Typical Ugly Car Dent
Types of Car Dents You Can Remove Yourself
Depending on the dent, you can often take it out yourself with a few simple tools for paint protection Adelaide. If it’s just a round dent like the one in the photo above that won’t be too difficult.
If the dent has a crease in it, you’ll probably have to visit an auto body mechanic, unless you’re skilled in this area. With a crease, you’d have to fill what doesn’t come out with some body auto fill and with a crease it’s more than likely that you’re going to lose a little bit of paint. so you’ll have to be prepared to spray some touch up paint in that area as well.
Dents in car doors are awkward things generally. They’ll mean that to get to them you’re going to have to strip the inside interior panel off the door. At that point too, you’ve got a problem because the window and window frame take up a lot of that space. If the dent is close to the window frame that’s probably not something you’ll be able to do through lack of space to work through on the other side. But stay with me here (I cover this further down) you may still be able to pull it out from the exterior side without having to even go near pulling interior panels off. If the dent is say half way down the door and pretty much central, you should be able to tackle that one regardless.
Roof dents can be easily taken care of as long as they have avoided the skeletal structure. What I mean by this is that your roof is built on a rigid platform for rollover safety but it contains a lot of empty spaces. Next time you’re in your car put your hand on the headlining and move it around, you’ll be able to feel the differences in the structure underneath.
Trunk and hood dents should also be able to be repaired fairly easily. Like the roof, though, both the hood and the trunk have a skeletal structure. Open both up and you’ll easily see this framework. If your dent has avoided the cross structure it should be easily be able to be taped out from inside. But like the door, trunk and hood and roof dents may be able to be pulled out. I’ll show you how soon.
Panel dents are the easiest of all to get out, but if they’re on a corner, you’ll have a crease for sure and you’ll end up using body filler. Still not difficult, though, and I explain the ways to do that further down.
How to Repair Common Round Car Dents With Simple DIY Tools
There’s a few ways you can go about this.
- The first thing you can try is a common household plumber’s plunger. They come in various widths, so measure the diameter of your dent and match it up to a plunger that will cover that sized dent. Best to use grease around the rubber lip that you’ll be pressing onto the dent, but soapy water may be as good. Apply the greased plunger over the top of the dent and then press the plunger in so that the plunger’s squashed flat and has no air left in it. Then slowly pull it out. If it’s a light enough car dent, you’ll simply vacuum the dent out. You might have to have a few goes at this.
- If that doesn’t work, then the next thing to use to try to extract your dent is a large rubber mallet. By super-careful with the mallet, and just tap gently to begin with, as if you put too much force into your blows you’ll end up with the dent protruding in the other direction.
- If you don’t have a rubber mallet. the next thing you can try is a piece of timber with the end about the same size as the dent. But wrap the end of the piece of timber with a large piece of cloth. Make sure there’s no sharp edges on the timber before attempting this. You can then quietly tap the end of the piece of timber with a hammer until the dent pops out.
One thing you can never use is a hammer directly on the dent. You’ll just end up with a whole lots of little dents within the dent. Believe me, that looks a lot uglier than the original dent.
Auto body mechanics use a variety of tools to get dents out. Some are rounded to take the curves. For the cost of about $30 you could buy a set and then you’ll have a much better chance of doing it properly. This is especially useful if you’ve got quite a few to tackle and they’re not just straightforward round dents.
Repairing a Car Dent With a Hair Dryer and Dry Ice
Repairing a car dent with a hair dryer and ice is remarkably effective. For this method you’ll need a hair dryer, a pair of solid rubber gloves, some dry ice, and tinfoil.
- Have ready with you a piece of tinfoil larger, than the dent, that you can put over the dent as soon as you’ve stopped heating it. This will make sure that the heat you apply remains on the dent.
- Then use the dryer, on high heat, about seven inches or so back from the dent for about three minutes. Be careful with the heat as you can blister your paint.
- Apply the tinfoil.
- Next put your pair of rubber gloves on and pick up a handful of dry ice cubes and start rubbing them on the tinfoil.
After a few minutes the dent should pop out. The reason for this is that you’ve slightly expanded the metal with the heat and then the coldness of the ice reverses this process and contracts the metal.
You may have to repeat this process two to three times before the dent pops out.
You can also buy dry ice in a can with compressed air. This is quicker and more effective than ice cubes.
Repairing Dents in Plastic and Rubber Bumpers
Depending on how severe these dents are, they can be usually popped out with ease by pouring boiling water over them. Simply boil a jug of water and then very slowly pour the water above the dent. It might take two to three jugs’ worth, but the dent should just easily pop out.
Repairing Deeper Dents and Creases
Repairing deeper dents and creases can be done with a hammer and a dolly. You can buy sets of these off Amazon for about $30.
First, though, if it’s a bumper you’re best to remove it. They’re all bolted on. Just find the bolts, unbolt it and take it to a workbench where you can repair it. Much easier than lying on your back on the ground underneath your car trying to do this.
Hammer out the dent as best you can. If you’ve got a crease you’d be doing a great job to pull that out perfectly. You’re more than likely going to have to put some body filler on it, sand it down, spray some primer on it, and then some top coat same as your car color.