Modern cars may be made out of plastic and aluminum, but they still suffer dents. A handheld stud weld puller can quickly straighten out large dents in body panels.
Before beginning work on the dent, remove its paint for easier manipulation. Next, studs along its crease lines should be welded.
It’s easy to use
An effective dent puller requires following some basic steps for maximum effectiveness. First, grind down to bare metal (24/36 grit). Wear safety glasses and leather gloves as you work, as well as safety glasses specifically sized to hold onto studs when pulling back on them with the slide hammer’s thumb wheel which rolls down and grabs onto them when pulled back upon. Begin welding at one stud farthest from the center of dent before working your way backwards.
Though car manufacturers have experimented with plastic body panels, most body panels remain made of steel due to its durability and ability to be easily welded. With just some tools and know-how, you can remove dents from your car or truck using a handheld stud welder and slide hammer.
Haynes offers an informative YouTube demonstration video on their stud weld technique that’s ideal for novice users. In just a few seconds, this demonstration demonstrates just how quick and effective this repair method can be; even novice users should be able to easily pull a dent out for about $100 in materials only (excluding cost of stud welder ). Once repaired, you won’t even be able to tell where damage occurred!
It’s cheap
Modern cars may boast more power, less pollution and double longevity compared to their predecessors; yet they still suffer dings. Although General Motors experimented with plastic body panels in Pontiac Fiero and Saturn models as well as Ford moving to aluminum for Ford F-Series cars, most body panels are steel; therefore using a handheld stud welder may restore them back into shape. Be sure to wear leather gloves, eye protection and strip any paint off using an angle grinder with flapper wheel first to prevent ruining any body lines you want preserved by welding studs destroying any body lines desired in keeping with body lines that you want preserved by your welder so as to maintain body lines when welding studs don’t destroy body lines you want preserved during repair work.
It’s safe
Generally, the stud weld dent puller is safe to use as long as you follow its instructions. However, welding too closely to crease lines could damage a panel as metal stretches when bent; hitching up against these can easily result in uneven welding results.
To avoid this scenario, the ideal approach is to use a slide hammer equipped with an end fitting your studs and work from least dented area to deepest part of panel, taking care to grind off any welded parts right away to prevent further corrosion.
It’s fast
Although cars may have improved in terms of fuel economy and durability, they still get dinged and dented in parking lots and garages. Although plastic has replaced sheet metal in many instances, using a handheld stud welder and slide hammer to quickly pull back even stubborn dents can quickly bring your vehicle back to shape. Be mindful to only use it on clean metal without paint; slide hammers sized specifically to fit each stud can also help.