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.