Some future doctor hit and ran my truck. It has a service body with a liftgate so it's still driving fine but what can I do about this on the cheap to make it look a bit better
>Iinb4 Cut it out and weld some new steel in?
I don't have welder but I'm open to that idea.
Here's what it originally looked like
If he is going to be a future doctor why not just get them to pay to fix it? Doctors and med students are usually empathetic and approachable and likely have the money to fix you up for the damage and inconvenience even if they are studying.
You know what he meant man... It was obviously takes a low class person with a higher melanin content than normal to conduct a hit and run and not take responsibility for their actions...
Ruthless, shameless self bump.
How can I pull this dent out?
Hit the front opposite side of the car. Might have to got back and forth a few times to get it to balance out.
But seriously, maybe drill a small hole and use an eyehook bolt and a ratchet strap to pull it back out. I doesnt look like that kind of metal to just pop back into place though.
a ratchet strap has a short lever, make a bigger lever. unfortunatly pic related is more likely to pull your truck than bend the metal.
Impact force won't easily overcome friction from tires, a falling weight, the goal being to create an area for impact be it a hook location or a ledge you can smack with a hammer. Assume every foot away from bend is a 2/3 reduction in force. you want to stabilize the area that you do not want to bend, little bit of paint and hair poor-mans fiberglass.
No matter what you do it will probably take some cutting and welding. Start beating with a sledge and prying/pulling to see how close you can get it to start with. Looks like the bottom of your box was pretty rotten as well?
When you're done you could get some diamond plate corners made to help strengthen that area up some. My service truck had dinged up corners on the back of the box that I plated over with diamond plate to beef them up. Pic rel is the only pic I really have showing that area much.
I was thinking maybe using a scissor jack to bend the metal out, but I'm guessing that will just break. Are hydraulic rams good for this sort of thing?
You can try a scissor jack, but it probably won't have enough oomph to get er done. Yes hydraulic would be the way to go. Put some plates of metal or strong blocks of wood on either side to brace against the jack ram and base so that you don't just punch through the wall. A porta-power would be ideal for this situation.
I've heard good things about the Vulcan brand welders from HF, but I don't personally own one or have any experience with them.
Ah so take the porta power and anchor to a chain around a big tree or something like that? I suppose I could just drill a hole and put some strong eye hooks backed by steel plate and drive the truck too. Seems pretty redneck but might work
No with a porta-power you should be able to fit the hydraulic cylinder down in there and pump from the outside of the box. Normal hydraulic jacks don't really like working on their side too well unless you overfill them with oil. A porta power will work in any orientation and will give you lots of different attachments and extensions to fit into the space you are working in better.
I just bought a HF titanium welder. It's excellent
Go watch some bodywork videos. and do NOT start drilling holes and pulling shit. Bodywork is a solved problem and that isn't a difficult pull but:
is wise.
If you buy a welder you really need to practice on scrap. Idiots think the tool is the skill to use it. However welders are wonderful and every mechanic etc should own one.
Get a MIG, not some sad little flux core 120V turd. Then you won't hate yourself and the welder will get used instead of ignored. Watch welding videos by professionals to see what's good as many buy inexpensive machines for their portability.
On Fire Welding has decent content. I have industrial MIGs but I recently had to find info for a bro and would consider one of these.
Personally, I'd just fart on it.
Because that working is almost as believable as someone who drives and works out of that truck has to ask for advice on this pos board on how to pull out a dent.
Maybe he's just lonely and wants to start a thread, but yes it is quite odd that someone who owns a service truck would need much help working on something so simple, and doesn't own a welder.
My nuts gf just moved out, so I guess you're right.
I bought it when I bought a house from a Peruvian "diesel mech" for 3k. It's 99 7.3. Thing hauls anything.
Guess it's time to buy a welder.
Any recommendations for someone who has never welded before? I've only brazed with oxy acetylene in high school shop.
I would rather get a good welder, not some harbor freight pos.
if you want a good welder, Miller or Chicago Electric. if you don't want to spent a small fortune on a welder for a one-time fix, harbor freight (unironically) sells an orange Vulcan brand welder for $700? which has auto-adjusting settings so the biggest simpleton can weld. You can rent some gas tanks and fill them for about another $100. might be beneficial to try and bend out the dent before cutting/welding anything too. Big adjustable/pipe wrench with a good long breaker bar will get you started
If you can braze you can gas weld (which welded all sheet metal for decades before electrical welding) if you have an outfit, and for bodywork like that a torch is handy for easy bending, shrinking etc.
There is no joint in that sheet metal that would not be fine to braze either. Braze is used for steel rule fabric cutting dies for easy repair and shock resistance. I used to repair them for a toy company by torch brazing.
oh for fricks sake
Don't listen to the homosexual that wants you to blow $700 on a fricking welder for a thin ass sheet of steel.
buy a flux core from harbor freight for like $100, and a mask and probably some gloves just because.
That's like $160 total and comes with weld wire.
You could also buy a hydraulic come along jack thing that pulls inward (assuming those exist) from harbor freight and put one end of a chain to a tree and the other to the corner of the box and crank it out till it's starting to do something, then hit it with a hammer till you get it where it needs to be.
at that point you may or may not want to use a welder.
pressure wash it and paint it flat black, it will look like new.
eh just bend it back
or just attach a chain to a tree and a hole in the corner of the box and drive forwards at a slight angle till it's where it needs to be.