If your car has dents that need repair work, you should take the car's age into account when deciding whether to do it yourself. If you have a newer car and want it to be returned to as new as possible, leave the dent repair to a professional body shop. Repairing car dents yourself is best done with older cars where a professional job's cost is close to or more than the car's value.
Small Dents
You can repair very small dents with just a soft hammer. If you aim for the center of the dent, it will reduce the chance of protrusions sticking outward from the hammer. To do this, hit the dent while looking directly at it from the underside; you'll likely need to raise the car on jack stands and work from underneath. No matter if the dents are small or large, short and small taps work much better to evenly fix dents than long, heavy pounding.
Pulling Dents Out
If the dents are more medium-sized, pulling them back out from the front works better than pounding from behind. A large suction cub with a handle works best in this case. Attach the cup to the surface along the dent's outer edge and pull, then move your way toward the center of the dent. You can tap the underside in the same location that you're pulling using a soft mallet or a bag filled with buckshot.
Large Dents
If you need to remove a fender to repair bigger dents, look for every single bolt connecting the fender and remove them all. If the fender won't come off easily, there are bolts remaining; some can be hidden. Never pull on the fender or you will damage it. Once the fender is off, pound the dent with a heavier hammer while holding a dolly against the outer side (the dolly prevents you from pounding out protrusions). If any fender supports are bent, bend them back into place with vice grip pliers. Reconnect the fender with every bolt once the repair work is done.
Tags: center dent, repair work, them back