Dents on trucks often look unappealing. Thankfully, you have DIY options to try and fix these imperfections. Now you’re wondering how you can repair a dent on your truck’s body. We researched for you, and here’s what we found.
Before fixing the dent in your truck, keep in mind that different vehicles usually use various materials for their bodies. Therefore, one method might not work with your truck. Furthermore, the technique that supplied you with successful results may not work with another truck model. Knowing this, here are some of the DIY methods you can try:
• Pull the dent with a plunger. • Pour hot water over the dent and push it out. • Apply dry ice on the dent. • Attach wooden dowels to the dent using hot glue, then pull them out.
Make sure to use the correct method in fixing the dent on your truck. Also, if the damage to your vehicle is quite extensive, you may want to check if the automobile has coverage. Keep reading as we tackle the methods to repairing truck dents in greater detail. We’ll also talk about automobile insurance and if certain policies can help you fulfill truck repair costs.
How Do You Fix A Dent In A Truck Body?
Trucks use different materials for their bodies, including aluminum, polished stainless steel, and molded plastic. Therefore, it’s worth mentioning that not every DIY repair method to fix dents will work on all types of trucks. If you’re unsure about your truck’s build, check your owner’s manual or consult the automobile maker for the details.
After verifying the material on your truck’s exterior shell, you may use one of these repair techniques:
Plunger Method
You might be able to fix small to medium-sized dents on a truck’s body by only using a plunger and hot water. Here are the steps to pursue this process:
- Heat hot using a kettle or pot.
- Pour the hot water over the dent on your truck.
- Grab your plunger and stick it onto the dent.
- Pull the plunger to try and level the truck’s outer shell.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 until successful.
Watch the video below to see how to do those steps:
Hot Glue And Wooden Dowels Method
This particular process may help repair certain truck dents without damaging the vehicle’s paint job. The steps for this procedure are:
- Drill reasonably long screws onto wooden dowels. The screws will act as handles.
- Apply hot glue to one end of the wooden dowels.
- Attach the dowels to the dent and wait for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Pull the wooden dowels until the dents straighten out.
- Repeat steps 2 to 4 until successful.
Take note that it might take repeated attempts before you can achieve satisfying results with this technique. You can also watch the video below to see how to do this truck dent repair method:
Boiling Water Over Plastic Method
Some trucks might have plastic bumpers that can become dented because of accidents. Follow these steps if you want to use this process:
- Boil water using a kettle or pot.
- Pour the hot water over the truck’s plastic bumper.
- Crawl underneath the vehicle’s chassis and push the dent until you restore its original shape.
Here’s a video to see this technique in action:
Dry Ice Method
For this technique, you only need to use dry ice over the dent on your truck. The steps for this procedure are fairly straightforward, which are:
- Wear thick gloves and grab a relatively small piece of dry ice. Use caution: Holding dry ice without proper protection can cause injuries.
- Apply the dry ice at the dent’s center. Hold it in place for a few seconds.
- Take out the dry ice and wait for 5 minutes. The dent should pop out on its own.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until successful.
- Clean the truck’s surface with a clean cloth or towel once complete.
You can also watch the video below to see how to achieve this technique:
Can You Get A Dent Out Of A Truck Bed?
You can fix a dent on a truck bed or box, and you have two options to achieve similar yet reasonably satisfying results. Take note that the bed is the relatively long surface sitting at the back of a truck. You can usually find this feature in many pickup trucks.
Also, keep in mind that some of the steps might be achieved differently, depending on your truck’s specific model. Here are the two methods that you can use to repair a dent on a truck bed:
Push The Dent From The Inside
- Remove the truck’s tail light to gain access to the inner panel.
- Push the dent from the inside using a pry bar and a piece of wood.
- In certain cases, you may need to use a metal dolly to shrink the metal.
Use Weld Pins And A Hammer
- Attach weld pins on different areas of the dent.
- Pull the pins while hammering the dent from the inside.
- Grind the area with 80-grit sandpaper.
- Apply your preferred auto body filler.
Additionally, you can watch the video below for an explanation of how these methods work:
Do Dent Pullers Really Work?
Dent pullers often work as intended, provided that you use these products properly. Otherwise, it can result in oil canning, which occurs when a metal surface becomes overworked and stretched beyond repairable levels. One clear indicator of an oil-canned dent is when the imperfection pops in and out easily.
Additionally, take note that dent pullers often come in two types, which are:
- Glue dent pullers: Use adhesive and strips to repair dents.
- Suction dent pullers: These models usually have plunger-like designs that can help remove dents and dings.
Moreover, these products are often ideal for straightening reasonably small dents. If the dimple is quite large, it might be best to take the vehicle to an automobile repair shop instead.
Check out this dent puller kit on Amazon.
Does Hot Water Really Fix Dents?
As seen from a previous section, pouring hot water can fix certain dents. Moinuddin Gaibe, the owner of AutoWizz and vehicle specialist, says that handling hot water should be with utmost care.
If automobile owners decide to pursue this dent-fixing technique, make sure to pour the hot water away from their body. Otherwise, the scalding temperature can introduce third-degree burns!
Also, pouring hot water over certain materials can make matters worse. Since different vehicles use varying materials and may have dissimilar gradings, hot water might not work on all automobile dents.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Dent In A Truck?
The average cost to repair a dent in a truck and other vehicles is roughly $125 to $500. But the costs can increase based on certain factors. These might include the extent of the damage and the truck’s specific model. For example, if the dent affected certain parts of your truck, these components also need replacing.
Does Insurance Cover Dent Repair?
Most basic insurance policies don’t cover fairly minor dings and dents in vehicles. However, some insurance companies may offer extra coverage for dents. Policy owners may take advantage of specific dent repair solutions, such as Paintless Dent Repair (PDR).
Keep in mind that opting for additional coverage for dents on your automobile’s body can increase the policy’s premium. In turn, you may have to spend extra money to keep this extra security active.
On the other hand, car collision insurance can be a better option to fix dents than other policies. But the damages made to your vehicle should be fairly serious. Still, choosing this type of insurance may not only provide coverage for repairs on dents but also for paint damage and all-body fixes associated with certain accidents.
Final Words
You can use different DIY methods to fix small to medium-sized truck dents. Some techniques include pouring hot water or applying dry ice onto these imperfections.
Make sure to consult your vehicle owner’s manual or the automobile manufacturer if it’s practical to proceed with the DIY technique you prefer. Continuing with your chosen procedure without confirming the material on your truck’s body can result in more problems than before.
Remember, dent repairs can be costly. But you may take advantage of certain insurance policies, such as car collision coverage, to potentially help you fix dings and dents on your truck.
You can also read these posts for more guides about trucks: