Can I bend the edge of my door?

05sxt · Post by **05sxt** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:22 pm

Okay so I successfully removed the side moldings off all my doors this weekend, when to my great dismay I noticed that on the driverside front door where the molding once was, the back edge (where the door latches) is bent in, presumably from when the previous owner banged it into something/someone. It's not severe enough as to impair the closing of the door but once the molding strip was removed it became much more apparent.

My question now to all those with any knowledge/background in bodywork is can I bend this back out to be straight? Since it is in an area that is not a hollow spot of the body, would it be feasible to heat it up with my industrial heat gun and attempt to pull it back out? Will this affect the paint too negatively?

I'd prefer to avoid filling it with Bondo and painting it since it's at the rear edge of the door and would be obvious whenever the door is open. I'm not as experienced with body work as I'd like to be, so please, any help or advice is apreciado mucho.

1972demon · Post by **1972demon** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:34 pm

any body shop that does PDR (paintless dent repair) should be able to fix it.

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:39 pm

With out pics, it is hard to say, but if it is directly where the skin is crimped around the inner shell, I would just tap it with a rubber mallet until it is not so obvious. The only worry is the metal beside it may bend inward. If you can remove the inner panel, and slide some card stock, or something similar into the area directly behind it, it might prevent that.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:45 pm

It doesn't hurt to use a hair dryer and heat the paint before hand too.

05sxt · Post by **05sxt** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:40 pm

Sorry, here are the best pics I could grab during my lunch break out in the parking lot.
I tried several different angles but you can see its not a huge dent but its still quite noticeable.

contagious18 · Post by **contagious18** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:44 pm

Just hammer it out

Post by **racer12306** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:17 pm

block of 2x4 and a careful touch with a hammer and it should come back out. I'd either wait til its summer and really hot, or heat it up to get the paint a little more flexible.

contagious18 · Post by **contagious18** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 11:04 pm

racer12306 wrote:block of 2x4 and a careful touch with a hammer and it should come back out. I'd either wait til its summer and really hot, or heat it up to get the paint a little more flexible.

+1