Re: Body Damage

[John Hofstetter <hofs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 7/30/03 4:35 PM, Laura Freeman at freeman_73scout@domain.elided wrote:

> I noticed several months ago a large dent in the tailgate of my "trailer
> queen." It appears as though it had been done with a rubber mallot as no
> paint was left behind by whatever vehicle had run into it in the parking
> lot; the paint on the area has only recently started to crack. The dent is
> for the most part concentrated, only affecting the small panel adjacent to
> my driver side rear light, and a slightly bowed out portion of the adjacent
> panel towards the center of the tailgate.

Laura, 

I don't know that there is a way to get the dent out, but I have a suction
cup made for body work, and it works pretty well as long as the dent hasn't
any bends or creases in it.

You put the suction cup on the dent, bend the handle up creating a vacuum
and pull on the handle to apply pressure to pull the dent out.

My guess is that the bowed out portion may go back in when the concavity is
pulled out. 

Let me tell you that I don't remove dents in my Terra, so my opinions on
body work may be suspect. I have a dent in about the same place as yours,
mine was caused by the tailgate being dropped on an open pintle hook.

John Hofstetter