A small dent on the wing what to do. Effective methods for pulling and repairing dents on a car

Passenger cars often get into small “accidents”, as a result, the front fender is slightly dented or scratched. The breakdown is minor, but you will have to fork out to fix it in the auto repair shop. But, if your car is maintainable (and in most of your own Russian cars they are), then we recommend that you read this article. It offers tips on how to straighten dents on the wing of a car on your own, and, as it should, save money.

Probably, most of you have sufficient theoretical training: they know what specific tools and materials are required to repair a car, and how to use them. Some may have even managed to get everything they need in advance.

It's time to put the theoretical knowledge into practice. For example, let's take a common and fairly common case - damage to the front wing. Obviously, the damage is different. From time to time a wing happens to be so wrinkled and torn that even the most skilled leveler will not undertake to return it. But this rarely happens.

Another situation is even more likely: they were driving along a zigzag forest road, gaped a little - and hit a tree at the corner. Or they did not react to the “feet” that caught fire in front, and slightly touched the already stopped car. No matter how the blow, the ifars are intact, but there is a “bubble” on the wing, the appearance of the car is damaged, and the traffic inspectors look askance suspiciously: but, for an hour, didn’t you hit someone?

It is urgent to smooth out the dents on the front fender of the car. What does that require?

• First, the jack. Not bad, hydraulic. But it is possible to get by with rack and pinion, so far most of the Russian cars have been equipped with such.

• Secondly, the jack must be supplemented with extensions of different lengths: hydraulic - with pieces of thick-walled round pipe, rack - square, tightly put on the gear rack. If you have not found a square pipe, you can change it with 2 corners welded into a square. The longest extension should be 40-45 cm in size.

• Thirdly, you need a straightening hammer and strong support, as well as a few pieces of solid, strong wood blocks.

If all this is prepared, you can begin to work on leveling the dent.

First, remove the front wheel from the damaged fender. We will install a reliable support-stand under the jack nest. Next, we place one suitable bar under the wing on a stiffening rib next to the recess for the headlight, and place the other bar on the front shield of the car body, in other words, in the back of the wing.

Let's put a square extension pipe on the gear rack of the jack (we will consider this option as a more common one), insert the jack with the extension between the bars and, working with the jack, as when lifting a car, we will burst the wing from the inside, stretching the crease. The "bubble" will begin to decrease on the eyes. And, perhaps, it will disappear completely, only a small dent remains on the lower wing flanging. Here, in fact, it is time for clean straightening.

Applying with front side support, this dent should be straightened by lightly tapping the hammer from the inside of the wing, without loosening the jack. It is possible that a small bubble remains at the decorative relief strip of the wing. And yes, there is a way out. It is necessary to wrap a wooden rail with a rag, lay it exactly under the line and, by hitting the rail with a hammer, remove the swelling.

In general, regarding the relief strip, the conversation is special, since no matter what part of the car body you straighten, this line will almost certainly be there.

The fact is that in addition to the decorative function, it is also a stiffener. And if this edge falls into the straightening area, you need to start specifically from it. At first, you need to edit, knock out a stiffener, bring the line to its initial state, and only later straighten other sections. This, if I may say so, is one of the most important rules, a small "professional secret" that affects the quality of work.

Do not loosen the jack, as you have finished straightening - it happens that due to residual elasticity, the wing can again be deformed. To avoid this, after finishing work, tighten the jack for another one or two clicks, as if overpowering this very elasticity caused by deformation. And now you can remove the jack.

Often, without any apparent circumstances, something suddenly appears on the wing of the car, which the masters in their own jargon call a “batter”: with the naked eye, you can see that the wing is slightly swollen outward. If you press a little on such a bubble with your hand, it disappears, emitting a corresponding click from time to time (hence the “clapper”). But at least some push on the bulge, and the wing is again blown out as before. And so it can go on ad infinitum.

Such a disadvantage arises from the fact that the wing has stretched, it seems that a certain amount of excess metal has formed: there is nowhere for it to go, only to bend with a bubble.

Well, if the cause is clear, then it becomes clear how to cure. We remove excess metal, we “stretch” the wing. And here again the decorative line comes to the rescue. It is necessary to wrap the rail with a rag, rest it against the decorative line, and beat it with a hammer from below so that the wing is pulled under the line. Often a couple of blows are enough to get rid of the “bat”, the wing is again tight and hard. This is the second "professional secret".

In the cases of wing deformation considered above, straightening, as such, was practically not used: we stretched the wing with a jack, and only slightly corrected the metal on the ribs.

But there are times when the blow falls not on the end of the wing of the car, but on the side - as a result, a dent appears on the wing. Such a dent cannot be straightened out only by pulling. In this case, you will have to resort to straightening.

The essence of straightening is that the “excess” metal formed from stretching is moderately dispersed into a huge number of small tubercles. The more such tubercles there are, and the smaller they are, the better your work.

But, before proceeding with straightening, one more rule must be taken into account: straightening must be started from the edges of the dent, and move along a tapering spiral, ending in the center. This is the 3rd "secret".

First you need to find where the dent ends. To do this, we will cross it with a straightening file, and later we will begin to knock out the wing from the inside, using a hammer with a sharp beak and supports. When the leveling cloth begins to remove the top of the tubercles over the entire surface, in other words, when the metal is stretched, you can begin to level the dent. Here we will use a straightening "saw". And there is no need to be afraid that it will perforate the metal: the thickness of the car wing is 0.5-0.6 mm, it is very difficult to remove such a layer.

And after the canvas, the surface should be smoothed with putty or solder. This could have ended. But after all, with all straightening work, and even more so, using various kinds of lifting devices, safety issues are of particular importance .

It should be clear:

• The raised car must not be left on the jack - it is imperative to use reliable, strong stands. When installing a jack for extracting body parts, you need to make sure that it rests firmly and does not slip off.

• You need to use only the right tool. increased attention look at the hammer head. The hammer handle should be smooth, without burrs, cracks and chips.

• When working, wear mittens or at least cotton gloves.

That's all. Now you can correct and align minor flaws and dents in the front fender of your own car. This will help you save your household budget, and at the same time grow in your own eyes, and in the eyes of your loved ones and friends. Better yet, don't get into accidents, even small ones.

During the operation of the car, scratches, chips and dents appear on the body. The reason for their appearance can be both negative factors environment and careless driving. Chips and scratches are painted over. Repair and pulling out dents on the machine is carried out using various methods and devices that allow you to eliminate metal jams.

Before you straighten a dent on a car with your own hands, you need to know what types of damage exist. Dents on a car come in a variety of shapes and degrees of damage. Small defects, as a rule, appear on the roof and hood of the car due to hail, and small stones. Medium and large metal creases are a direct result of careless driving. Such dents on the car body can have a complex shape.

If the paint at the site of a large crease was covered with cracks and began to fall off, then, in addition to eliminating the dent, it will be necessary to restore the paintwork. Otherwise, on the part of the body where the damage has occurred, pockets of corrosion are formed.

Ways to remove simple dents on a car

Repair of small dents, performs without repainting the damaged area. Correction of the defect is performed using PDR technology (paintless dent repair), that is, without repainting the restored part. To perform the work used:

• Magnets. Allows you to even out small damage to the body. a small piece of lint-free cloth is placed under the fixture.
• Glue applicator, the device is attached to the car body with glue. After the adhesive has dried, the specialist slightly pulls the applicator in his direction, thereby leveling the body crease.
• Suction cups allow you to correct simple defects. The vacuum pulling method removes metal creases formed after small stones, hail and icicles fall into the machine.
• A building hair dryer, with the help of a tool, eliminates defects that have a different shape. Warm air is blown over the damage, after which they are immediately doused with cold air from a can.
• Hooks. These tools are useful for pulling out hidden parts. They get boxes, and stampings from hidden areas of the body surface.
• Fender. It has a cigar-shaped shape, and is designed to flatten outwardly arched metal.
• Rubber mallet. A rubber backing is placed on the reverse side of the damaged area. With gentle strokes level the surface. The method of removing dents on a car is applicable for both small and deep defects.

Also to the list necessary tools refer to the Pops a Dent defect alignment kit. It includes nozzles, plastic bracket, glue. Repair is carried out as follows:

1. The center of the damaged area is carefully degreased.
2. Heat up the adhesive. To do this, the glue stick is inserted into the gun, and connected to the mains.
3. The heated composition is applied to a rubber nozzle, glued to the center of the damage in a circular motion.
4. After 2-3 minutes, a bracket is attached to the overlay.
5. The lamb bracket is screwed onto the nozzle until the defect is eliminated.
6. 5 minutes after completion of work, the device is removed from the body.

The use of special Pops a Dent equipment is advisable in case of frequent dents on the car body. If the defects of this plan appear rarely, it will be more profitable to use other technologies for pulling damage.

How to fix a severe dent with your own hands

To eliminate the deepest dent, shock pads are used. different shapes, and hammers. Spoons are used as a forged tool. They have a different shape and size, depending on the type of damage.

In the center of the damage, the metal is thinner than at the edges. Before straightening, it is necessary to pull the iron to the center of the defect. For this use gas burner. Next, perform the alignment of the dents.

After rough alignment of the defect, it is covered with putty.

Repairing dents with a jack

Pull out the dent of the car body with your own hands, a jack will help. The device is used to repair deep damage to the wings of the car.

Before carrying out work, dismantle the front turn signal and headlight. From the side of the dent, the jack rests on the heel (a rubber bar is preliminarily placed under it), the lever of the device must rest against the opposite edge of the opening. The operation is stopped after straightening the defect, and the damaged area is covered with putty.

Removing dents on a car with a reverse hammer

Straightening dents with a reverse hammer is performed when the driver has difficulty accessing the damage site, or the repaired parts cannot be dismantled. This type of body dent repair usually requires subsequent painting of the repaired part. To straighten a dent, follow these steps:

• Clean, dry and degrease the surface to be restored. Remove traces of corrosion.
• One end of the reverse hammer is attached to the center of the damage. Perform the operation using a special suction cup or applicator.
• Editing is carried out by gradually increasing blows of the weight on the hammer handle.
• After the restoration of the outer side of the body is completed, the hammer is disconnected.

The applicator or suction cup is only effective in straightening the body if the damage is not serious. In the presence of deep and complex defects, the hammer is welded to the surface, or they cling to technological holes using special hooks.

Straightening

The process that allows you to remove a dent on a car and repair a local area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body is called straightening. Work, with a certain experience and time, is carried out with their own hands according to the following algorithm:

1. Wash and dry the work surface.
2. Degrease the damage.
3. Carry out body repairs.

Straightening of small damages can be carried out without subsequent staining of the damaged area. With the help of reverse hammers, hooks, a building hair dryer, suction cups and applicators, rubber hammers, the defect is eliminated.

If you need to fix a deep dent on a car, accompanied by creases, peeling of the paintwork and tearing of the metal, then use the following tool:

1. Hammer and anvils various forms and sizes.
2. Spoons.
3. Jack.
4. File.
5. Welding machine.
6. grinding device.

The anvils are applied to the outside of the dent, and from the center, with gentle strokes, a rough leveling of the surface is carried out. Spoons act as a substrate for a percussion instrument, but they are used to eliminate defects that have appeared in hard-to-reach places. After alignment, inspect the repaired area. If there are breaks in the metal, they are welded together. Remove excess bulges with a file. Next, you need to putty the body to level the working surface. The treated area is sanded, primed, painted and polished.

Correct putty

Before you putty the car body with your own hands, you need to prepare. This will help to avoid visible defects after painting the car:

1. Sand and remove excess metal bulges.
2. Degrease and clean the treated surface. In some cases, the operation is performed several times.
3. Repair the corrected area of ​​damage by applying putty evenly in several layers.
4. After it dries, the surface is polished. It is important to ensure that the puttied layer is on the same level with the rest of the surface of the car body.
5. Apply primer in two layers.
6. Paint the surface with a spray gun. Lacquer is applied and the surface is polished.

Replacement of 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, then the patch is cut out of the same metal. Then it is welded to the restored part.

Minor damage to the body, chips, scratches and dents on the car can be repaired without repainting. Previously undamaged parts of the hull are subject to restoration. If the paint cracks, breaks and kinks appear, it will not work to repair without painting.

Most drivers (especially beginners) periodically encounter unpleasant situations, such as difficult engine start, damage to the paintwork, dents when parking. To remove such a dent, the owner has to leave the car for a couple of days at the service station - needless to say, this is inconvenient. Today there is an opportunity not to contact specialists, as you can do the repair of dents without painting with your own hands. There is a photo of the process in our article. There are technologies available that even beginners can handle.

Often among the reasons for the appearance of such dents may be incorrect and inattentive parking. More often damage is left by hail, branches and icicles that fell on the car from above, pranks of children in the yard, and the like.

Do-it-yourself dent repair without painting is possible anywhere in the car - you can straighten out defects on the hood, trunk, doors or fenders. There are several conditions on which the success of the recovery operation depends. These are not too strong deformations, the integrity of the paintwork in the damaged area is preserved, the absence of stretched metal, the previous repairs were done without violating the technology.

How can dents be removed without the need for painting?

There are two ways, depending on the extent of the damage. So, small defects can be removed by heating. More serious deformations are corrected using a special PDR technology. Despite the fact that repair technologies differ, they are often used together and combined.

Straightening in each of these technologies is based on the property of the metal to remember its original shape. Automakers are doing their best to help their customers. For the production of body elements, soft and elastic metal is used, which makes it easy to restore its original shape even with serious damage to the metal. This greatly helps the car owner to do their own dent repair on the car without painting.

The first technology is based on sequential processes of heating and subsequent cooling of the damaged area. The second method implies the presence of special tools that allow you to act on the damaged element. In the case of the second technology, restoration work will be more labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Required tool

To repair dents without painting with your own hands according to the first method, it will be enough to have an industrial construction or household hair dryer, compressed air cylinder or suction cup. Deep deformations using the PDR method will require special tools.

So, you need a lamp that will help pinpoint the exact location of the damage. It will also help control the straightening process. In addition, the process cannot be completed without the so-called clubs, levers and hooks made of stainless steel.

For PDR, a set of special suction cups is purchased big size. The technology involves the use of adhesives. Special solutions for degreasing, a mini-lifter or a bridge bracket are used. Alcohol is used to remove the adhesive. You also need a special fluoroplastic pencil. This is something without which it is impossible to repair dents without painting with your own hands. This tool will help you quickly and inexpensively at home or garage conditions reestablish appearance car. Any work is impossible without a hammer. In this case, you should prepare a rubber one. After straightening, it is desirable to polish the place - a polishing liquid is prepared.

Main technologies: work by heating

To determine what will be the repair of dents without painting with your own hands, what technology will be chosen, the degree of damage to the body is assessed.

If the defect is insignificant, then it is enough to heat the place of the defect so that the metal is noticeably hot. Next, the place is treated with an air balloon. Due to cooling, the metal will quickly return to its original form. You can use a special suction cup instead of an air cylinder.

For deeper deformations of body elements, PDR is used. This is the most affordable home repair.

PDR Benefits

This technology, which allows you to remove dents from the car body, has been successfully practiced since the 70s. Developed in the West. In our country, PDR is a novelty. Main advantage this method- the time it takes to restore. Even serious dents a few centimeters deep are completely removed in one and a half to two hours of work. In this case, the car does not need to be painted or puttied. But such repairs are used most often.

The most interesting thing is that do-it-yourself dent repair without painting is much cheaper than restoration work in a service station. There, the shape of the metal is first restored, then puttied and painted. The body will remain in the native paint. This technology was appreciated by people involved in the resale of cars. It is profitable, fast and economical.

The essence of technology

So, from the inside of the damaged place, with the help of a microlift, they press on the damaged metal. As a result, the most maximally deformed section is retracted. Depending on the scale of deformations, repairs can be carried out both inside and outside on the body.

Along with tools, a large set of consumables is also used, which allows for the restoration of a damaged area with maximum efficiency. These elements can be of different widths and lengths. Due to the special shape, they penetrate where it is almost impossible to penetrate. If there is no access to damage, then glue technique is used. A special piston is attached to the place of damage, which levels the metal.

Stages of restoration work with levers

Do-it-yourself dent repair without painting at home is carried out in several main stages. So, preparatory stage includes preparation of everything necessary for the job. From this seemingly insignificant stage, in fact, a lot depends.

First of all, they put a lamp with which you can better examine the damaged area. Then start leveling. Through technological holes, hooks and levers are attached to the place of damage. If there are no holes, then they need to be made. You should first familiarize yourself with the function of hooks. Each of them is used for a separate damage site.

The stress that occurs on the metal is removed by fluoroplastic chippers. They tap on a tense place. Then everyone processes the 200th sandpaper. Together with the abrasive paste, you need to use a polishing machine.

We use a microlift

Here's how else you can do do-it-yourself dent repair for a car without painting. The larger the damage, the larger the piston needed. Glue is applied to the latter. Next, the device is installed in the center of the place for 15 minutes. Then the piston is placed in the groove on the microlift and tightened with a nut. Next, gently press on the handle of the tool. The metal will stretch - the piston will shoot off, and the remaining glue is removed with alcohol. A bulge will remain, which is removed with a pencil and a hammer. This process may have to be repeated several times until complete alignment.

Using a welding torch

There is another way. This homemade paintless dent repair will require the use of a welding torch. There are also several main stages here. The first step is to determine the central point of the damaged area. This is easy to do - at this point the metal will spring.

Next, the center of damage is heated, but without the use of open fire. Reheat until crimson. Then direct forging is performed from the edges to the center, moving in a spiral. Next, the place cools down cold water. It is important not to rush, otherwise cracks may form from excessive cooling.

Where restoration work will not help?

Not all body damage can be repaired in this way. For example, PDR technology will not help with deep deformations or severely damaged paint. Here you have to putty. If there is no layer of paint, then it is pointless to do this repair of dents without painting with your own hands - it will not help.

Dent depth

Deformities can be corrected only when there is no severe damage.

Practice shows that the restoration technology is effective only with a damage depth of up to 4-5 cm. If the dents are more serious, then you will have to use something else or turn to professionals.

Where can not be repaired without painting?

This restoration technology is not used to repair thresholds, edges on the hood, roof pillars, parts of doors and trunk, damage to the panel formed by impacts and body distortions.

Is vacuum restoration possible at home?

Do-it-yourself dent repair without painting at home is possible only with the use of levers. A microlift for an ordinary car enthusiast is too expensive. It is most reasonable to contact specialized workshops for restoration. Of course, you can always find a tool and cheaper. But with this device it is difficult to achieve the same result as with a microlift. Will have to sand and paint.

Today we will talk about how to independently fix or straighten a dent on a car body with paintless and other do-it-yourself methods. We will also consider technologies and tools for removing and pulling dents on the wing and hood with visual photos and videos.

In the event of fender damage where the paintwork is intact, paintless dent removal should be considered as this will save a significant amount of time and money.
At mechanical damage the paintwork is repaired as follows - if the paint is not damaged, then the problem area is thoroughly heated with a building hair dryer and then processed with compressed air. For this, small tin cans are used, which are sold in computer stores. Or use a portable electric compressor, freely placed in the trunk.

At the end of the above operation, frost will appear, which is removed with a rag. After that, it can be observed that the metal straightened up to initial state. But this approach is acceptable for those machines in which the metal was not overheated. Only cold rolled steel has its own memory. Those cars that burned as a result of accidents, this type of repair is considered completely useless!

If there is damage to the paintwork on the dent, then another simple technology- a small hole is drilled in the center, into which the end of the reverse hammer is inserted. With the help of the latter, as a result of sharp pushes outward, the dent is straightened to its original state. Then it remains how to apply automotive putty to the problem area, sand it and select the desired color of nitrolac, carefully paint everything.

Sometimes with a choice of paint desired color difficulties may arise, since the paint on the body as a result of many years tends to fade. The solution is simple - using a special nozzle, on which a special polish is squeezed out, walk around the entire body of the car. Now the colors of the same number will indeed match.

Many motorists are faced with the received dents on the body of their cars after various accidents. If the dent on the body is not eliminated in time, then corrosion will appear in this place, which will spread further over the entire surface. In this article, we will tell you how you can fix dents in car body panels quickly and cheaply.

Methods for removing dents on a car body

To date, there are several methods for pulling such dents:

- with the help of hooks;

– with the help of special equipment;

- pulling up with adhesive;

- with the help of copper coins;

– combined methods of removing dents.

For every car owner, painting a body or any part is a whole tragedy. The paintwork is the "skin" of the car, which protects the metal primarily from corrosion. And if you do not qualitatively paint the body, then this cannot be avoided. When buying a car, they immediately look to see if it was painted. Fortunately, modern innovative technologies allow in many cases to avoid this and use the paintless dent removal method.

Let us consider in more detail what a paintless dent removal method is, and in what cases this method is useful to us. There is a so-called PDR technology - a completely new approach to removing dents, both large and small. Paintless dent removal is one of the biggest benefits. this method. This technology allows you to cope with almost all body irregularities without painting, unless, of course, the paintwork is damaged.

This technology is carried out in two ways:
Removal of dents by extrusion with a special tool from the inside, without violating the paintwork, and therefore without painting.
Pulling a dent on the outside is also without painting.

Often the second method becomes the ideal solution when there is no way to get to the damage from the inside. The PDR method is quite complex and painstaking. Before embarking on it, the master must be well trained. After all, the slightest mistake can lead to more serious damage, which will be even more difficult to deal with.

To use this method, it is not enough just to be a good professional, it is important to have a whole set of tools and materials. These include a special size range of hooks, an adhesive system for external dent removal, a mini-lifter, an expander pillow, a mounting spatula and other little things. When using this method, it is important not to damage the paintwork, so only existing automotive technological holes are used to squeeze out dents from the inside.

One of the advantages of this method is the cost savings. You do not need to spend money on straightening, priming and painting, in addition, it is important that the car returns to its original form, retaining its factory qualities, which means that you do not need to worry about the selection of paint. An unpainted car is valued much higher in the resale market. Also, this method saves not only money, but also time. The paintless method of removing dents is much faster than painting the body. After removing the dent, you do not need to somehow limit the car's operation, as you need to do when painting (carefully wash and protect from environmental influences).

There are basic PDR methods.
Glue method, or external pulling of dents without painting. A special glue is applied to the surface, on which special caps are attached. Then, with the help of a mini-lifter, a dent is pulled out, if a bump appears, then a plastic hammer is used. When the surface becomes perfectly flat, the adhesive with the caps is removed using a special solution.
Straightening dents with special hooks from the inside. Through the technological holes, they begin to squeeze out a dent, while tapping milk on the metal to relieve stress, I completely align the factory geometry

thermal method. It consists in heating the metal with a technical hair dryer, then rapidly cooling it. As a result, the metal should take its original shape.

All these methods are applied individually to each case, in especially complex damage, polishing may also be required, but this is also not painting, so your car will become the same again. From all of the above, we can conclude that you should not immediately panic and be afraid of painting the body. There is a way to help you avoid this. If you got hit by hail, a stone bounced off or parked unsuccessfully, and the paintwork was not violated, then you can safely come to a car service with a request to remove a dent without painting. It is important in these cases to contact a trusted car service, and, of course, do not try to do it yourself.

The method of extracting dents is relevant if access to the damage is closed from the inside, or it is not possible to use traditional tools.

Necessary equipment

PDR technology involves the use of a number of tools:
a bright lamp to illuminate damaged areas of the body;
a set of special hooks;
clips and hot melt adhesive to remove bumps from the outside;
mini lifter;
expander pillow;
mounting blade;
special solution for removing glue;
other tools.
Benefits of PDR Technology

The factory paint and varnish coating remains on the body or its separate part, therefore, during the repair, it is not necessary to carry out puttying, priming and painting of the part, which is very important when selling a car.

Small dent repair can save a lot of time. Depending on the degree of damage, the recovery process lasts from 2 to 4 hours. Removing a dent with the traditional method can take several days.

Paintless dent straightening saves money. The low cost of the service is due to the absence of the need to buy expendable materials(paint, primer, putty, abrasive materials etc.) required for normal repairs.

After renovation vehicle does not require special operating conditions. For example, after the usual repair of dents with painting during operation, you should observe a “sparing” mode: do not drive on dirt roads, do not wash the car for the first few days, limit the influence of aggressive environmental factors. PDR technology completely eliminates such limitations.

The tools used in PDR technology allow you to get to hard-to-reach areas without even having to dismantle the car. Dismantling of the inner lining is required only in particularly difficult cases.
Removing dents by extrusion

The surface of the body, including stiffeners, is restored using special tools - hooks. They are inserted through regular holes in the car body. The dismantling of the casing is carried out only as a last resort, when it is not possible to get close to the damage in another way.

To squeeze out a dent, smooth movements are made. To relieve tension along the edges of the part, the master taps with a plastic cue ball. In the process of such repairs, the geometry is brought to factory specifications.

At the final stage, scratches and other minor defects are eliminated without painting. To do this, the surface of the part is polished. Such a repair will not leave a trace even from large dents.
Removing dents by pulling

First of all, the damaged area is thoroughly cleaned of dirt. After that, caps of different sizes and shapes are attached to the dent area using hot glue (depending on the geometry of the damage).

To pull out the irregularities, the craftsmen use a reverse hammer or a mini-lifter. When the geometry of the part is brought to the factory parameters, the caps are peeled off the surface. For these purposes, only a professional solution can be used, since a conventional solvent affects the paintwork.

Body repair, or as we usually call straightening and painting a car, this is perhaps the most expensive expense item in the car maintenance industry. And of course, all of us, i.e., customers of body repair stations, have the right to receive work of the highest quality, but we do not always have the opportunity at the time of receiving the car to determine whether everything is done as we wanted it or as it should, and in general How it should really be actually… First, let's see why we turned to the service station about straightening and painting? We do not like the appearance of our car, does it rust, it leads to the side (body geometry is broken), or small scratches irritate? Secondly, what tasks did we set for service station employees (for example, a car inspector) - “do it somehow”, or “a quality result is important to me”, or “do it quickly, I have to go to the country tomorrow” ... etc. Based on from this, we will understand what you need to see first of all when accepting a car from repair and what to check.The standard situation is a small straightening and subsequent painting of a damaged auto part, or parts.Of course, we want the work to be done with high quality, and in the time specified by us term.

The verification algorithm can proceed as follows. If the deadlines are met, then everything went according to plan, and there is a chance that the straightening and painting of the car was done at the appropriate level, but if there were delays, you should try to find out what is the reason for the delay, and come inspect the car at that stage. Anything can happen, people work at service stations, there could be delays, especially since body repair is a long and laborious process. And the terms here are more than floating. There are times when no one has started your car yet and it will be done in two days instead of five. Which is also not very desirable. Let's say everything went smoothly, and you pick up the car on time. We do a general inspection of the car, see if there are any new dents and body defects that were not there before the repair (but you must be sure that they were not there before the repair, i.e. the car must be inspected immediately before being handed over to the body repair center, even if You know him, as it seems to you, like the back of your hand, preferably together with the receiver, and point out to him the presence of dents and defects not related to the current body repair). Also check the glass, they must be transparent and free of dust (residue from varnish when painting a car, they are removed only in service stations). Then you can proceed to the inspection of the part (or parts) that was in work. Firstly, we check the gaps, compare with the whole side if possible, the factory tolerance is plus or minus 2 mm, the average gap for machines is 3-4 mm. Secondly, we check the shape of the damaged part, if possible, compare it with the same whole. That is, we look to ensure that all lines are even or under the correct bend, begin and end where necessary.

Thirdly, we check the functionality of the parts after straightening, that is, so that the doors open and close normally, so that the bumper does not hang out, etc. These three points will give us an idea of ​​the quality of the straightening done on the car. And the correct straightening is the key to high-quality painting and durability auto repair.

The generally accepted rule, according to which many service stations operate, in case of deformation of hollow body parts, replace them with new ones. It is customary to call hollow parts such elements of an automobile body as: a traverse, fenders, sills, as well as hard-to-reach or double parts from the inside. Although sometimes there is still a way that allows you to avoid replacement and restore the deformed part.

One of these methods is to extract dents with the help of “nails”. The principle of this method is that the so-called "nails" are welded to the place of the dent, after which, using the "nail puller" tool set, the surface is straightened and drawn out.

What is the point of the method?

USING THE SUCKER

There is a special suction cup that will help to cope with minor damage to the paintwork. Basically, these suction cups are a tool for moving window panes and mirrors. In order for the suction cup to help cope with the dent, you need to attach it to the flaw, in the very center, and try to pull the concave metal towards you. In the event that there is no suction cup available, you can purchase a kit to eliminate dents on the body.

This set includes a gun with fixing glue and a special plastic fungus. Using fixing glue, it is necessary to attach the plastic fungus to the center of the deformed area. The retractor of this fungus rests on the edges of the dent, it remains only to apply force and the metal will recover.

If the deformed area is large, then several such procedures will be needed. It is necessary to bend each section of the dent in turn. After the restoration procedure, the area needs to be polished. It is necessary to polish the restored area well, because the coating could be damaged during the leveling process.
USE OF SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

There are also more time-consuming methods, here you will need special tools and skill. Such tools are special hooks and levers used to level the dent. It is necessary to eliminate a dent with such tools through the technical holes in the body, or by strengthening it on the damage itself. If the damage on the body is large-scale with breaks and cracks in the paintwork, then more serious techniques will be needed here.

First you will need to grind the surface to the metal itself. Next, using a welding machine, it will be necessary to weld the electrode to the place of the dent. You will need a reverse hammer, they need to clamp the free end of the electrode. After you make a few blows with a hammer, the damaged area should level out.

The number of procedures performed using this method depends on the extent of the damage. You can do without welding, for this you will need molding devices for such cases. In addition, there should be a train-machine available, with its help you need to remove all the bumps that appeared in the process of leveling work.

The next step will be degreasing the surface, this will help to put the primer and putty well. Next, the primed and putty surface must be sanded so that it becomes perfectly flat and smooth. And then you can start painting. You should choose a color so that the differences are as little noticeable as possible, and apply the final coat of varnish.

This method involves the use of a set of tools, including: a nail welding machine, which is equipped with a copper nozzle-clamp in which nails and a transformer are placed. This unit is powered by a 220/380 V power supply. Nails are cylindrical steel rods with a diameter of 2-3 mm. Most of the straightening work is done with the help of hand tools shock type, but sometimes the physical strength of an auto mechanic alone is not enough. Then, to pull out dents, remove cracks and cracks, as well as restore the factory geometry of parts, tools with mechanical or electric drive.

WHAT IS A LIGHTING STAND?

The kits of tools and equipment for removing dents without painting, which every car service or service station has, must include such a device as a leveling stand. It is a support on which the car or individual body parts are fixed, and if necessary, they can be tilted or rotated. These manipulations can be carried out by equipping the stand with a mechanical or hydraulic drive. Leveling stands can be mobile or stationary.

Mobile stands can be moved around the workshop. Such structures are platform or frame.

Stationary stands are rigidly fixed on the floor of the leveling box and sometimes require the arrangement of a separate foundation. This group includes frame, platform and floor stands. All of them can be equipped with a scissor lifting mechanism, but if in frame and platform structures this mechanism lifts both the stand with power towers and the car fixed on it, then in floor structures only the car rises, and the power elements are rigidly fixed to the frame mounted on the floor. Some stationary stands for eliminating defects in body geometry can be equipped with two types of lifts.

Other important characteristics of straightening stands used for body repair are:

The number of power elements (alternative names - "column", "goose", "arrow", "sleeve") and the method of their attachment (stationary or mobile);

Stand dimensions (standard or for car repair with large dimensions);

Functionality (universal or for removing only a certain group of faults: minor, medium or complex);

· Carrying capacity.

As a rule, such straightening stands are present in the tool kit of professional workshops. If you plan to carry out the procedure for pulling out dents or removing small cracks in the metal of the body in your own garage, you can do without a stand.

WHAT ARE SPOTTERS?

A set of equipment for removing dents from a car body without painting usually also includes a spotter - a tool for spot welding damage with resistance. The spotter can be transformer or inverter and is used to repair damage to the fenders, doors or hood of a car. However, you still have to work hard, because repairs are impossible without a complete disassembly of the assembly. Be prepared for the fact that in the process of removing flaws, the paintwork of the part will be damaged.

The cost of a spotter with different configurations is from 20 to 150 thousand rubles, but if you use this device often, the cost of purchasing it will quickly pay off, because you can repair the car body without painting and without having to buy new expensive parts.

So, straightening stands and spotters are complex repair equipment, which is used mainly in car services and service stations. For those who prefer to straighten a car in their own garage, we offer short review hand tools for body repair.

IMPACT TOOLS

When working with damage of any size and depth, it is necessary to have a set of percussion instruments to repair dents without painting. Such devices include straightening hammers made of metal and wooden, rubber or plastic mallets.

In the process of removing dents from a particular body part, it is necessary to act on the metal carefully so as not to further worsen its condition. In this regard, strikers (shock, or working part) of straightening hammers are rounded and carefully polished. The hammer may have only one working part or be supplied with a set of interchangeable nozzles of various shapes and weights.

Sets of hammers are in great demand not only from steel, but also from non-ferrous metals (copper, brass, aluminum), since these materials are softer, which means that during the straightening process, the tool will act on the metal in a gentle way.

MAIN TYPES OF STRAIGHTENING HAMMERS:

Hammers for straightening and rolling out metal are tools that are used to eliminate small defects on car body elements, as well as for finishing, fine straightening;

· Chasing hammers having a working part in the form of a rounded cone and used at the final stage of straightening;

· Inertial-type hammers having a cavity inside the striker with a movable element or equipped with a stroke limiter. They are indispensable when it is necessary to eliminate dents in hard-to-reach places in the car body;

· Flange hammers are tools designed to work with flanged connections. Their strikers are attached to the handle at an angle of 90 °.

Another type of percussion instrument is a mallet. They can have a wooden, plastic or rubber working part. The last two materials are more modern and more effective in straightening the body, as the wood wears out faster and begins to crumble over time.
REVERSE IMPACT TOOLS

A set of tools for quick and high-quality removal of dents without painting always includes devices with a reverse action, that is, those that serve as a support, a lining for a damaged area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body, which is acted upon from the outside with a straightening hammer. This group of tools includes spoons, anvils, linings shaped type. Their working part may have different size and a different curve, but it is always perfectly smooth.
LEVER TOOLS

Lever-type devices work in such a way that the dent in the metal of the body is pulled out from the outside. This is especially useful when there is no access to inside details to use a hammer and straightening lining. Sometimes small technological holes are made in the parts to fasten the levers.

Such tools should be handled with extreme care, since the area of ​​​​their contact with the part is small, and the force of action is very significant even with slight pressure on the handle. As a result, the metal can bend in the other direction.
JACKS FOR LEVELING WORKS

Leveling jacks are more correctly called stretch marks. Their operation is based on the principles of mechanics or hydraulics. Hydraulic stretchers are used mainly in professional car repair shops. In a garage, mechanical stretch marks are more often used.

To use straightening stretch marks, an emphasis on the back side is always required. At the same time, the size of the working part, which rests against the metal of the body, can be increased using nozzles of various lengths.

GRINDERS

Using a set of special tools for repairing dents without painting, they achieve the return of the part to its original shape and factory geometry, and in order to make the surface perfectly smooth after straightening, they resort to using electric grinders or drills with a special grinding nozzle. If we talk about cars, it is preferable to use the orbital type of movement, rather than translational. It should also be possible to change the abrasive wheel.

Before proceeding with the drawing process, the surface of the deformed part must be carefully cleaned from paint, putty and other materials. This is necessary in order to ensure reliable welding and good contact. After that, you can start editing.

The extraction takes place as follows: steel rods forming the head are welded to the pre-prepared (cleaned) damaged section of the body part. Then, with the help of a dressing tool, which is structurally a cylindrical rod along which the load moves. The lower end of the rod is equipped with a chuck for clamping nails, the upper end is equipped with a stop.

To start welding, you should install the nail in the gun, then connect it to the power source. Before proceeding directly to the body, it is necessary to make several test welds in order to set optimal position relay. In order to "try" you need to take a sheet of metal of the same thickness as your part.

In the case of an extensive dent, welding must be carried out from the edges of the epicenter of the dent. The pressure on the gun must be such that optimal contact and current flow between the ring and the sheet is ensured.

After welding the nail, the gun is retracted, then a small tool chuck is inserted into the nail and clamped. Extraction of sections occurs by striking with a load on the stop. If necessary, finishing the dressing can be done manually, without the use of a load, using only an ironing or forging hammer. After achieving the desired result, use a nail gun.

Recently, the rod extraction of dents often occurs with the help of "spots", which are electrodes that are temporarily welded to the metal. The device has a tip in the form of a collet clamp or hook, and the pulling force is created by means of a lever or reverse hammer.

Well, as they say, in a nutshell, I explained to you what a rod extraction of dents is and about the features of this method of metal straightening.

Damage to the car body, even if insignificant, is a rather unpleasant phenomenon, many car owners are familiar with it firsthand. An unsuccessful entrance to the arch or a drive into the yard, an obstacle that appeared out of nowhere in the form of a pole, a curb or a garage door - all this is far from a complete list of causes of damage to a car. Removing a dent on a car wing is a time-consuming process that requires careful preparation and extreme concentration.

Possible variations

First you need to soberly assess the degree of complexity of the damage. Most often, if the dent is small, it is quite within the power of most car owners to straighten it out. For more serious defects, it is better to contact a car repair shop.

If the choice fell in favor of an independent solution to the problem, you should decide on an algorithm of actions in which it will not be so difficult to straighten the dent. There are ways to repair, which include:

1. puttying;
2. the ability to squeeze out a dent;
3. a way in which damage can be pulled out.

Method 1: puttying

After the dent removal method is selected, you need to prepare certain tools:

• automotive epoxy putty;
• construction spatula;
• dye to match the surface to be treated;
• timber or sandpaper;
• foam sponge, sprayer, brush or roller;
• piece of coarse fabric.

Procedure

The damage surface is cleaned with fine-grained sandpaper or a diamond bar. In the process, you should capture a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe whole coating near the dent. This will ensure better adhesion of the putty to the metal. The procedure should be carried out as carefully and carefully as possible in order to completely remove the previous coating from the damaged surface.

The next step is degreasing the treated surface with any reagent. Then, with a rag, remove the remaining moisture and particles of paint.

After stripping and degreasing, epoxy automotive putty is used. It must be applied to the deformed area, slightly capturing entire areas.

Don't try to do it right the first time flat surface, since the putty that has dried and slightly shrunk after this will still be subject to grinding.

Drying time must be given to the material in accordance with the attached instructions. After complete drying with a coarse cloth, the treated area is polished. The end result should be a smooth surface without blemishes or bumps.

The final step is the application of the dye. Depending on the skills and abilities you have, you can do this with a roller, a brush or a spray gun. The painted surface can be dried using the natural drying method or, if possible, using a drying chamber.

If you cannot fix the dent in the described way, you can use the second method and try to squeeze it out.

Option 2: extrude

A pretty real way to fix the look of a dented car fender. In this case, other tools will be needed to work with damage:

• wooden hammer (mallet);
• powerful magnet;
• a piece of clean cloth;
• several screws;
• pliers;
• thin drill and drill.

Sequence of work

It is not possible to completely straighten the wing by straightening. The reason lies in the stretching of the metal, which does not allow the material to return to its original position. It will improve the appearance of the wing by reducing the level of the dent by at least 2-3 mm below the total surface.

In order to remove the damage, you need free access to the deformed area from all sides, in particular, from the back of the car body. Using a wooden mallet, straighten the surface of the wing from the smallest to the deepest point of the dent. You can not use a conventional hammer, as it can damage the surface even more.

In the process of work, a wooden block is applied on the reverse side of the surface. This will help prevent excessive bending of the metal in the opposite direction.

In addition, you should carefully work with a mallet: if you hit a flat area with a hammer, new bumps will appear. There are often cases when it is impossible to access reverse side damage. Then, in the deformed area, a number of small holes should be drilled and self-tapping screws screwed into them. After that, with pliers, you can try to pull the screws by the caps, thereby pulling out the dent.

The final stage is the treatment of the deformed surface with a primer (method 1).

Method 3: Pulling

Not every car owner knows that some of the dents can be pulled out with a magnet. The main thing is to use a sufficiently powerful magnet. The essence of the method is to bring it to the edge of the damaged area and pull it towards you. The magnet must be moved successively over the deformed surface until it gradually levels off.

This method is good because it helps to prevent possible damage to the paint. In cases where the paint on the leveled area is still damaged, it must be completely removed. Along the way, it is worth capturing a few centimeters around the perimeter of the deformed surface. As a result, it remains only to putty, prime and paint the straightened area.