
Rail Lock

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SETTING UP THE CHAINLESS ANCHORING SYSTEM
The chainless anchoring system consists of the following components:
Quantity Description
4 pinchweld clamp
2 anchoring crossbar – 80”
2 anchoring side bar – 72”
12 steel wedge
4 chainless anchoring stand
8 rail lock
8 chainless rail spacer wedge
2 anchroing rail, bevelled & slotted
An overview of the steps needed to mount a car on the chainless anchoring system
are:
• Install the pinchweld clamps on the car
• Install the anchoring crossbars
• Lower the anchoring crossbars onto the rail anchoring stands
• Install the anchoring side bars
• Lock the anchoring bars to the stands
• Tighten the anchoring stands to the rails
Detailed procedures and important information to know about mounting a car on the
chainless anchoring system follows in this section. If you have problems mounting the car
on the anchoring system refer to the following section “Anchoring Problems and
Solutions” on Page 13.
80” Anchoring Crossbar

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Chainless
Anchoring
System
Uneven Floor
Adjustment
Tools Required
1. Floor jack
2. 2 - safety stands
3. Air wrench with a 3/4” socket
4. Hammer (3 lbs or 1.5 kg)
5. Open or box end wrench – 1 1/8” (29 mm)
Set Up Procedure
When setting up the Anchoring System for the first time it is
important that you check for uneven floor conditions. This is done by
positioning the anchoring stands over the floor rails approximately where
they would normally be used when anchoring a car.
Adjust the leveling bolts at the bottom of the anchoring stands
until about two threads (5mm) are showing on the top side of the stand
base. (If you are using anchoring rails which are flush-mounted into the
concrete then the bolts on the anchoring stands thread in from the top of
the stand. Turn them into the thread holes until about two threads are
protruding from the bottom side of the base.)
Place the two anchoring crossbars (80”) between each left and
right hand pair of anchoring stands. You can determine uneven floor
conditions by standing at one end of the repair bay and sighting across the
two anchoring crossbars to determine if the two are parallel to each
other. Adjust the bolts at the bottom of the low anchoring stand as
shown until both the forward and rear anchoring crossbars are
running parallel to each other.

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If you find that a significant adjustment was required to make the two crossbars
parallel then you should remember which stand goes at each end of the anchoring rails
to maintain the bolt adjustment you have made for future anchoring setups. In any
event, it is useful to check that the crossbars are parallel by sighting along the bars
after completing each anchoring setup on the vehicle. Re-adjust the bolts on the
stands to make the crossbars parallel if necessary.
1. Install the front pinchweld clamps:
a) Center vehicle between the left and right anchoring rails.
b) Raise the front end of the car and place the safety stands underneath.
c) Check for strongest location on the pinchweld to secure the pinchweld clamp (for
the forward clamp this is usually the extreme forward location on the
pinchweld.) Do not clamp onto fuel or brake lines and other obstructions along
the pinchweld area. NOTE: If the vehicle does not have pinchweld flanges see
“Anchoring Vehicles With No Pinchweld and No Frame”, on Page 19.
d) Make sure clamps are bottomed out evenly on the pinchweld flange from one
side to the other.
The top of the pinchweld clamp should be placed up against the bottom of the sill
(rocker) panel. On some vehicles this may not be possible. In these cases be certain that
the clamps are up as high as possible and are level with the bottom of the sill (rocker)
panel. It is important that the clamps are positioned at the same height on both sides
of the car.

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END OF ANCHORING CROSSBAR
FLUSH TO EDGE OF RAILS
e) Tighten clamp jaws with air wrench a little tighter than a wheel nut,
approximately 90 ft. lbs. (120 N.m) of torque.
f) Repeat on opposite side. The pinchweld clamps should be positioned along the
pinchweld within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of each other, from side to side.
2. Install the anchoring crossbars:
a) Slide the 80” anchoring crossbar through the square hole in the bottom of the
pinchweld clamp and center the bar so that ends are flush to the outside edge
of floor rails.
b) Insert wedges into the slot between the clamp and the underside of the
anchoring crossbar. The flat side of the wedge always goes against the bar.
Hammer the wedge into place firmly with a 3 lb. hammer.

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3. Install anchoring stands:
a) Position the anchoring stands under the anchoring crossbar. Always position the
Chainless Anchoring Stands so that the bolt adjustment is correct to
counteract for any uneven floor conditions as described on Page 5.
NOTE:Ifyourfloorjackdoesnot raisethevehicle highenoughto allowthe anchoring stand
under the end of the anchoring crossbar, then hang the stands on the ends of the
anchoring crossbar (as shown at the left) by the hole in the stand. Lower the vehicle
and raise again by jacking under the center of the anchoring crossbar. The anchoring
stand can then be placed under the anchoring crossbar and the vehicle lowered onto
the top of the stand.
b) Insert the rail locks into the anchoring rails and into the short slots in the base
of the anchoring stands to align stands with the anchoring rails. Do not insert the
rail spacer wedges beneath the anchoring stand yet.

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c) Remove the safety stands and lower the car onto the anchoring stands.
d) Raise the rear end of the vehicle and repeat same process as at the front:
• place the rear clamps on the car positioned on the pinchweld within 1” of the
clamp on the other side of the car.
• insert the 80” anchoring crossbar through the clamps
• lower the car onto the support stands
4. Install the 72” anchoring side bars between the front and rear clamps on either side.
These bars should drop in easily between the clamp body and the anchoring side
bar retainer button on the clamp flange. If the bars do not drop in easily the car may
have offset pinchwelds or may have sill damage. If the anchoring side bar can be
forced into place behind the retainer button by pushing on the bar then do so and
wedge the bar into place. If this in not possible than see “Anchoring Cars With
Offset Pinchwelds” on Page 16, or “Anchoring Cars with Sill Damage” on Page 21.
SIDE BAR RETAINER
BUTTON
5. Hammer wedges firmly into place between the top side of the anchoring side bars
and the clamps. Remember that the flat side of the wedge always goes against the
bar.

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6. Install wedges through the top of the anchoring stand – to lock in the anchoring
crossbars and hammer into place.
CAUTION: Before disassembling the anchoring system you must first remove the
wedges at the top of the anchoring stands, otherwise sill damage willoccur.
7. Insert the rail spacer wedges between the anchor stands and the floor rail – insert
by hand until snug and then tighten rail lock nuts firmly with 11/8” (29 mm) wrench.
The car is now anchored and you are ready for pulling.
Anchoring
Crossbar
Rail
Lock
Nut
Rail Spacer Wedge

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Using the Mobility Wheels
A car can be moved while mounted on the Wedge Clamp System by using the mobility
wheels. To install the wheels remove the wedges from the top of the anchoring stands,
and raise an end of the car. Wedge the mobility wheels onto the anchoring side bars.
Always install the two swivelling wheels away from the heavier end (engine end) of the
vehicle. Remove the anchoring stands and lower the vehicle onto the mobility wheels.
WARNING: Be sure that the wedges which secure the mobility wheels to the
anchoring side bars are hammered in securely. Always install the two steerable swivel
wheels AWAY from the heavier end (engine end) of the vehicle. The car may tip forward
if the swivel wheels are installed at the heavier end of the vehicle.
SWIVEL WHEELS MOUNT TOWARDS
THE REAR OF THE CAR

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REMOVING A CAR FROM THE
ANCHORING SYSTEM
To remove a car from the anchoring system, reverse the set up procedure by following the
instructions below.
Chainless Anchoring System
1. Loosen the rail lock nuts and remove the rail spacer wedges from all four
anchoring stands.
2. IMPORTANT! Remove the wedges from the top of the anchoring stand on all four
stands so that the cross bars may rotate freely on the anchoring stands before
jacking or lowering the car.
3. Remove the wedges on the 72” anchoring side bars between the front and rear
clamps and remove the bars.
4. Raise the rear end of the car. Remove the anchoring stands and remove the
wedges and the 80” anchoring crossbar. Remove the rear set of pinchweld clamps.
Lower the car and repeat the same procedure at the front end of the car.

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ANCHORING PROBLEMS
AND SOLUTIONS
This section describes procedures for handling special anchoring situations with
vehicle models that are difficult to anchor, vehicles without pinchweld flanges, or
vehicles with certain damage conditions in the pinchweld area.
WARNING: Serious damage or injury can occur if a vehicle is not anchored securely for
pulling. It is your responsibility to evaluate the car and determine the safest
anchoring method. Always check the anchoring points during pulling to be sure that
the car remains securely anchored.

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With the hundreds of different unibody models on the road today there is no single
procedure for securely anchoring all of these vehicles. Many car manufacturers
provide no proper anchoring points for collision repairs. The pinchweld flange that is
formed beneath the sill (rocker) panels where key structural components are welded
together is usually a reliable point to anchor a unibody car. However even this
pinchweld flange does not exist on all models.
In order to handle as many different cars as possible, Wedge Clamp has developed some
special procedures and vehicle adapters. Anchoring procedures covered in this section
are:
• Anchoring To Weak Pinchwelds
• Anchoring with Obstructions on the Pinchweld
• Anchoring with Very Short Pinchwelds
• Anchoring to Offset Pinchwelds
• Anchoring Mercedes Benz and Honda/Acura Models
• Anchoring Wide Body Vehicles
• Anchoring Cars with Sill Damage

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Anchoring to Weak Pinchwelds
Pinchwelds vary from car to car. Some have good strength for heavy sideway pulls but
not for down pulls. On other cars, the pinchwelds might be strong at the front but
weak at the rear. Careful examination can usually determine what the limitations of the
car’s pinchwelds are. Look for at least three layers of metal coming together on the
edge of the pinchweld flange. The figure to the left shows a cutaway of a reinforced
pinchweld section. Look for spot welds along the outside of the sill to indicate possible
inner layers of metal.
Side Sill Inner Side Sill Outer
Floor Panel Reinforcement
Commonly
Reinforced
Areas
After examining the metal thickness and strength of the pinchweld, you canlocate the
pinchweld clamps accordingly. The 1988 and 1989 Toyota vans, for example, cannot be
secured by the pinchweld flanges.
Anchoring with Obstructions on the Pinchweld
The Wedge Clamp pinchweld clamp has been specifically designed to fit around
obstructions and at the same time provide maximum holding strength. It may be
necessary to remove fuel lines, etc. out of the way before clamping the pinchweld
flange. In some cases it may be necessary to remove fender bolts and even pull the
bottom of the fender out from the car in order to fit the pinchweld clamp in the
strongest location. In very difficult obstruction situations, it is possible to remove one
of the jaws on the clamp so that the clamp is anchoring the vehicle with only one jaw
(see “Anchoring Cars with Very Short Pinchwelds” below).
NOTE: Care should be taken not to clamp over drain contours on some pinchwelds
thereby pinching them shut.
Anchoring with Very Short Pinchwelds
On some vehicle models, the pinchwelds are very short (such as on the Chevrolet
Sprint and Honda Accord). It is necessary to remove one of the jaws on each clamp so
that only one jaw is holding the pinchweld. This method has been tested under various
conditions and has been found to hold satisfactorily.

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Anchoring to Offset Pinchwelds
If the pinchwelds do not run in straight line for their full length it is said that a vehicle has
offset pinchwelds. The left and right pinchwelds may angle in towards the center of the
car at one end or the other, or have a sudden step inward at one point along the sill
(rocker) panel. Examples of such pinchwelds are shown in the diagrams below. In
these cases, the anchoring side bars will not drop into place and slide easily between
the clamp body and the bar retainer button because the forward and rearward clamps
will not be in line with each other.
To install the anchoring side bars:
1. Install the front pinchweld clamps as normal. If pinchweld clamps are at an odd
angle and there is no apparent sill damage, there is no need to be alarmed, this is
common with some vehicles.
2. After all four pinchweld clamps have been installed and you are ready to place the
anchoring side bars into position, place the anchoring side bar in the front (or the odd
angled) pinchweld clamp first and insert the wedge to lock the bar into place against
this clamp. Then place your foot on the opposite end of the anchoring side bar and push
in until the anchoring side bar fits into the other pinchweld clamp behind the retainer
button. Now wedge the bar firmly into place the usual way.
NOTE: In some cases it may be necessary to remove the retainer button on the clamp
flange. If this is so, make sure that the anchoring side bar is up against and touching
the pinchweld clamp body. Then wedge the bar firmly into place.
NOTE: If the car has had sill damage refer to “Anchoring Cars with Sill Damage” on page
21.

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Anchoring Wide Body Vehicles
For extra wide bodies vehicles (usually of the van type) Wedge Clamp has developed
adapter brackets for the pinchweld clamps. Each adapter extends the pinchweld clamp
by approximately 4” (100 mm) to widen the anchoring system 8” (200 mm). Examples
of vehicles which require these brackets are the Ford Aerostar vans and the General
Motors Astro vans. The Wide Body Adapter Brackets can be ordered from your Wedge
Clamp dealer or by specifying Wedge Clamp Part No. 15000. The wide body adapter
assembly is shown below.
To install these brackets, simply remove the two jaws from the pinchweld clamp. Using
the bolts provided, bolt the adapter bracket to the outside face of the clamp with the
bolts coming through from the inside. Now bolt the two jaws onto the bracket. The
pinchweld clamps may be installed to the vehicle as normal.

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Anchoring Cars with Sill Damage
This procedure is used for fitting the Wedge Clamp Anchoring System to a vehicle that
has received minor sill damage:
Anchoring cars with Minor Sill Damage
1. Raise the front of the vehicle and attach pinchweld clamps to a section of the
pinchweld flange if possible. Ignore the angle of the clamp on the damaged side.
2. Slide the anchoring crossbar through both clamps and wedge the bar into place on
the undamaged side firmly. Place the wedges through the clamps on the damaged
side from the inside of the car pointing out so that the pinchweld clamp can slide
on the anchoring crossbar.
3. Raise the rear of the car and repeat the same process as for thefront.
4. Install the anchoring side bar on the undamaged side.
5. Tighten down the anchoring stands on the undamaged side. With the chainless
system, wedge the anchoring crossbar firmly to the anchoring stand.
6. Repair the damaged side by pulling on the pinchweld clamp. This may be done by
wrapping a chain around the clamp up high against the pinchweld.

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7. After the repair has been done a comparison check with the undamaged side can
be done by measuring from an underneath control point to the edge of the
pinchweld.
8. Set up the remainder of the anchoring system as normal.
Anchoring Cars with Major Sill Damage
When the sill (rocker) area of the car has been so severely damaged that the
pinchweld clamps cannot be bolted to the sill on the damaged side of the vehicle use
the following procedure:
1. Raise one end of the vehicle and place the pinchweld clamp on the undamaged side
of the car.
2. Slide the anchoring crossbar through this clamp, and on the damaged side place
the pinchweld clamp on the bar beneath the car inboard of the sill (rocker) area.
Wedge the clamp firmly in place.
NOTE: On the chainless system, insert the wedges between the pinchweld clamps and
the anchoring crossbars from the inside pointing out.
3. Lower the car so that the weight of the car is resting on the pinchweld clamps. On
the damaged side allow the bottom of the vehicle’s floor pan to rest on top of the
pinchweld clamp.
NOTE: On the damaged side it may be convenient to place the anchoring stand on
the inside of the pinchweld clamp so that the working area near the sill will be
unobstructed.
4. Jack up the rear of the vehicle and repeat the process:
• place the pinchweld clamp on the undamaged side of the vehicle;
• slide the anchoring crossbar through the clamp on the undamaged side, and
wedge the pinchweld clamp on the bar on the damaged side; and
• lower the car onto the anchoring stand.
5. Drive the wedges through the top of the anchoring stands on the undamaged side.
6. Repairs to the damaged sill (rocker) area can now be done. The clamps on the
undamaged side of the vehicle will secure the vehicle while pulling is done on the
damaged side.