Do-it-yourself threshold dent repair

In detail: do-it-yourself threshold dent repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Repair of the threshold is complicated by the fact that access to the reverse side of the damage is closed. In addition, the metal of the threshold, by virtue of its design, has a high rigidity and a significant effort is required to straighten it.

In this article, we'll look at several ways to repair the damage at the doorstep. Professional repair of significant damage will require specialized equipment. If the dent is small, then you can do with improvised means.

In modern body repair, when straightening deformed thresholds, a spotter and various pulling devices are used (for more details on these devices, see the article "Spotter"). First, the protective coating is peeled off from the threshold to pure metal. Then, with the help of a spotter, the pulling elements are welded to the threshold, after which the dents are gradually pulled out and the protruding places and folds around the deformation are simultaneously tapped, if necessary.

The pulling sequence is carried out depending on the structure of the damage. If the sill flange is damaged (the lowest part where the sill is connected to the bottom), then it must be returned to its place first. Next, you need to straighten the corners of the threshold if they are jammed. Thus, first you need to return the basic shape of the threshold, and minor irregularities are straightened out last. Shallow dents can be corrected with the reverse hammer included with the spotter.

Video (click to play).

If there is no spotter, but there is a semiautomatic welding machine, then a reverse hammer can also be used to straighten the threshold (which can be purchased separately or made by yourself). The principle of its operation and a simplified diagram are described in the article "How to straighten a dent with your own hands."
The next method does not require pulling devices. You can cut the dent with a cross (as shown in the photos below) and put each of the segments of the dent in place, for example, using a screwdriver. Next, you need to weld all the cuts.

A smooth, wrinkle-free dent can be straightened with a pulling device and hot glue. A similar principle is used in the PDR paintless dent repair adhesive system. The pulling device can be made by yourself from wooden blocks and a long bolt with a nut and washers (see photo). The block with the bolt is glued to the deepest part of the dent, after which the bolt gradually twists and pulls the glued block along with it.

The bars that will rest against the whole part of the threshold (on both sides of the dent) must be made large enough in area so that the force dissipates and the whole part of the threshold does not deform. It is better to make the block that will be glued from durable wood so that it does not crack or delaminate during pulling. You can use birch. The head of the bolt, which will be on the glued side of the bar, must be sunk by drilling a hole of the required diameter. This will keep the bolt out of the way and will not rotate while the dent is being repaired.

To apply hot glue, you can use either a special gun or a construction hairdryer. A hair dryer can also be used to warm up the glue if it hardens during application over a large area of the bar. Before gluing the bar, the threshold must be thoroughly cleaned, dried and degreased. Pull out slowly, pausing after tightening the bolt several times. If the glue comes off ahead of time, before fully stretching, then it may be necessary to re-glue and repeat the pulling several times. You can gently tap the bumps around the indentation while pulling (if any).

On convex body panels, when the dent is formed, the metal not only goes inward, but also forms bumps around the recess, which must be gently tapped when straightening the panel, helping the metal to return to its place. In the illustration, the large arrow shows the direction of impact, the small arrows indicate the raised metal around the groove (shown in dotted lines).

You can gently pry with a spatula and use isopropyl alcohol to remove any residual cured glue.

In this way, any damaged threshold cannot be straightened, but it is quite possible to reduce or completely straighten a smooth dent formed by a moderate impact. Once again, I repeat that one time it may not be possible to reduce the dent. You need to monitor the changes and if the dent has decreased slightly, then you need to slowly repeat the pulling process.

Almost every young driver has an accident in his life. Most often they are insignificant, and in such accidents, only the headlights, plastic elements and sometimes the body are affected. Recently, a method has been invented with which you can restore metal parts without further painting. In view of this, many questions arose, for example, how to remove a dent on a car. We will try to give a detailed answer to how the dent repair is done.

This method, of course, will not be able to restore all the dents, but it will be able to straighten minor ones on the car body. So, there are a number of irregularities that cannot be straightened out without painting.

These include, first of all, deep irregularities with sharp corners; it is impossible to correct such a dent due to this particular sharp angle. The fact is that in an accident, the metal part, which is bent, forms a new rib on itself, which cannot be straightened without disturbing the paintwork.
The second damage that cannot be corrected without painting is the old bump from the accident. The fact is that over time, paint peeled off on such damage, and the metal began to rust. More often than not, it is best to change these details.
The following damage is associated with the paint peeling off the body and it began to rust. Such damage with a dent removal tool cannot be repaired without painting.
In addition, with the help of this technology, it is impossible to restore the body of an old car. The fact is that the car is aging, its structure is weakening, and when there is an attempt to align the door, thresholds or other elements of the car, you can only aggravate the situation.

So, having figured out what dents you can straighten without painting with your own hands, you can start the process. Before you start repairing dents without painting, you will need several tools for this.

The first and foremost on this list is a tool to remove dents without painting. This tool is of three types. In fact, the principle of the first two is based on the same thing.

So, the first type of equipment is needed to carry out paint-free removal of dents from a car body, it is a special device with various attachments. The principle of operation is based on the fact that the nozzle is glued to the car body with glue and after the glue has dried, the dents are pulled out with a special device.

Today this method is most popular in inexpensive service stations. The fact is that such equipment for paint-free removal of dents is relatively cheap, and you can earn a lot with it. Most often, the equipment pays for itself in no more than a month.

In order to glue the nozzle to the car body, a special gun is included in the kit, which heats up the glue.
After gluing, you need to wait a certain amount of time for the glue to harden, and only after that you can start straightening the dents.
After the straightening of the dents has been successful, you need to reheat the glue and remove it from the surface of the body.

The main disadvantage of this device is that traces of glue remain on the car body and, when removed, many spoil the paint layer.

The second device for aligning dents works on the same principle. However, instead of glue, the connecting element is vacuum. In order to make minor repairs of dents without painting with the help of such a device, you just need to lean it against the car, press it tightly and pump out the air. After that, you need to start fixing the dents.

In fact, this method is better than the first one in that no traces of repair remain on the body at all. Upon completion of the removal of dents from the car body, you just need to return the air back using a special valve. This device has one significant drawback, it is that this device is quite expensive compared to the device presented in the first version. The main advantage is that repairs can be done by hand at home.

The third technology by which you can correct the unevenness of the body covering the doors, fenders and other elements, straighten them with your own hands, is based on the fact that the repair of dents is made from the inside of the door or other dented part. Such local repair of dents is extremely rare due to its high cost and complexity of the process, which may not work the first time with your own hands. How to remove unevenness on the machine in this way, you can find on the Internet or in the instructions that come with the kit when purchasing.

It was decided to devote a whole topic to this part of the car body due to the fact that the thresholds are considered the most vulnerable part of the car to damage. The fact is that the threshold can be damaged even when a speed bump is moved. If you have damaged the threshold on your car, then you need to carry out repair work as soon as possible. This must be done because if the threshold is damaged, the paint layer is removed and often bare iron remains. This bare iron will begin to rust within a few days, and the rust will quickly spread through the body.

Before you start repairing thresholds, you need to determine exactly what thresholds are installed on your car. Today there are two types of thresholds. The first type is cast sills, and the second is removable.

The first type is most often found, because it is easier for the manufacturer to manufacture such cars.

So, the question arises, how to pull out the dent on the doorstep. One of the ways to pull out the dents on the thresholds is considered to be a vacuum suction cup, you can do it yourself. This technology allows you to keep the paintwork in the same condition, if, of course, it does not deteriorate from impact. In fact, there are several more options for repairing thresholds with your own hands.

This system was invented by man, but, unfortunately, man has not yet invented a single system that would not have any drawbacks. The main disadvantage of this method of body repair is the high cost of equipment. If a person wants to buy such equipment for himself, then it will pay for itself only in a few years, and if you buy this device that is capable of removing dents without painting for a car service station, then it will pay off quickly due to the fact that the technology today widespread and in great demand.

This is where the disadvantages of the system end and only positive features follow.

The main advantage is the ease of use of the device in order to produce paint-free removal of dents.
The second advantage is that repairs can be done by yourself and in your garage.
The next advantage is that after such a repair, you do not need to spend money on painting the car body. In fact, this saves a large amount of money that can be spent on other purposes.
The last advantage is that the repair can be done by hand.

Young drivers have such situations as a minor traffic accident. In such accidents, various body parts and plastic elements are slightly affected. After such an accident, you often have to repair small dents without painting yourself. Metal parts can be straightened using a special device that is able to preserve the paintwork of the car after repair, if it was not damaged in a collision.

Most often, doors and fenders are repaired, because the metal there does not have stiffening ribs and can easily become the same shape as it was before.

A car is not only a means of transportation or luxury, it is also a certain responsibility and constant care. Every car enthusiast knows that if the car is not looked after, it will not last long, moreover, it can also cause various unpleasant and unforeseen situations. Therefore, you need to treat your iron horse carefully and carefully. But, whatever one may say, every driver has moments when a breakdown may occur, sometimes this is due to inattention or inexperience, sometimes with excessive self-confidence, and sometimes it may be just a coincidence. One of the most common problems with cars is dents. It is enough to unsuccessfully park somewhere with a large number of cars, or it is not enough to react quickly in a traffic jam, or you can even suffer from the inexperience of another driver, and your car is already with a dent. Of course, this is a very unpleasant moment, but do not despair and think that now you need to repaint the part. There is another way out.

Often, dents appear on the doorsteps of the car, there are many reasons for this, the most common is driving on curbs or other hills. Since the rapids are closest to the ground, it is quite easy to crush them. If you have a dent on the thresholds, it is not at all necessary to change this part or remove and repaint. Every car owner knows that any painted part does not look good on the car, and it is more difficult to sell it, and the difference in colors is often noticeable. Modern car repair technologies allow you to repair door sills dents without painting. This opened up a whole new opportunity for many victims of dents on their cars.

Today, car repair shops that use modern repair methods offer their customers not to paint the thresholds when leveling dents. Moreover, the part does not even have to be dismantled in order to be repaired, all work is carried out directly on the assembled car. To straighten any dent, various tools are used (which one depends on the complexity of the work), and the alignment process takes place from the inside of the part.For this, specialists use various special devices, such as hooks, levers of different lengths, vacuum suction cups and pumps, glue systems. These parts are fixed from the inside, under the threshold, and then you can already start working. With the help of new tools, the metal is squeezed out in the opposite direction and smoothed to such a state in which the threshold was up to a dent. Repair by this method is possible even in the most inaccessible places.

Of course, in most cases, repairing sill dents without painting is the best option, you do not need to repaint the part and dismantle it. But there are times when this method is not suitable. Every car owner should know and take into account that when a dent appears on the paint of a part, microcracks may appear. If this happens, then the metal will corrode much faster, and sooner or later the part will still have to be repainted.

One of the most time-consuming damage to a door structure in terms of repair is car sill dents.Restoration is much easier on newer models with plastic parts. It is only necessary to heat the surface of the threshold to a certain temperature, and then return the geometry using hydraulic and percussion tools to its original state.With outdated brands, the situation is much more complicated, because in order to repair the thresholds of the car, you need to straighten several layers of hard steel. At the same time, there is no way to get access to the inside of the part in order to create the necessary pressure from the inside. Often in such cases it is easier to simply replace the thresholds by purchasing a new spare part first.Fortunately, over time, there are more plastic components even in domestic models of cars and future repairs are made faster. The specific place of damage plays an important role. It would seem that for the same type of threshold made of similar materials, the price for removing dents can vary greatly. Each individual case must be examined by a specialist who issues his expert assessment of the cost of the restoration.It is important to contact reliable service centers to trusted engineers, otherwise, after work in a nearby garage by a local master, the doors will stop closing altogether, and the paintwork of the car sills will be scratched. Several types of thresholds are installed on machines - removable and monolithic. For the first type, removing dents is not a problem.The part is removed from the car, after which it is brought back to its original state on the hydraulic installation. It is much more difficult to tidy up the welded threshold. To straighten it and remove the dent, you have to cut a small hole on the side, inside the cabin.Tools for removing dents using a lever system.A special set of lever tools will allow access through the hole to the damaged area and deform it in the opposite direction. However, in case of serious damage, even this approach cannot always give a positive result.Then you have to completely cut out the entire threshold and replace it with a new one, but without dents. In any case, cutting the metal will entail additional costs for painting and polishing the part, so owners of cars with welded door sills should be especially careful with them.Of course, the surface of the thresholds should be protected after their repair.We have examined the method of repairing thresholds, but you should not forget about their protection. The best option may be a plastic overlay on the surface of the threshold. It is able to protect against the ingress of stones and dirt, but of course should be installed only after anti-corrosion treatment.Regardless of whether you have a new car or not, sooner or later you have to deal with threshold breakdowns. This problem is caused by the poor quality of roads, a large number of holes, or just a love of extreme driving. It is quite possible to repair thresholds on a car with your own hands: what is needed for this - we will find out further.Thresholds on a car play several roles at once:

Protect car from mechanical damage, scratches, deformations, etc.

Help passengers when exiting and entering the salon.

Protects body sills.

They are a stylish addition to the car, making it visually more attractive.

Repair of thresholds on a car must be carried out in accordance with the design. It can be different: plastic, metal, chrome, with or without backlighting. Thresholds may or may not be removable, which must also be taken into account during repair work.For non-removable elements, a special repair technology will be required. Such sills are securely welded to the surface of the car, so you will have to work carefully so as not to damage the surface of the car.

The destruction of metal is imperceptible, but regularly corrodes the elements of the car body, which work in a more aggressive area. Any surface protection provided by the manufacturer slows down this process. One of these sensitive areas is the threshold - a complex bearing system. Sometimes there are episodes of damage to this part during use of the machine. As a result, there comes a time when repairing the thresholds of your car without staining becomes necessary. Regardless of whether the threshold is removable or not, there are only two options for its renewal: with and without welding.

The two methods can be compared in terms of efficiency, but the first method is more complicated: it consumes more materials and requires more labor costs; however, despite this, it is used much more often. The field of application of the second method is limited to the correction of small defects in the threshold of the machine, by the fact that there are no metal folds on the formed dents. Pulling a dent of a huge size, but small in depth, allows in some moments to do without staining the damaged element. However, it must be taken into account that the paintwork has such a viscosity and elasticity until microcracks are formed in the areas of dents, which, over a certain period of time, will lead to peeling of the paint.

A high curb, holes on our roads, various obstacles, as well as a driver's inattention can lead to sad results, namely, a defect in the thresholds of our favorite cars. As they say, this defect has no effect on speed, however, the external shape deteriorates noticeably, not to mention the formation of rust in the damaged areas.Old repair methods include straightening the threshold using welding and a reverse hammer (you will read about them below), as well as applying a putty and then painting the part.

It happens that at the service station you can be offered a replacement threshold - cut out with a grinder and weld a new one. Many repairers and painters will now advise you on this type of repair, since they do not know about the repair method without painting.

Despite the fact that the correction of damaged thresholds without staining is most desirable, their repair using welding equipment and further staining is done much more often. Therefore, let's talk about this method in more detail. The different level of defects at different places of the threshold allows the technician to use any type of welding to fix dents. Renovation of a rusted part of a car will require the use of various technologies.

Most often, you will find difficult dents of any size, where the paintwork has been damaged, but there are no wrinkles. As you know, thresholds are most often box-shaped, which means that in order to get to the inside, you need to cut the metal. However, if the type of dent allows it, then it would be best to straighten it using a spot welding device (spotter) and a reverse hammer.

To achieve this along the entire perimeter of the groove, you need to weld rings (staples, washers) or pins to secure the hammer, if it is not possible to get it with hooks. The number of rings and the spacing between them can be determined depending on the damaged area and the depth of the flaw. You need to try to get rid of them to the maximum.

Then hook the hammer on the outermost ring or attach it to the last of the studs. Then you need to hit the thrust washer of the inertial hammer with a load sliding along the guide a couple of times and pull out the dent for a small interval, but not completely. You will need to rearrange the hammer a couple of times so that you can pull it out evenly. Work your way up the range from the edges to the middle of the dent. Despite the fact that it will not be possible to straighten the threshold without staining in this way, the use of a reverse hammer is advisable, because straightening is done without heating the metal using a gas burner, and the structure of the metal on most of the dent is not disturbed.

It is far from always that the straightening of the threshold is done when using spot welding. There are many other points when it is not possible to repair damaged thresholds without staining. Defective areas with creases and areas that are completely rusted must be cut out. To cut them out, it is best to use the following devices, which, upon completion of the work, do not lead to a change in the shape of the element. It can be a grinder, a pneumatic chisel, a jigsaw. A gas burner is used only if other tools cannot be used.

Having cut out a place for future replacement with these devices, you need to cut out and fit a patch from a suitable metal to the required size of the hole. It must be welded instead of the cut out metal with an electric welding semiautomatic device with submerged-arc wire or a gas torch. Highly qualified specialists sometimes use a conventional electric welding device with electrodes with a diameter of 1-3 millimeters. Welding should be done not with a continuous seam, but with a spot method, welding the metal in turn in diametrically opposite places, which will reduce the internal force of the box system, and the threshold will not change the configuration due to heating.

The case in which it is not necessary to replace the damaged place, but you can only pull out the dent with straightening devices, happens more often. The accessibility of the inner part of the surface of the box guarantees cutting a U-shaped hole on the back side of the threshold of the machine. Having unscrewed the trimmed part of the metal, it is possible to gain access to the inside of the box and straighten the dent using hand-made tools for straightening or hydraulic devices.

Then the bent part of the threshold must be put in its place and welded using any of the previously described methods. Already after welding, it is necessary to align the welding seams with a grinder, and if its use is not possible, it is necessary to smooth them with solder. The previously listed methods cannot pull out the damaged threshold of the car without its subsequent staining due to severe defects.

What if the paintwork on the doorstep is damaged? Do I need to use a regular straightening tool? We will answer - no way. We have already talked about how the thresholds are straightened. This technology has several disadvantages:

1) In the place where the welding was carried out, after a certain period of time (after six months or even more), rust may appear! And everyone knows this. You cannot remove this locally. It will be necessary to paint the threshold first, and then after a while it will have to be done again.

2) When pulling out damage with a reverse hammer, there is a risk of tearing the metal. In this case, it will be necessary to weld the resulting hole, and then putty. Here a lot depends on the qualifications of a specialist, but no one is immune from this. As you can see, here everything is done using the same technology. Rust is formed, which means that repainting is necessary again.

It is extremely rare, due to the rigid structure, that thresholds can be repaired without further staining. In this case, the method of work is slightly different from the technology listed earlier. Welded rings or pins, to which a reverse hammer is attached, are replaced by a vacuum suction cup. The required vacuum is made there by a vacuum pump. The difficulty lies in the fact that the appearance of a dent only sometimes allows such a device to be installed on the threshold.

A similar method is also used using a bracket with suction cups and a guide rod, which is fixed to the box. The rod is glued with its own base with a special adhesive in the center of the defect. You need to put a bracket on it and fix it with suction cups at the edges of the bend. Straightening consists in tightening the nut on the rod. By doing this, you will level the dent in the place of the anchored rod. At the end of the work, in order to remove it, it is necessary to use a special solvent for this glue, which does not violate the paint and varnish layer of the threshold. Then this rod is placed in another damaged place, and everything is repeated again.

Sometimes pulling out defective thresholds without staining can be done for some other reason. These two methods will free you from staining only if the paint layer is not disturbed by the resulting damage. However, the fact that both time and money are saved is unambiguous. Because of this, you need to think very carefully before using welding.

The positive properties of straightening thresholds without staining are obvious:

• The item remains in its original color. When selling a car, you will not need to explain to the buyer that nothing terrible has happened to the car. This means that there will be less reason to bargain.

• The second plus is that rust will not occur. The native, factory paint layer will serve you for many years.

Thresholds of any brand of car are places that are most worn out by winter "surprises" (cold, sudden temperature drop, salt, dirt on the bottom). The result of all this is the development of corrosion. Vibration forces can also cause damage to vehicle sills. A poorly positioned jack when changing a wheel can cause a dent.

Thresholds can be restored using methods such as straightening, straightening and stretching. It happens that you have to cut out a defective place or change the repaired inserts. In any cars there are sills that are removable, and there are also welded to the body, or, in other words, non-removable. It is easier to make repairs on removable sills. It happens that all repairs involve replacing a part or the entire threshold. In order to make an excellent repair, you will need a base plate (workbench), some tools from the straightener kit, a welding device and a grinder or pneumatic chisel.

Uncomplicated repair

Removable sills are repaired by first removing the screws that secure them to the body. The defect (if it is small) is corrected on the workbench. If the defect is large or medium, then making repairs is like throwing money down the drain. In this case, it is better to replace them with new thresholds. A non-removable threshold with a small defect can be straightened using a hood from the outside. The hood is made using an inertial puller. If the damage is large enough, then first you need to free up space. Remove the door, pull out the seat, remove the floor covering (carpets).

Two types of threshold restoration

First you need to cut a square-shaped window from the edge of the threshold. This will give us the opportunity to pull out the place to be repaired with a hydraulic tool. Hold the sheet while the dent is straightening, there will be anvils. There are many types of them. Having selected the curvatures you need in shape, you can easily renew the places in need of repair. Then you need to cut out exactly the same size sheet that was removed from the threshold. This part is welded into the hole that was removed.

Another method of repairing sills is to first cut the top of the sill and then separate the weld sections. A not very large anvil is inserted into the partially opened hole, and restoration work is carried out, i. E. direct bearing. After completing the straightening, the anvil is removed, and the hole is welded. In the event that the defect is located under the door, then the element is cut out so that the rest of the plane is located outside the damaged zone. Then we cut out a new element, adjust it and weld it with a welding machine.

When the threshold is very badly damaged, then we remove the defective place with a grinder. We cut out only one door. Alternatively, do this near the base of the B-pillar. Often the following happens: defects covered both the threshold and the rack. In this case, two parts need to be repaired. The B-pillar and side member must be cut directly opposite the roof. While cutting out the damaged area, the spar must be constantly monitored. If necessary, we straighten with a special tool for straightening and straightening.

We put a new section of the spar, along the way, removing particles of metal left after welding. After aligning the side member, the new part can be fitted in place. After installation, you need to fix it, but before that you need to make preparatory fasteners. Until the gaps in the door and in the body are adjusted, the side members are not completely installed. If you plan to install new doors, you need to figure it out a couple of times, installing and removing it, in order to fit well until it fits perfectly. And if everything came together, then connect completely.

Video (click to play).