tips on popping out a big dent.

[Eddo Rogue]

I caught a fencepost crawling around my property, cut in too tight and early, it dug in the passenger side of the bed just behind the cab. Luckily I can get to it from the inside/underside of the bed. Any advice on how to pop it out with best results? i was thinking of pushing it out with a 2x4 from the inside, or giving whacks with a rubber mallet, or both...am I on the right track here? I dont need show quality, just a little less dented.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Picture please...

But yeah... I would be under it with my plastic dead blow hammer. Maybe with a "pops a dent" tool on the outside.

Creases will not turn out very well...

 

[ericbphoto]

See if you can use a toilet plunger as a suction cup to pull it out. Otherwise, push from behind with 2x4 or other wood pieces, soft mallet, etc.

 

[Blmpkn]

.

 

[Ranger850]

just spray paint the word "ouch" inside of a band-aid over it and keep it movin'

 

[ericbphoto]

Go down to the local porno shop and buy one of those suction dildos as a puller.

Then use it on the wife later.

Everyone wins. Small business, you & your truck, and the wife.

Oh, come on, man. Does that kind of thing really need to be said out here in the general help sections of the forum?

 

[Blmpkn]

Working too long in 90° weather with Infinitely too much humidity strikes again, my bad.

 

[Roert42]

Good chance that if you pop it back into place, it will pop itself back since the metal is already stretched. if the dent is big enough.

I have been having this same conversation with my tailgate for a couple of years.

 

[dvdswan]

Deflat a football then pump it back up inside the dent area.

 

[09fx4guy]

Using a deflated football or something else to absorb the shock will work better for hammering out the dent. It spreads the blow across the panel area so that you don't see round hammer marks. A small piece of wood over the football would work too.

This is not an exact science, you just want to make the dent look a bit more presentable. (Been there, done that)

 

[Fast Eddie]

Same situation here. Creases will not 'unfold' without extreme measures. Football was mentioned. I used a basketball. I couldn't relieve the crease and most of the panel went right back to be 'shallowed'. Blows - big time. Only thing wrong with the truck. Honestly.

 

[Shran]

I used a jack against the frame and a piece of wood against the inside of the box side one time to push a dent out. You can kinda work it from both sides that way, use the jack to push out and lightly tap from the outside around the edges of the dent to work the metal back into position.

Really depends on the edges of the dent, how deep it is, its shape, etc. Sometimes you can work it back out and it'll look great... sometimes you're left with wrinkles no matter what. In any case the less "hammering" you do, the better, you risk creating more smaller dents and cracking the paint.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Some good ideas here. I like the inflating ball idea. The suction cup might work, but dildos are not cheap. I have an high tech toilet plunger I may try. I dont want to use anything that will crease itself in while pushing the dent, like the edge of a 2x4. I may try the jack idea, and maybe place something large and flat on the dent side to prevent creasing.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

My dent

 

[09fx4guy]

That's actually not too bad. The only trouble spot may be near the bottom where there looks like a little crease.

Go with the jack and 2x4, but make sure to spread the force as much as possible to push on that dent. Take your time, you will be amazed how forgiving steel can be with patience.