How to Bang Out a Dent
by Jenny Carver
Dents can be costly to repair at a collision center. There are ways to repair them yourself, but most involve using a dent puller, which puts holes in the sheet metal. Banging out a dent is simple and effective. You can bang out a dent with two very simple tools. Learn how to bang out a dent, and save money.
Step 1
Use a body hammer to lightly tap around the outer edges of the dent. There is a ridge around the dent that is higher than the surface of the car. You'll need to tape this area again later, but try to get it slightly lower than the surrounding surface of the car.
Step 2
Find a way to reach the other side of the dent. This may require opening the hood or trunk, or removing the lining under the wheel well to reach a fender. For dented doors, the interior door panel can be removed to reach the back side of the door. For a few areas, the other side is not accessible, and the dent can't be banged out with a hammer.
Step 3
Place a metal dolly on the dented side of the metal. Use the body hammer on the other side to bang on the dent. The dolly, which is a block of metal shaped like a bar of soap, keeps the hammer banging on a flat surface. This stops the hammer from making any sharp indentations in the metal, which are difficult to repair.
Step 4
Move the dolly and hammer around on the dent, banging the dent from both sides, until it is smooth. Most dents that can be reached from both sides can be banged out completely.
Things You'll Need
- Body hammer
- Metal dolly
Writer Bio
Since 1997 Jenny Carver has served as editor and freelance writer for many offline and online publications including lovetoknow.com, autotropolis.com, "Hoof Beat News," "Import Tuner" and others. Carver owns a custom automotive shop where she has been doing paint and body work, custom interior work and engine building for over 11 years.
