DIY Car Dent Removal

Summary:

– Bodywork dent removal: the different causes

– Specific equipment for bodywork dent removal

– Do-it-yourself dent removal: the steps to follow

The dent removal operation requires special care with appropriate tools. The repair of a vehicle’s bodywork may be necessary in different cases: car scratch, dent removal, smash repairs, etc.

Bodywork dent removal: the different causes

A body can be dented for different reasons:

– hail impact,

– blows (from shopping carts, doors, etc.),

– projectiles (pebbles, etc.),

– other minor impacts.

This can also be the consequence of a small accident.

Specific equipment for bodywork dent removal

There are procedures for repairing dents on the bodywork by yourself. Depending on the extent of the damage, the car owner can restore the bodywork himself with the help of :

– auto body shop tools,

– a repair body kit that does not require body filler, chemicals or car paint.

The repair body kit includes:

– a manual,

– a glue gun,

– a special glue stick,

– a righting bridge,

– tips of different sizes (to be used according to the size of the bump): flat-ended and round-ended,

– a liquid in a bottle to remove the residual glue,

– a finishing tool.

Do-it-yourself dent removal: the steps to follow

For a minor dent, repairs are not complicated. Just follow these steps for light dent removal:

– Apply the glue to the chosen tip (depending on the diameter of the bump) using the glue gun.

– Place the end cap in the centre of the hollow, perpendicular to the surface of the sheet,

– Let the glue dry: depending on the outside temperature, the drying time is about 2 minutes,

– Adjust the righting bridge using the thumbwheel.

– Push the extractor onto the head of the nozzle to carry out the necessary adjustment.

– Screw the knob in without tightening the arms of the system in the up position, while keeping a slight play for smooth handling.

– Apply a progressive tension until the adhesive’s breaking point.

– Remove the glue residue with the specific product.

– Repeat the operation until the bodywork has perfectly recovered its original appearance.

– Then rectify the high point.

Working on a hump using a straightening bridge will create a high point that needs to be rectified in order to obtain a linear plane of the bodywork. To do this, it will be necessary to:

– retighten the sheet metal with a needle and the handle of a hammer to bring it back to level,

– adjust the sheet metal by successive impacts until a parallel reflection is obtained.

Carrying out a body repair requires a certain amount of know-how if you want an impeccable result.

For this, three techniques are used:

– replacement of the body part: when the vehicle has suffered major damage,

– dent removal (as seen above): process used to remove the impact of dents from the bodywork,

– straightening of the bodywork: requires specific equipment to restore the bodywork area deformed by an impact.

Equipment and accessories for repairing the bodywork

For a major repair, various devices can be used:

BODYWORK REPAIR TOOLS

Straightening bench

– Platform intended to receive the accidented vehicle which is held by fixing points. – It is attached to a hydraulic bracket equipped with two arms and a jack connected by a chain. – The chain is positioned on the area to be straightened. – The damaged body part can be restored to its original shape by simply operating the cylinder. – Tool to restore the chassis reference frame, in accordance with the manufacturer’s dimensions. – The unit of measurement for marble is expressed in millimetres (mm). – The reference points to be taken into account concern : – the fixing points which support the engine, – shock absorber anchor points, – the reference points of the stringers.

Marbles

There are three kinds of marble:

• universal marble: a commonly used device, the vehicle is fixed to the marble with fittings so that it has a maximum number of support points and the bodywork is better worked,

• marble beam measurement: composed of beams located on the frame, it allows measuring the different points of the vehicle chassis thanks to the rods incorporated in the beam,

• laser marble: consisting of an optical measuring device positioned on the frame of the vehicle, this system does not require fittings to intervene on the reference points.

Body filler

It is used for filling a dent and repairing plastic and/or body components.

Having trouble making up your mind?

If the dent is too big or if you don’t feel confident to do the dent removal yourself, in this case, you should rather have your car bodywork repaired by a professional.