Pushing out dent that I can't get to

[bluecoupe]

I have a dent in the quarter panel of my F-150, actually I don't know if you call that a quarter panel it's the outside panel of the bed. Anyway, the dent is just in front of the tail light and I can't get a tool in behind it because the inside bed panel is in the way and there just isn't much room between the inside and outside panels. I can barely get my hand behind it but I can't push hard enough to move the dent. The paint isn't too bad so I would really like to just push this out from behind.

How can I push this out? The inside bed panel is heavy gauge steel so I could push against it, but what can I put in the gap to do the work? I was considering an inflatable bag, do they actually work? Is there a better solution?

[Phil V]

Got any pictures ? The odds are it will be never be right without a little grinding, filling and painting to make it look new again. An alternative would be to take it to a PDR specialist (paintless dent removal).

[Roch_Greg]

I'm with Phil. Most car's and trucks have inner and outer panels. I can't think of many panels that aren't that way off hand.

The alternative is Pulling the dent out but those PDR guys have a bag tricks. Like inflatables they stick up between the panels the allow in air bringing up the pressure till the dent pops out.

Greg.

[bluecoupe]

I know it won't be perfect without some filler and paint, but it's a pickup truck so it doesn't necessarily have to be perfect. I'd like to get it better than it is so that it's less noticable. I was hoping to do this on the cheap using my own labor.

I'll see if I can get some pics.

[Phil V]

Understood, now we can get down to the task of repairing it. What year F-150 is it ? Was the damage caused by a rear impact or a side impact ? Did it break the tail light ?

[bluecoupe]

It is a 98 F-150, rear impact that did break the taillight. I backed into a wall, missed the garage door opening by two or three inches. The bumper took most of the impact and pushed the wall out of the way but when the wall got past the bumper it put a dent in the quarter panel. The bumper has no damage.

[Phil V]

can you post a picture of the damage ?

[68-chevydoula]

Do you have a fire poker? Or any other type strong, narrow tool you could get back in there? The PDR thing Phill suggested was right on. The other way will work well also.

[bodymanhelper]

Im working on a f-150 crew cab truck at the shop. I used a nail gun on the truck after i ground the paint to make it clean. It works good. Then just mud it.

[SHOWCAR FINISH]

what about computer cleaner and a hairdryer? Any truth to those rumors?

[dave_demented]

dry ice and a heat gun actually works pretty well on some dents.

The keyboard cleaner is compressed CO2(not quite dry ice) which in comparison to dry ice isnt THAT cold, and a conventional blow dryer doesnt put out enough heat quick enough to make the sudden change needed. but a chunk of dry ice and a good professional heat gun does in fact work on SOME dents

[RyanBayles]

Go see if you can rent out a stud welder from your local body shop.. I doubt they will rent it out bc of the small chance of you tearing it up but most shops dont want to take that chance on such a expensive peice of equipment however, if you know someone in the business you can borrow one easily, or just do what I do my best friend is a auto body tech and i just take my truck to the shop afterhours and he lets me use all their equipment.

[bodymanhelper]

I agree with you ryan. Thats the best way to pull dents. Just shoot studs and pull then with the slidehammer. Clip the studs after you pull and grind the leftover then mud the rest after you tap down the highspots.

[SHOWCAR FINISH]

did anyone check if he took the tail light out to check access? I agree stud guns are best but it doesn't sound like he has one or is interested.

[RyanBayles]

The paint isn't too bad so I would really like to just push this out from behind.

I must have not payed this part any attention. So it must be just a push-in or a ding. If its a push-in, i think you might be able to stick a rod of somesort in through the tailight hole as ShowCar said and push it if your lucky it will just pop back out. If its a deeper ding there really isnt any way to fix it without actually having to do some filler/paint work

[Len]

Without a picture or two it's almost impossible to give any really good advice.

[Chris L]

And if you use a blunt object to go poking behind it,you take a chance,even if it pops out,of poking a dent that faces the outside.:rolleyes:

[Ray62406]

I had a dent in the roof that I did not want to drill or use a stud gun on because I didn't want to chance damaging or burning the headliner. I went to the local parts house and saw one of those paintless dent removal kits. The price was right at $20.00. It uses a hot melt glue gun to glue a disk with all thread attached. I was able to pull 95% of the dent and fill the remaining low spot with body puddy. I was surprised how well it did work on the older, heavier guage metal. I didn't have many options and thought I could gamble on the 20 bucks.
I'm sure the skin on your truck bed is a lot thinner than this 45 year old roof so it would be worth a shot, you have nothing to lose but $20.00 and thats worth the gamble.

[68-chevyman]

If it is a small dent I have seen my dad use a torch. Start in a circle .5 inch from the edge of the dent about 2 inches from the panel. Then slowly circle aroud picking up speed, getting closer, and finaly tuching. IT pops out hail- if you have no skill at pdr. PDR would most likely get it out if paint is not broken, but who is to say w/out a picture.

[tommie.b]

I don't think he want's to brake the paint So may be a long crow bar with some tape around the end and try to push out at the same time tap any high ridges and go slow and easy. This may relive some out the dent,but may have some pressure from the tail lamp aera.
Hope this helps.

tommie b.

[MARTINSR]

There are a lot of "Ifs", post a photo or we will be guessing.

If this was hit from the rear, there is NO magic fix. No dry ice (myth) no pushing out to make it a little better, NOTHING. The dent needs to be repaired, primed and painted. If you do anything less than that it is just going to look "different", but it won't be "fixed". :)

Brian

[SHOWCAR FINISH]

well that's why we need to see a pic. Dents can be pushed out with your pinky in some cases. Other times they wont rest in their normal position.

[68-chevydoula]

My PDR tool set.

[oldtimer]

I am a little late posting on this one, but in situations like this, I have used small spreader jaws on my porto-power, and wrapped rag on whatever side (flat or curved) side of jaws contacting outer panel, relieve tension in center, then use block of softwood on outside eyebrows. It works good if sheet metal is not creased.

[68-chevydoula]

Anyone using tools like those in the shop atmosphere?

[tnfarmboy]

How do those PDR rods work? Like on this guys truck. The only thing I can figure is go thru the tail light hole, push it past the dent, turn it 90 degrees or whatever to make it put pressure on the dent while you pull the rod back toward you. How big around are they? Looks like maybe 1/4 inch diameter. Seems like that small surface area would create a lot of high spots. What am I missing?

[oldtimer]

There are many different sizes(diameters) end (tip) shapes and diameters, they also use a round nylon stick with a flat end and a rounded end. While holding dent out in middle, they either drag or push eyebrow down, I have also seen them lightly tapping with this nylon tool. I have seen some using a small blazer torch on roof and hood hail dents. Hope this answers part of your question......Larry

[68-chevydoula]

Okay, it would actualy take some time to show you how, but here is the general idea. There are dif. diameters and tip styles and lengths of tools. There are what we call whale tales, that have dif size fan type tips. Sharp point tips, round ball tips, bullet tips. There are shaved tools. There are 90 degree bends, double bend, and offset bends at the tip.

In this case I have not seen a picture of the damage, so it is hard to determine what to exactly do to repair, but lets say for instance...

You could remove the tail light, or the inner wheel well, depending on the location of the dent.

The theory of pdr is that you can massage the dent out without breaking the paint. My husband could better describe, but I will do my best. The "round nylon stick" is actualy called a knock down. We use this to knock down any high spots you might incounter throughout the process. You do not actualy use much force to get the dent out. You knock down the crowns, and flex up the lows. The metal wants to go back where it belongs, it is just stuck, and it can take lots of small movements to help it go back.

You need to set up a special light to see the dent properly. We call it a light board. You line up the dent with the edge of the light line. You can easily see the break in the line where the dent is. Place the rod in the panel, and gently find your tip by rubbing the back of the panel with the tip. After you find your tip, start "massaging" not pushing to hard at all- you should not do more than just flex the metal ALOT. AS the dent starts to come out, knock down the high spots, or crowns. After you have the dent mostly out, it might look funny- so then you have to do finnishing. This is using your rod and knockdown to go back over the dent paying close attn to the appearance of the paint. If you don't finnish it it can look like peperoni pizza. But when finnished properly, you never knew there was a dent at all.

I hope I explained it well. I am not nearly as good at it as Jason. It would take alot more than just telling you for most people to figure it out. IMO PDR Finesse Tool Co. has the best tools out there, and they are going to offer training in the near future.

[oldtimer]

Thanks Chevy, I knew what I was talking about, just too hard to explain. I have watched people do this since it had come out. I have been doing it for years ( before ) someone decided to market the idea. Except I made my own picks and rods as I went. Heck, I even highly polished some of my hammer heads and use them only for this type of work. I even custom made a sledge hammer, it is short, weighs 35 pounds, and is indestructible. I welded a 3ft. length of an axle shaft to a 25 pound hammer head. Works great for those impossible dents, and in close quarters:D .