A trick with a heat gun on a stubborn door dent actually worked for me

Had a 2015 F-150 with a deep door ding right on the body line, customer didn't want a full panel replacement. I tried the usual PDR methods, but it kept springing back. Out of ideas, I grabbed my heat gun, set it to about 300 degrees, and gently warmed the metal from the backside for maybe 30 seconds while pushing from the outside. The metal relaxed just enough that I could finally massage the line back with my tools. Has anyone else tried controlled heat on newer aluminum panels, or is that asking for trouble?

3 comments

3 Comments

graceblack21d ago

A body shop guy in my town swears by a low heat trick for aluminum. He told me he never goes above 250 degrees to avoid messing with the temper. It makes sense that a little warmth helped your dent relax.

william_henderson21d ago

So what's his trick for keeping it that low?

blairtaylor21d ago

Man, that's just using science to beat up a truck. You basically tricked the metal into forgetting it was supposed to be dented. I'm filing that away for the next time my car gets a new personality.