DIY Dent Repair
Can I Remove Auto Hail Dents At Home?
After the 2018 summer of catastrophic hail storms, we have received multiple questions about DIY auto hail repair. We have also repaired a few botched DIY hail dent removal jobs.
The Hail Shop USA is here to answer your questions about the following most popular DIY auto hail dent repair techniques.
With each DIY hail removal tip, a video example is provided to show the technique in action.
DIY Dry Ice Auto Dent Removal Technique
Leave the car in direct sunlight so that it heats up and is hot to the touch. Place small pieces of dry ice in the center of the dents for a few seconds and remove them. The dents will pop out on their own. Wipe the area down with a soft clean cloth.
Does it work?
The above video is shot by an auto body shop technician. I have used this video intentionally as this DIY auto hail dent technique can be dangerous and cause additional damage to your vehicle. As you will see in the video, the dent CAN be removed but will return when the vehicle heats up in the sun.
Warning: Trying this technique can cause chemical burn and frostbite. We do not suggest trying this at home.
DIY Hail Dryer Auto Dent Removal Technique
Heat the dented area with a hairdryer and place a cold wet cloth on the dent while the area is still hot. The dent will pop out by itself.
Does it work?
With a hairdryer, you will not be able to heat up the metal enough to manipulate its molecular structure. You will, however, heat up the metal enough to severely fatigue the metal and run the possibility of needing a panel replacement.
Warning: When using a hair dryer to heat up the metal on your vehicle, be very aware that the extremely elevated temperature of the metal can severely burn your hands.
DIY Dent Puller Auto Dent Removal Kit
Glue Pullers
This is a paintless dent repair tool with a lifter glue puller and 18 pcs tabs. With 18 different size of tabs, it can repair different size of the dent without damaging the original paint of the car. No harm to the original paint on your car. Paintless dent removal is the highly specialized method of eliminating dents in cars without having to repaint the surface of your vehicle. Preserving the overall value of the car. Glue pullers work best on shallow dents and pliable areas that have more flex. With this DIY paintless dent removal can save you much cost and trouble that can come after a minor accident
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Does it work?
I could not find the original dent puller found in this video but I did find one that was very similar. The dent puller can be very unpredictable. It appears as though the dent puller is the best option out of all of the three listed. The biggest problem with this device is “over-pulling.” When this happens, the dent literally pops-up past the surface of the panel. This is a very costly mistake and in most 99% of these cases, the entire panel must be replaced.