Car body dent repair (Opel Frontera A)

When repairing dents, the primary task is to stretch the deformed surface in order to bring it to the level of the original. There is no point in trying to achieve a 100% match to the original - it is still impossible due to the damage to the internal structure of the panel metal upon impact. The optimum level for the dented surface is to bring it to a level approximately 3 mm below the surface of the surrounding undamaged area of the body panel. If the dent is very shallow, pulling it out makes no sense at all.

1. If the concave area can be reached from the back of the panel, you should try to straighten the dent from the inside using blows from a soft-faced hammer.

2. When tapping out the dent, press a wooden mallet firmly against its face to dampen the impact momentum and avoid excessive bending of the deformed panel metal.

If the dent is located on a two-layer section of the panel or access to it from the back is not possible for some other reason, a different pulling method should be used.

1. Drill several small holes into the concave area of the panel, making sure that they are in the deepest areas of the dent.

2. Then screw long screws into the holes, leaving their heads sticking out just enough to be grasped with pliers.

3. Now start pulling out the dent with pliers by the screws.

4. The next stage of treatment is to remove the dents from the damaged surface and from an area approximately 3 cm wide around it. This work is best done with a wire bit or sanding disc in the chuck of an electric drill, but hand sanding with sandpaper is equally effective.



5. The final stage of preparation for puttying is scratching the exposed metal of the dent with a screwdriver or a piece of a file, or drilling small holes in it to ensure maximum adhesion of the putty to the metal surface.

6. Next, you can proceed to the procedures of puttying and painting (see Puttying and painting).

[Text copied from this portal: www.OPELBOOK.ru]