How To Repair a Very Large Dent?

"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993) 04/01/2015 at 20:12 • Filed to: None

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So I have a very large dent, possibly larger than you're whole car, in the side of my truck, and im trying to fix it. I'm just trying to get the panel facing out again so it doesn't look totally awful, but it doesn't need to be 100% brand new looking. I can access the back of the panel

I have more time then money, so cheap fixes would be best.

I've considered: renting a slide hammer from autozone, or drilling through the panel and using a come-a-long to pull it out

Story: I didn't leave enough room inside to make a turn.

help pls

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:15

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Insert camping pillow, inflate?

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:16

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Dent the other side so it matches?

505Turbeaux > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:17

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youll make swiss cheese out of that with a slide hammer. Go deep or go home. Get out that come along and find the biggest tree around. Then finish with a BFH

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:24

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Now I dont feels so bad, I did exactly that and only got this much damage:

I have since replaced the entire door

deekster_caddy > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:24

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If you can access the back of the panel, a good deal of the dent will pop back out if you can pry it from the inside with a 2x4. A smaller hammer and lots of tapping will be useful to get it near the right shape at the end after you are close. You tap tap tap tap and kind of warm the metal up with the hammer, then hit it a little harder and get it back to the right shape.

After you are done sand all around the parts you f'd up with the 2x4 and hammer and spray them with a "sealing primer" (inside and out) so it doesn't rust. Finish paint optional to your taste...

OPPOsaurus WRX > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:35

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i used a toilet plunger. at first it didn;t work, and I went into i'm gunn-f-u-up mode and just attacked it and it suddenly popped out and you couldn;t even tell it was there. cost: free.99

edit: upon further inspection of the dent, ur gunna need an all you can eat burrito night grade plunger, it worth a try

RallyWrench > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 20:40

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I've had luck on similar dents in bedsides with 2X4s & leverage from inside the bedside. You might also try a Porta-power or small bottle jack if there's enough room. It won't come all the way out because the metal has stretched, and you're pretty SOL on the bedrail & upper edge if you want it to look nice, but a BFH will at least get it down.

Shoop > Shamoononon drives like a farmer 04/01/2015 at 21:19

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been done, though not quite so bad. Snow drifts are harder than they look

Shoop > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/01/2015 at 21:21

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hmmm.

Round headlight enthusiast > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 21:29

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Just get a new box! That's the beauty of body on frame!

Frank Grimes > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 21:31

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the top part is what is holding in the dent fix/pull the creases out and a ton of the dent should come out with it. that is a really fierce crease up on the top though and it will take a lot of force the un crease it.

taking the time to analyze how the dent happened and all the forces and crap like stretching creasing and stuff that is holding it dented will pay off a ton in saved time and effort.

this old school book is really good and I recommend anyone interested in this stuff pick it up.

Shoop > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 21:36

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It seems the most recommended answer is BFH

Shoop > Round headlight enthusiast 04/01/2015 at 21:45

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Ha! The body is far from beautiful, you can see another dent right on the door.

Thanks though!

vwbeamer > Shoop 04/01/2015 at 21:48

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If you can get a scissor jack( like the cheap jacks that come with import cars) between the bent panel and the payload box. protect the unbent payload box with a large piece of wood, like a 2X8 a couple feet long. Then place the working part of the jack on the crease, try to get a thin piece of wood like a scrap of plywood on the jack head to keep the jack from stretching the metal. proceed to jack out the dent. Once you have room, place piece on the jack head. Try to keep the wood aligned with anybody creases.

Done this before. looked ok. I would not try to drill and try to pull a dent this large.

vwbeamer > vwbeamer 04/01/2015 at 21:49

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Ment to say once you have room , place larger piece of wood on jack head. get the longest piece you can in there.

Shoop > Shoop 04/02/2015 at 03:56

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I misread the the as an a

see that costs $$$$