The old way to remove dents on. Do-it-yourself dent removal without painting

Today, it has become possible to restore the previous appearance of the machine thanks to the use of high-quality materials in the production. Today automobile concerns apply paint coatings with increased hardness, which are combined with good elasticity. Thanks to this, everyone can start leveling the base without worrying about the integrity of the paintwork.

In the past few years, auto manufacturing companies have begun to use thinner material that is fairly easy to straighten. Moreover, "form memory" became characteristic of him - the ability to return to the state in which he was originally. Thanks to this, today it has become available to everyone to remove jams using the method PDR without repainting. Among the advantages of this American technology, it is necessary to highlight:

• it is 100% effective and results in full recovery the original type of car at home;
• this technology does not require much time and effort. Depending on the complexity, the work will take from 10 minutes to an hour;
• this method is more economical than other repair methods;
• its use allows you to get a quick and high-quality result;
• work on the body is carried out in a sparing mode.

However, pulling out dents without repainting can only be done under certain conditions:

• if this part of the machine has not been repaired before;
• there are no through destruction of the metal;
• the paint layer is not broken and has no gaps;
• if the car is not older than 15 years.

The size of the damage has almost no effect on the process of their elimination on the car. However, in connection with design features machine, you will not be able to get rid of damage in hard-to-reach places. These places include areas on the thresholds, on the cab pillars and along the edges of the luggage compartment elements. To repair the body from the inside of it, it may be necessary to completely or partially dismantle the skin.

2 Body restoration - features and preparation

The name of the technology (PDR) comes from the English phrase Paintless Dent Repair, which means: paintless dent removal. The very essence of the procedure lies in a kind of "massage" of a bent body with the help of certain tools. main feature method - in the need for availability special equipment which is not high cost. The method also requires a certain amount of experience, after which you can fix almost any jam on your car.

The list of required tools is as follows:

• chipper;
• small hammer;
• mallet;
• mini lifters;
• hooks;
• levers;
• applicators and hot glue;
• magnets;
• vacuum suction cups.

Many of the accessories on this list are available as kits. True, at the same time you will overpay a little, as you will already receive professional tools. However, they can help clear jams much faster and more efficiently. It is important to remember that work on the body is carried out on both sides of it, so before work it will be necessary to provide free access to the damaged area. From the outside, dents can be removed by adhesive bonding or vacuum devices. From the inside, it will be possible to get rid of jams by performing pressing movements.

3 How to get rid of dents - the principles of working with tools

Repair of any defect in this way is based solely on mechanical effects on the surface of the damaged body. For this, the PDR method involves the use of various devices. One of the options for repairing damage is based on the use of compressed air. The use of vacuum equipment is based on pressure drops, which stimulate the pulling of jams. To do this, you first need to find the center of the damaged area, install a suction cup on it and pull the body towards you with a jerk. In most cases, this method is used in conjunction with lever action on the surface from the inside.

Another option involves the use of magnets. They are primarily used to repair small jams. At the same time, you need to put a soft cloth under them, which will not damage the body parts. When working, we draw the magnet from the edge to the center until the body section returns to its original place.

The next option is to use a hair dryer. By heating sections of the wing or other body elements, you will increase the plasticity of the material and make it "remember" its original shape. In addition to a hair dryer, you will also need a can of compressed cooled air. During operation, the metal is first heated, after which it is immediately cooled by a stream of air. This method is called the "heat shock method" by exposing the body to warm and cold air.

Another method involves tapping on the body with a straightening hammer. This method is used when it is necessary to repair removable body parts. To do this, we put the spare part on a solid foundation. front side down. After that, you need to take a hammer and carefully, without applying significant effort, align the element. If the jam is large enough, then you need to tap with a hammer from the edges towards the center.

The next method is to use a kit Pops a Dent. It consists of a plastic bracket, at the ends of which there are nickels. The set also includes a glue stick, glue, lamb, nozzles and an electric gun. When working with such a kit, carefully degrease the surface and apply thermal glue with a gun. After that, the nozzle from the set must be glued clockwise to the center of the damaged area of ​​the body. After 3 minutes, a bracket is attached to the nozzle. To fix the problematic area of ​​​​the body, it is necessary to wind the bracket onto the nozzle with the help of a lamb. At the end of the work, the equipment must be left glued to the body for another 5–10 minutes.

The last version of the PDR method is based on the use of an adhesive applicator. This will require a mini-lifter, thermal glue and a special applicator. With the help of a lifter, you need to pull out the jams, fixing them with an applicator glued to the body. At the end of the work, the glue must be disposed of. Various chemical cleaners will help with this. Whichever leveling method you choose, you should practice working on an old piece of metal. This will help to "fill your hand" and gently return the damaged area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body to its previous state.

4 Do-It-Yourself Troubleshooting – From Preparation to Completion

To repair damaged parts of the body, you should follow a certain procedure. First of all, you need to prepare for work. To do this, you need to purchase all necessary tools and prepare workplace. Since the owner of the car will work with household appliances powered by the mains, for the procedure you need to transport the car to the garage.

The next step will be the preparation of the body. To do this, the damaged area must be washed, dried and degreased. Next, you need to relieve tension in curved places. Take a hammer and lightly tap it along the edges of the damaged part of the body, after placing a steel sheet under it. The further procedure looks like this:

1. Straighten the concavity using one of the tools - suction cups, a hot melt applicator, or a magnet. Be careful not to apply too much force when hitting, so as not to further damage the car;
2. Continue tapping the body with a hammer or holding a magnet near the damaged area until you hear a characteristic click;
3. After that, be sure to tap with a hammer on the inside of the body. This will help to completely get rid of the remaining small jams.

When working with the body, be sure to take into account the size of the damaged areas. To eliminate large jams, it is better to use larger equipment, for example, vacuum suction cups. For small dents, experts advise taking small tools such as a chipper and adhesive applicators.

When working, it should be borne in mind that the result is evaluated only "by eye". No equipment is provided for determining the quality of work performed by the PDR method. To figure out if you have achieved the desired result, use the glare effect from the henchmen lighting fixtures. If you did everything right, then the surface will reflect light evenly. That's all the nuances that we wanted to tell you about! We wish you good luck in restoring the appearance of your iron horse!

X Do you still think that car diagnostics is difficult?

If you are reading these lines, then you have an interest in doing something yourself in the car and really save because you already know that:

• Service stations break a lot of money for simple computer diagnostics
• To find out the mistake you need to go to specialists
• Simple wrenches work in the services, but you can’t find a good specialist

And of course you are tired of throwing money away, and it’s out of the question to ride around the service station all the time, then you need a simple AUTO SCANNER ROADGID S6 Pro, which connects to any car and through a regular smartphone you will always find a problem, pay off the CHECK and not bad save!!!

We have tested this scanner ourselves on different machines and he showed excellent results We now recommend it to EVERYONE! So that you don't get caught Chinese fake, we publish here a link to the official website of Autoscanner.

No matter how insulting it may be, no one can do without at least a little “pokotsat” a car in a lifetime. Even professionals. Snow that fell from the eaves, not quite 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 have the character of a slight wrinkle, even the paint does not peel off.

Therefore, most owners are not particularly in a hurry to rush to the nearest tinsmith. In addition, the insignificance of damage encourages you to try to fix everything with your own hands. Let's talk about this and talk about how to fix a dent on a car with your own hands.

• repair of dents on a car without painting is possible;
• it is impossible to carry it out without investments;
• you will have to show angelic patience and devilish perseverance;
• if everything works out for you, you can open your own workshop, you will not be left without customers.

Attachments

At the stage of development, dent repair will require not too rich tools:

• straightening hammer with shock-absorbing strikers - 300 rubles;
• gas burner Super-Ego R355 - 1.8 thousand rubles;
• portable gas cylinder - 100 rubles;
• stainless steel trowel - 300 rubles;
• hot glue gun - 600 rubles.

In general, your expenses will not exceed 3.5 thousand rubles. If luck inspires, then buy an inexpensive (3 thousand rubles) set of leveling tool Force F-911M1. You can work with it at a professional level and repair not only your car.

Material Features

Despite the fact that body straightening masters are popularly called "tinsmiths", they work with much thicker material. Thickness body parts Soviet car industry was 0.9-1 mm, now the cunning Chinese put 0.55 mm, but on average it is 0.75 mm.

Dent on rear left fender

In order for such a material to succumb to manual bending, it must be heated at least a little. The paintwork can withstand temperatures up to 80 and even 90 degrees. To do this, you will need a burner from the list of tools. It is better than a building hair dryer in that it is possible to localize the heating zone. However, before starting work, it is necessary to practice on some car skeleton in order to determine the optimal flame intensity and exposure time. Otherwise, straightening dents with your own hands will smoothly flow into a full-fledged body repair or buying a new car.

A dent on a car is a place where the metal has undergone not only deformation, but has changed its thickness. It is smaller at the deepest point than at the edges. Sometimes so much so that the material breaks. Such cases are treated, but considerable professionalism is required. When correcting a defect, you need to drive the metal from the edges to the center. As a result of this, the direction of the deformation force will change to the opposite and the dent will straighten out.

Repair methods

Straightening dents is carried out not only from the inside, although this seems the most logical, but also from the outside. The technology of work largely depends on the area of ​​damage and the location of its localization.

crackers

So in the language of tinsmiths, dents of a large (up to several square decimeters) area are called, but small - no more than a centimeter - deep, with very gentle slopes. The metal in them almost did not change the thickness. They got their name because the straightening is accompanied by cotton.

The larger the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe cracker, the easier it is straightened. Although this is explained simply: the arm of the lever of force - the distance from the center of the dent to the edge - is large. Sometimes it is enough to press on it from the inside with the palm of your hand. Often it is a combined damage - at the point of application of force there is a hall, which will have to be straightened separately.

Removing small dents with an impact tool

Correcting from the inside is the main way to repair such dents. To do this, you will have to remove the lining of the ceiling or doors - the usual place for crackers to appear. If it does not lend itself to hand force, then, for example, a volleyball camera can be placed in the technological cavity. A pressure of a couple of atmospheres will be enough. Small - you can still touch the metal with your hand - warming up the edges will help speed up the process.

Medium dents

It is often not possible to straighten such a “byaka” from the inside. For example, on the wing, the cavity of which is blocked by spars. If it is gentle, without a break, then heating and punching through the trowel will help fix it.

1. Heat the edges of the dent so that your hand feels hot to the touch.
2. Apply the trowel, making sure that it lies flat and does not touch any part of the body relief with an edge. Tap the dent in a circle with light strokes.
3. Constantly control the heating (cooling is no better than overheating), do not rush anywhere and persistently beat the dent in a narrowing spiral.

The construction trowel successfully replaces the professional trowel. Its handle is raised up, does not crawl on the body and does not interfere with the hammer. It should be made of stainless steel, and the lower, working surface should be polished so as not to scratch the paint. During operation, it is necessary to constantly wipe it with a cloth so that not the slightest speck remains on it, and degrease it.

Removal of dents on the surface of the body by heating

There is a very exotic straightening method based on the use of temperature contrast. For him, you need to prepare a balloon with carbon dioxide. These are used, for example, to charge airsoft guns.

1. Heat the dent in a spiral from the edges to the center.
2. Spray carbon dioxide on the same principle.
3. As the frost melts, the metal straightens out, obeying the deformation forces arising from the temperature difference.

Alignment in this way may damage the paintwork. And the older the car, the higher the likelihood of this outcome.

small dents

Damage up to 1.5 centimeters in diameter can only be pulled out, since they are smaller than the hammer head and aiming along the edge is very problematic. Pulling is carried out with a bolt or screw with a cap of a suitable diameter and shape. It must be processed to the desired configuration on emery and polished.

The place of work is degreased (as well as the bolt head), after which the glue gun comes into play. After gluing the bolt, add glue also on top, for reliability. The carving will help to fix the semblance of a handle or eyelet. For them, the bolt stretches with everything that is at hand. But this must be done carefully, in several steps, constantly monitoring the process. The bolt may come off. Remove the adhesive with a solvent and repeat the process until the dent is straightened.

For such work, there is a professional tool - a set of polymer fungi different sizes and forms, as well as strikers. The striker consists of two parts - a kind of bolt, the lower part of which catches on the curly ledge of the fungus, and a massive bushing that slides along the stem. At the end of the striker there is a wide protrusion on which the sleeve hits.

Car bodywork is an art. The master must feel the material and be able to predict its behavior. Skill is formed by long hours of practice. However, don't be afraid to put your hands up. The value of owning such a skill will pay off all the costs. We advise you to initially practice on some car skeleton.

Removing dents without painting will quickly return the surface of the body to its original state. Naturally, the appearance of dents on the car body causes unpleasant emotions for its owner. And no matter how hard you try to take care of your beloved car, no one is safe from troubles, even the most careful driver.

The technology of removing dents without painting has become widespread today. Every day there is a growing interest among motorists in this revolutionary process of restoring body parts.

What dents can be removed without painting the car

Of course, not all damage to the body can be repaired without overhaul. To date advanced technology removal of dents without painting by 97-100% copes with the consequences:

• bottles, apples, icicles, hail, snowballs that fell on the car;
• imprudent parking;
• careless opening of doors;
• external pressure of hands and feet on the body element.

Modern equipment and the skill of a bodybuilder will easily remove a dent of any size. It is important not to damage paintwork, and the degree of stretching of the metal was small (read about the main types of body repairs). Only a qualified specialist can accurately determine the possibility of paintless dent removal. He will also tell you the exact price for the upcoming repairs.

A new way to remove dents without painting has already appealed to many motorists. This service is used by more and more owners of cars with body damage for a number of reasons.

1. Firstly, body work performed quickly. With traditional body repair technology, it takes several days to wait for your car. This is because each layer of applied putty, primer and paint must completely dry and harden, after which the car is also painted. And this takes a lot of time. Removal of dents using modern technology occurs within 15-90 minutes. During this time, the car owner can drink a cup of coffee or tea, as well as make some important phone calls.
2. The second important advantage of paintless dent removal is the availability of work. The formation of the cost of work is not affected by such expensive materials as putty, paint, varnish, etc. Usually, such a dent removal costs the owner 2 times cheaper than with traditional methods of body repair.
3. Most often, it is possible to remove dents without dismantling the body elements and interior trim. But when repairing the roof, as well as in the absence free space, experts resort to removing the skin, lanterns and the body elements themselves. But the factory paint retains its protective functions after such restoration.
4. Some car services conduct an approximate assessment of dent removal from a photograph. To do this, the owner just needs to take a picture damaged place of your car and email the image. The motorist will only have to make an "appointment" and take the necessary amount of money with him.

History of paintless dent removal technology

The inventor of the new method of dealing with dents, Oskar Flyg, first applied it to car exhibitions in America and Germany. During the night, the bodybuilder was able to repair all the damage on the exhibits, which appeared due to the negligence of numerous visitors. Later, a special tool for this type of body work was designed and manufactured.

There are several designations for paintless dent removal technology:

• PDR(Paintless Dent Repair) - English designation.
• DOL(Dellen Ohne Lackieren) is a German designation.

Both translate as paintless dent repair.

The magical process entered our country from the United States, where it became widespread and earned the trust and approval of American drivers. However, back in the 80-90s of the last century and at AZLK, some self-taught bodybuilders removed dents in a similar way. But, unfortunately, our sluggishness prevents timely implementation of emerging innovations. And then we have to learn from Western colleagues.

The principle of removing a dent on a car body element is quite clear and simple:

1. It is necessary to create pressure on the convex surface from the inside with massaging movements. This is done using special metal rods and hooks. They are equipped with comfortable non-slip handles and a set of tips. In the hands of a professional simple tools able to work miracles.
2. Qualified craftsmen use special lamps to detect dents and visually control the progress of straightening. The reflection of the light of the lamps makes it possible to accurately determine the boundaries of the damaged area.
3. To pull out a small dent with their own hands, motorists most often use special sets such as Pops-a-Dent and the like. They allow, in some cases, to independently eliminate the violation of geometry, returning the body to its original form ( See the video below for an example).
4. After removing the dents, the body element is polished, if necessary. It is designed to eliminate stains left from the tool and hands of the master.

Well, now we know that paintless dent removal greatly simplifies car body care. Both bodybuilders and motorists will benefit. The absence of dust and solvent vapors improves the microclimate in the workshops, and the driver enjoys the quick repair of the body and saves a significant amount of money.

Video: paintless dent removal
Pops-a-Dent set

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 warmed up building hair dryer and then treated with compressed air. For this, small tin cans are used, which are sold in computer stores. Or use a portable electric compressor for this purpose, which fits freely 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 to its original 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 the choice of paint of the 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 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 of 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 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 slightest mistake, can cause more serious damage that is 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. No 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 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 exposure environment).

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 particularly 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 Consumables(paint, primer, putty, abrasives, etc.) required for normal repairs.

After repair, the 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 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 dear article car maintenance costs. 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 be, 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 appearance of our car, it rusts, it leads to the side (the geometry of the body is broken), or it irritates small scratches? 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 minor straightening and subsequent painting of a damaged car part, or parts.Of course, we want the work to be done with high quality, and in a timely manner 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 percussion-type hand tools, but sometimes the mechanic's physical strength alone is not enough. Then, to pull out dents, remove cracks and cracks, as well as restore the factory geometry of parts, tools with a mechanical or electric drive are used.

WHAT IS A LIGHTING STAND?

The tool kits 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 is fixed or individual parts body, 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 straightening stands used for body repair are:

· Quantity 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 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.

Spotter cost with different configuration- 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 the need to purchase 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 dealing with damage of any size and depth, it is necessary to have a set of impact tools on hand to repair paintless dents. 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, the heads (impact, or working part) of straightening hammers have a rounded shape and are carefully polished. The hammer may have only one working part or be supplied with a set of interchangeable nozzles of various shapes and weights.

Hammer sets 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, shaped linings. Their working part can have a different size and a different bend, 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, you always need an emphasis with reverse side. 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 flat 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 the optimal position of the 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 or hook, and pull force 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.

Continuous improvement of car bodies, in particular, the use of more thin metal, but with high strength indicators, as well as the use of modern paint and varnish coatings with sufficient flexibility, made it possible to significantly facilitate and reduce the cost of the surface restoration process. Nowadays, body dent removal without painting is increasingly being performed.

Of course, it will not be possible to restore the surface of the body when a deep dent has formed or the paintwork has been damaged without subsequent painting work. But it is quite possible to level the surface with shallow dents.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of removing dents from the body without painting damaged item can be attributed:

• The speed of work (with a correct assessment of the nature of the damage and compliance with the technology, a dent on the body can be removed within an hour);
• Low cost of restoration (lack of painting work significantly reduces the cost of work);
• After leveling the surface, the traces of the dent are imperceptible (since painting work is not carried out, it is no different from others on the body);
• Using multiple methods gives high efficiency works;

But it should also be pointed out that not all dents can be restored without subsequent painting of the element. Dent removal cannot be applied if:

• The paintwork was nevertheless damaged as a result of the impact;
• The dent is very deep (as a result of a strong blow, the metal has changed its structure - it has stretched out a lot, and it will not be possible to easily level the surface);
• The body received a severe deformation;
• The geometry of the dent is very complex and has sharp creases;
• Dents are formed on the edges of the doors, hood, trunk (since the edges are usually well welded and use right tool impossible);
• The dents are formed on the roof pillars;
• The car has low quality paintwork.
• The car is quite old and modern materials were not used on it;

Although the use of this recovery method is rather limited, it is becoming more and more popular.

Paintless dent removal. Methods and tools

Straightening dents on the car body, as already noted, is carried out by several methods.

• The first method includes the impact on the dent from the inside of the body. If you look from the inside - then on the bulge.

This method uses two types. If a dent is formed on a surface that is easy to get to from the inside - wings, trunk lid, then hammers with a rubber head are often used. Specialists usually have a whole set of these hammers, which makes it possible to apply each to a specific type of damage.

The second type of tools - all kinds of hooks, clubs, levers. They also smooth out the dent from the inside. This tool is used when leveling the surface, but in hard-to-reach places. Each car body has a large number of technological holes, into which hooks and levers are launched, and then the dent is leveled by force on them.

• The second method of removing a dent without painting is the impact on it from the outside of the body, that is, from the side of the dent. For this, special extractors are used.

Vacuum extractor for straightening a dent

At small dents vacuum extractors are used. They are suction cups of different shapes, for use on different dents.

If the dent is significant, but it is possible to eliminate it without painting, then glue-based applicators are used. In fact, these are the same suction cups, but they stick to the dent. The use of glue provides the proper force to separate the applicator from the metal. The applicator fixed on the dent is pulled out with the metal in the place of the dent by the same microlift. Applicators, like suction cups, have different shapes for use on dents of different nature.

An important factor is that equipment, both for leveling the surface from the inside and from the outside, can be freely bought, but you need to be able to use it correctly.

Stages of work on straightening dents

So, what should be considered if there are dents on the body that need to be repaired, and there is the required tool:

• If it is possible to use hammers, the blows to the dent are not strong, you can use wooden stops wrapped with rags on the other side from the place of impact. These stops will reduce shock loads.
• When using a set of hooks, sticks, it is important to choose the right tool, as well as to choose the right place for the tool to impact on the dent. When using these tools, you can first practice on a suitable piece of sheet metal. It is important to understand how to choose the right place of impact and the force of pressure or impact.

1. Using the second method is somewhat simpler, since the state of impact on the dent can be assessed visually. The force of impact, which is created by the microlift, increases gradually, so it is easier to control the process than, for example, when leveling with hammers.
2. With this straightening method, it is important to decide whether the use of a vacuum hood will be enough and whether its pressing force against the metal is enough to level the surface, or is it still better to use an adhesive-based applicator.

In general, these dent removal methods are very effective under certain conditions. But their use requires certain knowledge and skills, as well as the required tool. The main condition for leveling the surface of the body without subsequent painting is the correct assessment of the damage and the correct choice of the method of repairing the damage.