Dent Repair

When repairing deep dents, the first priority is pulling out the deformed body panel surface to restore its original shape. Note that there is no point in trying to achieve 100% conformity with the original, especially since this is unattainable due to irreversible changes in the internal structure of the metal at the moment of impact. It is quite sufficient to pull the deformed surface to a level 3 mm below the surface of the surrounding undamaged part of the panel. Note: If the dent is shallow, pulling it out loses all meaning.

If the deformed area can be reached from the back side of the panel, try to straighten the panel from the inside by tapping the metal with a hammer with a soft face. At the same time, press a wooden block firmly against the face of the damaged area to absorb the impact and to prevent excessive bulging of the metal being restored.

If the dent is located on a double-layer section of the body panel, or access to the back side of the panel is impossible for any other reason, change the method. Drill several small holes in the most severely deformed areas of the dent, then screw long self-tapping screws into them, leaving the heads protruding above the metal surface. Now pull the metal out, gripping the screw heads with self-locking pliers.

At the next stage, completely remove the paint from the damaged area and from the panel surface around it for a width of approximately 3 cm. This work is best done using a wire or grinding attachment on an electric drill. Paint removal can be equally effective when done by hand with sandpaper. The final step in preparing the surface for body filler is roughening the bare metal of the dent by scratching it with a screwdriver or a piece of file, or by drilling small holes. Surface roughness improves the adhesion of the body filler paste. You can then proceed with applying filler and painting the treated area.