How to fix a dent on a fender without painting
Minor accidents happen to cars quite often. One of the most vulnerable parts of a vehicle is the wing. As a rule, a small dent on it does not threaten car systems, but it is noticeable and significantly spoils its appearance. Every motorist who is faced with this kind of problem is faced with a choice: take his vehicle to a specialized workshop or try to straighten the dent with his own hands.
As a rule, straightening at home is much faster and costs much less, but you should take into account the fact that in order to straighten a wing, you will need a special tool, skills to work with it, as well as a suitable room for work.
Car fender damage
The question of how to fix a dent on a fender can be given many different answers. However, the most common methods for repairing this damage without painting include:
- leveling with a jack;
- straightening with a reverse hammer;
- using vacuum suction cups;
- straightening with an industrial hair dryer.
Most car owners are interested in having the dent removed so that the car does not require additional painting of the fender afterwards. This is not surprising, because painting will require additional costs for primer, varnish and the paint itself, as well as a lot of time.
However, there are situations when subsequent painting of a car or an individual part is simply inevitable. For example, if there are chips or cracks on the dent, or crumbled damaged paintwork can be found at its bottom.
Damage to the paintwork on the car fender
Repairing a car fender using a jack
As a rule, jacks are used to straighten a car without painting in cases where the dent is large and complex. However, in this case, it is very important to choose the right size jack and consumables for the job. Do-it-yourself dent removal is done according to the following scheme:
- First you need to provide yourself with the necessary access to the inside of the damaged wing. If necessary, you can dismantle all unnecessary equipment and fittings.
- The jack itself must be clearly fixed opposite the dent on the fender.
- In order for the device to have the correct effect on the defect, you will need two strong wooden blocks with perfectly smooth surfaces. One should be placed directly under the damaged fender, and the second - under the base of the jack.
- Gradually work with a jack to pull out the dent without painting.
Body straightening kit
It should be noted that it is possible to successfully straighten a wing using a jack only in cases where the damaged surface was initially flat. Otherwise, a straight wooden block may bend the wing incorrectly, and then it will have to be straightened again, but in the opposite direction. Of course, you can choose a block that will perfectly match the curved shape of the wing, but the likelihood of this is extremely low.
Replacing a part or part of it
If there is more serious damage, removing dents will not help restore the integrity of the part. In this case, the body element, or its most severely damaged part, is replaced with a new one. When replacing, it is necessary to find a part identical to the one being replaced. If a specific area is being replaced, the patch is cut from the same metal. Next, it is welded to the part being restored.
Minor damage to the body, chips, scratches and dents on the car can be repaired independently without repainting. Parts of the body that were not previously damaged are subject to restoration. If paint cracking, breaks or kinks appear, repairs without painting will not be possible.
As offensive as it may be, no one can do without “kicking” the car at least a little in their entire life. Even professionals. Snow falling from the cornice, not entirely sober citizens who chose the “swallow” as a fulcrum, and their own sloppiness or oversight leave marks on the varnished sides of the car. For the most part, they are slightly bruised; even the paint is not peeling off.
Therefore, most owners are in no particular hurry to rush to the nearest tinsmith. In addition, the insignificance of the damage encourages you to try to fix everything yourself. So let's talk about this - about how to straighten a dent on a car with your own hands.
