Insight To Help You Remedy Vehicle Body Dents

10 January 2018
 Categories: , Blog


A collision to your vehicle body leaves the metal unattractive and prone to rusting and further corrosion. Here are some tips and tricks to help you remedy and repair the damage on your own.

Do-It-Yourself Dent Repair

There are several types of methods you can do at home to repair a dent in your vehicle. One of the more simple methods uses the temperature change from heat and cold to force the vehicle's metal to expand and contract and allow the dent to pop back into proper position. Pour a pot of boiling water onto the dent, then use a toilet plunger without a flange to pull out the dent in your vehicle's body. Wearing gloves you can also rub dry ice over the dent and use the cold to contract the dent to make it easier to pop the dented metal into place.

Another method uses a hair dryer to heat the dented area, then spray compressed air from a can of computer dust cleaner to quickly cool the area. The change from hot to cold should force the metal back into position, or you can push the dent back into place with your hand or by tapping a rubber mallet on the inside of your vehicle's body.

Professional Dent Repair

You can also use some dent repair techniques the professionals use, with similar tools and equipment. Many body and RV collision repair professionals use a hot glue gun to attach plastic or wooden anchor points from a dent pulling kit onto the areas of the dent. Then, use these attached points to push and pull the dent from the vehicle body. You can find these anchor points at most auto repair stores. Use a pair of pull pliers or a body hammer to pull the attached points and remedy the dent.

This dent repair process allows you to complete the dent repair of your vehicle without sanding off any of the paint beforehand. If the paint has been damaged during the collision, you can sand and repaint the vehicle at a later date.

If you plan to repaint your vehicle at the same time you complete the dent repair, you can use a stud welding gun to smooth the dents. Because this process uses a stud welder, which needs bare metal to affix the anchor point pins onto the metal, sand off the paint and primer on the area of damage.

Insert a metal pin into the nose of the stud welder and press the nose of the gun onto the dented area of your vehicle to make the connection and create the weld. Continue welding a series of metal pins onto the dented area of your vehicle, spacing them as needed. Grip each of the pins with a body hammer or a t-handle to pull the dent smooth.

After you have repaired the dent, cut and grind smooth the pins and prepare the vehicle for a new coat of primer and paint to complete the repair.


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