ok so i recently got a pretty dang big dent on the very corner of my roof right behind the t-tops. and my neighbor suggested to remove the interior panels (which i did) and see if we could pop it out. so i got the interior panels out but there is the extra sheet metal infront of the actually body panels. what do i do? do they come out somehow or do they have to be cut out? HELP!

 

Thats the roll bar structure. Do NOT remove that unless you absolutely have to

Repair the dent from the exterior using a suction cup or drill holes for a slide hammer

 

dammit, i guess i might just end up sticking her in storage for a few yrs tell i get enough money to fix her up like i like or atleast somehow because we dont have enough money or anything and its wayyyy to depressing with the dent.

 

Post some pics of the damage. Some people here might have a good idea on how to fix it, and it could be fairly inexpensive, depending on the dent.

 

Depending on the dent, the suction cup method could work great. The cups are only a couple bucks at Harbor Freight. Just wet it a bit so you get a good seal for the best suction hold. I've popped numerous dents out of mutliple cars with those things. Just take a bit of patience and some arm strength.

One of those suction cups for handling large sheets of glass work well too.

 

thanks i'll try to get a pic soon pulled her in because i was sick to my stomach at looking at the dent. could someone show me a link to the suction cup? im just imagining large suction cups like you would typically think of, is it the same thing? and you just pull with your arm, i dont see how it could work, but worth an try if its cheap.

edit, i see what you mean now, looks like it might work but will it still work on a kinda crease though? and how many times can it be used? whats probaly the best one to go with if i try one?

 

They are more "professional" than that, but yeah, that's the basic concept. They are usually very powerful and don't let go very easy. You pull on it, and it should allow you to pull the metal back to its original shape. Works perfect in some situations, not so much in others.

 

from the harbor freight sites the most resonable ones seem that there is a plastic 80lb puller or alumi 110lb puller, what should i need? plastic 2.99 alumi 5.99

 

Well lets see pics of the dent before we give much more advice. It depends a lot on what it looks like.

 

I have the plastic one.

 

wish i could of got an pic , also anyone knows how much delivery cost/time to oregon would be from harbor freight for maybe a few small things? they got good prices and sales

 

Why don't you go to their website and see if there's one close by. If not, ask them what the shipping will be and the time for delivery. I'm sure there's one close to you. Maybe 5 in 33 miles!! Do some research and you'll find your answers.

 

ok heres a ok picture of the dent.

 

haha never though of that thanks...

 

Know anybody with a MIG welder?

 

hummm.... maybe, why?

 

That doesn't look that bad man, I would suggest staying away from the oldschool slide hammer. It ruins the structural integrity of the metal and also you run the risk of the screw you set in the hole ripping out. There is a newer form that actually tac welds little posts onto the spots and you pull the dent out with those small studs. That would be the route I go. I did this method with a similar dent on my tailgate with great results.

 

Yeah, its a deep dent, but at least it doesn't look like you've got an actual fold on it. If you don't know how to do bodywork yourself, I'd try and find a paintless dent removal service and see what they'd charge. It might be cheaper than you think. I'd certainly stay away from the oldschool slide hammer too, I think that'd make it get much more expensive much quicker.

 

Do you really think they could do that dent without removing the paint? I've done a bit of paint and body work and with where that spot is I don't know if you could get a suction cup on that, of course I don't know all the methods for dent removal without messing up the paint. I guess what I'm asking is how would they do that without messing up the paint?

 

I'd have an outfit give it a shot. They may not think they can do it, but what is the hurt in getting an estimate from them? Some of these guys are really talented and can do surprising things. If they can't, then your not out of anything, right?

 

Sounds like a plan to me. At least get an estimate before you give them the go ahead though. It could still be cheaper to have another shop do it the old fashioned way and remove the paint. Also, ask for a few references to see their work. I've seen my friends get screwed by a few of the local shops around here.

 

thanks everyone, so should i try an suction cup? my neighbor said it could be a good 500 bucks which i just dont have and wont have for a LONGGGG time.

 

You can give the suction cup a try, not sure it'd harm it. I think more than likely you could improve the situation, but probably won't completely fix it. The larger part of the dent seems pretty manageable, the problem is that area near the seal looks like it's gonna need more specific attention, since its bulged out.

You might get the major part out, but still have the little area near the seal that's dis formed. That'd be my guess.

 

well if i can get MOST of it out then i'll be happy, lukily my paint somewhat hides it but still would like the dent gone. can those suction cups be used on small dings?

 

Essentially the cup has to be smaller than the dent. If the cup is bigger, it won't be able to pull on the metal that needs to be pulled out. Aside from that, its always possible to try it.

 

There isn't a suction cup on this planet that will remove that. Don't waste your money. Save up and have it repaired correctly.

 

I would have to agree, that's a pretty stiff area and wouldn't be surprise if using a suction cup yielded minimal results. Then again those suction cups are cheap enough to at least give it a try.