Hey all,

My lower rear valance is bigtime dented where the bumper guards must have pushed it in. I don't have access to a stud welder and you can't get behind that panel to dolly it back out.

I really don't want to put screws in it in a million places and pull them out because it just leaves holes for one thing, and then all those damn peaks sticking out which need to be pushed back in.
I was thinking of some kind of suction, but it'd have to be one heavy-duty sucker!

The only option I can think of is to weld studs on and pull them that way, but I'm afraid of burning holes through the panel. That would suck because you can't get behind it.
Is that my only option?

Call 1-800-WURTHUSA and ask for customer service. Ask thenm to have a rep call you to demo the paintless dent lifter kit. We sell this kit to do exactly what you are trying to accomplish. The kit has adapters that attach with hot melt glue and use a morgan knokker to pull the dents. Heat is then applied with a heat gun and the adapter is removed with the glue! No paint damage, no bodywork! I sell tons of these kits to body shops. This is not the kit you see on late night tv. This one really works. Let me know how you make out.

LOL!
Yeah, I saw that commercial this morning. Amazing how 'professionals' use it everyday! ;) Won't a toilet plunger do the same thing for $3?

There's no paint on that part of the car anyway but I'll definitely have to do some bodywork to the area afterwards. I'm hoping the steel is too stretched.

Joe,
Try to find a rental place or a body shop and use a -stud gun welder? Not sure of the proper name?
It looks like a big electric gun that spot welds a rivet size stud to the sheet metal when you pull the trigger, No chance of blow threw that way. Just attach a stud were you need to, then hook a dent puller to the stud and pull. When your done, just snip off the stud and grind flush.
I haven't used one in long time, so maybe somone who has will give a better explanation.
Just a thought.

Roger

I just bought a stud gun and love it. Not only to pull dents but with different adapters you can shrink steel and install correct molding clip pins like around the windshiels and back glass. I love it. It's a great investment. I had a bunch of dings on my trunk floor and I pulled them all without ANY filler or hammering. Too bad you're not closer, I would let you borrow it. Good luck

Thanks Roger, that'd be my best bet I guess.

I used to have access to one but that source dried up. It's gotta be one of the best tools invented.

I just picked up a stud welder at Harbor Freight for $119.00 including the pins, extra tip and a slide hammer. It works great! Not too expensive for the little (alot) of work I have been doing on both quarters and tail panel.

Bob

FORGET those "paintless" dent repairs where you glue the stud on, it would never work on that damage. We have a professional kit at work and they are very limited. The dent has to be small in thin metal. That valance is much too strong, it would just not work.

You could use large washers and tack weld them to the dent. Pull the dent and then cut off the washer with a cut off disc. I do this all the time. In fact, the last boss at the last shop I worked at taught me some great techniques for doing it.

I use a "pogo stick" for pulling but you can use a long pointed pry bar. Stick the pry bar into the washer and then put it across a piece of 2x4 for leverage. It really works well.

Yeah I know Martin.... suction only works well on large, flat panels that are just pushed in a little.
If I had any more dents I'd buy a stud welder, but these are the only two I have to worry about.

I'm trying to envision that washer deal you suggested. Being such a PINA area to work on, I'll get creative and let you know how it worksout. I'll try to remember to take pics.

Thanks all....

Set the washer up on it's edge in the dent. Like if you were spinning a quarter on the table, on it's edge. Tack weld the washer's edge in the dent. Then you have the hole in the washer to grab it and pull, carefully. While you have some pressure on the it, tap the "high" areas around the dent with a flat body hammer.
After pulling the dent, just cut the little tack weld with a cut off disc and grind the remainder flat.

graemlins/thumbsup.gif Tack weld a washer on. :D
What an EXCELLENT idea!
Man, why can't I think of those. graemlins/clonk.gif

Roger

graemlins/clonk.gif
Same here.... I guess that's why we've got Martin.
Gonna give it a shot.... hope I remember to have the camera handy.

If I had seen MartinSR's idea about the washer I would have never bought the pins in the first place.
I was going to buy a stud gun last year, so I bought a bag of those studs/pins for a gun. Well, before I bought the gun I needed to pull a dent ASAP, so I used my little Lincoln Mig welder and tack welded some of the studs on the dent. I just held the stud/pin with a pair of insulated pliers and they welded right on without any problem.

Then, instead of buying the special puller, I used my old slide puller and I took out the screw out of the head. Then I just used a pair of visegrips to clamp the stud/pin against the business end of the slide puller and yanked away. It worked like a charm.

These are a few tricks to pull a dent out when you have no access to the back. There are a million and one ways to do it, these are just a few. I use these and others all the time, there are few right and wrong ways to get it done, just as long as you can get it done. I made these tips up for those who don’t have a stud welder or other electric style pullers, but you will still need a MIG. They are also used instead of a stud welder if you had one. These methods will pull much thicker metals and or dents that have more resistance to pulling like where you will find body lines. The number 2 method is particularly good for where you have a long body line that is pushed in. You can weld pulling tab right on the body line and gently pull out a long area bringing the line right into shape even on strong metal. The one warning I must give you is that you have to remember that you are MIG welding the tab on. If you pull to hard on the tab or the washer that is welded on, you will tear the metal! If you do, well you will just have weld it up. It is not the end of the world, but you will want to avoid it. I can’t stress this enough, these tips are not for little shallow waves or something. They are for serious low spots, where you must get it up a pretty fair amount, it is not worth it to get a fraction of an inch. They can be used for this, it is true, but it takes a good long while using the methods to get that proficient at it.

After using the “tool” carefully cut the weld thru the middle with a die grinder and 1/32” cut off disc. Then grind the little bit of weld you leave off, it is that easy.

The first (fig 1) is a simple old trick, you weld a large washer to the low spot and either hook some sort of slide hammer to it or using leverage like in the diagram. I usually use constant even pressure with leverage like the diagram for better control. In fact, I seldom use anything like a slide hammer on anything like this because it just doesn’t allow you enough control. In the diagram I have a long pry bar that is stuck into the hole on the washer and laid across a piece of wood. Applying pressure to the back of the bar will pull up on the dent. Apply the pressure and then tap on the high spots (or even level spots) that are right around the low spot, it will usually come up pretty easily.

The second tip (fig 2) is a trick that has worked wonders for me. This trick works so good, I have taught it to many guys in the shop. This method is the method of choice even though we have some very nice equipment for doing such things. It is just perfect with plenty of control and gets the job done fast. I have made up these “taps” for pulling from little pieces of sheet metal. They are about 20 gauge metal and approx. one and a half by three and a half inches. I have welded a few short beads to them on top to hold the Vice grip from sliding off (fig 2b). The tool I use to apply pressure is a “Pogo stick”, an old bodymans tool that has been around for years. They are pretty inexpensive, I think about $100.00. You could make one pretty easy if you wanted to. The chain that comes with a single hook on one end (fig 3) and double hook on the other (similar to fig 4). After the tap is welded on the car and the Vice grip (you’ll notice the one I use has curved jaws and I believe it is for pipe) is attached I just hook the single hook on the front of the Vice Grips where they pivot (fig 5). The Pogo stick has hooks on it (fig 4) where you hook the chain on. I use the bottom hook for more leverage about 99 out of a 100 times. The Pogo stick has a metal “foot” with rubber on it at one end and a bicycle type handle grip at the other.
You put the foot on something solid like the spring perch in this case. Hook the chain on and apply force going down (sometimes up, depending on where you can put the foot) while tapping on the metal surrounding the dent.

Gentle constant pressure is always better than something like a slide hammer. These two methods provide that for you.

http://members.aol.com/buickfam/pogostick.jpg