Dent work
Dent Repair in Lavon for the Dents PDR Can't Reach
Some dents are too deep, too sharp or already through the paint. We pull them, shape the metal and refinish so the panel looks whole again.
Describe the dent to the shop — (000) 000-0000Not Every Dent Is a Small Job
A dent from a rock thrown off a gravel truck on SH 78 can be a pinpoint. A dent from a cattle gate swinging into a door can fold a body line in half. When the metal is stretched or creased, or the paint has cracked, the fix calls for conventional dent repair. That means pulling and working the steel or aluminum back to shape, smoothing the last bit with a whisper of filler, and painting the area to match. Done right, you can't find the repair with your hand or your eye. We also check behind the panel, because a dent big enough to crack paint can bend a bracket or knock a wire loose too.
What Goes Into Fixing a Dent Properly
Here is the work that sits between a damaged panel and one that looks untouched.
Reading the metal
We look at how the metal stretched and which way it moved, which tells us whether to pull, push or shrink it back.
Pulling from the face side
When there's no way to get behind a dent, we weld small studs to the low spot and pull it up from the face side.
Heat shrinking stretched steel
Steel that got stretched is heated and cooled in small spots to tighten it, so the panel stays firm instead of flexing in and out when pressed.
Aluminum kept apart
Aluminum panels need their own tools and a clean work area so steel dust doesn't cause corrosion. We keep the two separate.
Just a skim of filler
Filler is for the last fraction of smoothing, never for building up shape. A thick layer cracks once hot summers and road vibration get to it, so the metal gets worked close first.
Blocked flat under primer
The repair is primed and block-sanded flat, which is what keeps waves from showing up under the paint later.
Paint tuned to the panel
Color is mixed from the paint code and adjusted to match the actual vehicle, then blended into the surrounding paint.
Behind-the-panel check
We look for bent brackets, loose wiring and damaged door internals on any dent deep enough to crack paint.
Taking Out a Dent Step by Step
- 01
Judge the dent
Under a bright light we study the dent's shape, look for cracks in the paint around it and check whether a tool can get behind it. Sometimes paintless repair will do the job, and we'll tell you when that's the case. If not, we write up what the conventional repair will involve. You get the plan before we start.
- 02
Bring the metal back
The panel is pulled, tapped and shrunk until it's as close to the original shape as metal work can get it. A thin coat of filler then evens out the surface. The area is primed and sanded flat by hand with a block. We check it with our fingers and in angled light until the shape is right.
- 03
Paint and blend
Paint is mixed for your vehicle, sprayed over the repair and blended into the panels next to it. Once it cures, we polish until the shine matches the rest of the door or fender. Trim and hardware go back on. Then we look it over with you.
What Makes a Dent Repair Last Out Here
Steel does the work, not filler
The less filler a repair needs, the longer it lasts. We spend the time on the metal so the filler layer stays thin.
Honest about PDR
Some dents don't need paint at all, and when that's true we say it plainly, even if you came in expecting the bigger job.
Matched to the rest of the vehicle
A dent repair that shows a different shade isn't finished. We blend so it disappears into the panels around it.
Have a Dent That Won't Pop Out?
Give us the story on the dent, where it sits and what made it, and we'll let you know which kind of repair fits. Folks from Lucas to St. Paul bring us their creases and door dings.
(000) 000-0000 — get your dent sized up