Methods and apparatus for determining vehicular assembly tolerances

A method of manufacturing a gauge for determining relative positional relationships among assembled vehicular components including a side panel outer and a door sash, each of the side panel outer and the door sash defining an exterior surface, a ditch joint being defined between the side panel outer and a vehicular roof panel, the method of manufacturing comprising:

• forming a hook in a gauge body that is configured to extend and be retained within the ditch joint;
• forming a curved exterior surface in the gauge body that corresponds to a contour of a portion of the exterior surface of the side panel outer that is disposed adjacent a section of the ditch joint in which the hook is configured to be retained;
• disposing an indicator at a lower portion of the gauge body below the hook;
• and
• configuring the indicator being to determine and indicate a distance separating the lower portion of the gauge body from the door sash in a direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the door sash, the distance being indicative of an assembly tolerance of relative positions of the side panel outer and the door sash.

A method of determining relative positional relationships among assembled vehicular components including a side panel outer and a door sash, each of the side panel outer and the door sash defining an exterior surface, a ditch joint being defined between the side panel outer and a vehicular roof panel, the method comprising:

• retaining a hook of a gauge body within the ditch joint;
• contacting a curved exterior surface of the gauge body against a portion of the exterior surface of the side panel outer that is disposed adjacent a section of the ditch joint in which the hook is retained, the curved exterior surface corresponding to a contour of the portion of the exterior surface of the side panel outer;
• and
• indicating, with an indicator that is disposed at a lower portion of the gauge body below the hook, a distance separating the lower portion of the gauge body from the door sash in a direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the door sash, the distance being indicative of an assembly tolerance of relative positions of the side panel outer and the door sash.