Basic Body Work

[F350]

I am about to paint my tractor and need to fix the area under the front grill
(badly dented). What tools and techniques do I need to straighten out the dents? I'm no bodywork expert.

Can this be done without purchasing specialized tools?

Thanks in advance

 

[Soundguy]

You can do anything from removing the metal and beating it out on an anvil.. or wood blocks, to leaving it and just using body filler.. then file and sand back to correct contour.

Soundguy

 

[ovrszd]

I am about to paint my tractor and need to fix the area under the front grill
(badly dented). What tools and techniques do I need to straighten out the dents? I'm no bodywork expert.

Can this be done without purchasing specialized tools?

Thanks in advance

I'm assuming that by badly dented you mean it is beyond filling the dent with body putty. So that means straightening the metal. As Soundguy said you can remove the piece and have at it with a hammer. Or if the dent is not a creased wrinkle, remove it and using your hands or blocks of wood, try to gently push the dent out. Regardless, you are not going to get it straight enough that it disappears without using body filler as a finisher. When you start beating around on metal to straighten it, the metal stretches. An expert can use heat and gentle force and can get it pretty darned straight. But you and I have to use body filler, because we can't get the metal straight without it.

This all depends on the quality you are looking for. If you want it to look like there never was a dent, then you probably should take this piece to a body shop and ask for a quote on fixing it. If you don't care about it, then do as Soundguy said and just shoot paint over it. Then in the middle is whatever your talent can create.

 

[Jagmandave]

You can buy a decent set of basic hammers and dollies from Harbor Freight for about $10 - $15.....that will get you enough to straighten most easy to reach dents. Straightening metal is a bit of an art, so I'd look online for some tips, then have at it. It's a skill that once you learn, it'll come in handy the rest of your life.

 

[JimR]

Large sockets and a ball peen hammer work wonders if the area is round. A piece of angle iron works great if it is flat or on an edge. You can shrink the metal by using a torch and a very wet rag. Heat the expanded area and put the wet rag right on it. This does not always work. If the metal is too stretched out it will not flatten out. In which case you have two choices. Leave it as it is or put small dents into it to shrink it up. Put a socket behind the area to dent if you have to dent it up a bit to shrink it. You can them fill it in with putty and sand to smooth it out.

 

[bamatoolmaker]

My first love was auto paint & body.I have aged since that time and would like to offer my advice.Check pricing on replacement panels and used parts from salvage yards.There are quite a few of both online.