What Do I Do????

esalomander

esalomander

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Last Friday my LS got caught in a hail storm :mad: .... the damage does not look "that bad". There is about 20-24 small dents (you have to be at the right angle to even see them). Anyhow, long story short because the LS hood is double pannel aluminum it has to be replaced. My insurance company is offering me $2,496.00, or I can pay $500 and get it all repaired.

WHAT DO I DO NOW???
 
Take the $2500 and fix it yourself. I have seen many DIY dent repairs that should work, even on the aluminum hood. Dry ice and dustoff to name a couple. You may still need professional help with a couple of panels depending on severity but you have an opportunity here.
 
n8bachelor said:
Take the $2500 and fix it yourself. I have seen many DIY dent repairs that should work, even on the aluminum hood. Dry ice and dustoff to name a couple. You may still need professional help with a couple of panels depending on severity but you have an opportunity here.
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That is what I am thinking. My buddy was telling me that he removed almost all of his dents using Dry Ice.

It is tempting to take the $$ because the black paint covers the damage so well.
 
esalomander said:
That is what I am thinking. My buddy was telling me that he removed almost all of his dents using Dry Ice.

It is tempting to take the $$ because the black paint covers the damage so well.
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Please give me those steps to fixing it, I was waiting until winter to file an insurance claim
 
I am not holding my breath on the dry ice, but my buddy said the dents are so shallow that it should work.

I will let you know.
 
I heard that the dry ice was BS.

And the can of air only works if the dent is held in by a pressure fracture, not actual fracturing in the metal/paint.

Take it do a paintless dent repair place
 
I wouldn't wait on filing the claim. However, I would take the cash out option and fix the hood myself. Even if you had to find another hood and have it painted
 
I have watched guys do the dry ice before and it seems to work pretty well.

The procedure I have seen is that they surround the dent with a clay ring, then heat the dent up with a heat gun. After the dent is super hot they'll immediately press the dry ice into the clay circle, and unless the dent is really deep it'll pull most of the dents out.
 
Andrizzle said:
I heard that the dry ice was BS.

And the can of air only works if the dent is held in by a pressure fracture, not actual fracturing in the metal/paint.

Take it do a paintless dent repair place
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I have seen several internet videos using the dry ice method. I have never tried it in person (yet) so I cant assure you of its quality. It is worth a shot though. I have a small hail dent in my hood that has been bugging me lately. We'll see if I can give it a try this weekend.

The can of air method is virtually the same as the dry ice method. When you turn the can of air upside down and spray, liquid will come out. It is very cold. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "pressure fracture" but if the metal is broken or creased these methods will not work.

Dry ice and DustOff are cheap. So it is worth it to at least try it yourself to see if you can save some serious $$.
 
Hi N8
When using the canned air method is the dent also heated with a gun? Would you know of any good websites about these repairs? T.I.A.
 
Pressure fracture (i guess not really a fracture) would be like going to the center of your door panel and pressing in with a large 'softish' push (to not damage paint) till you hear the metal kinda 'pop' inwards. Think of it as like pushing in the side of a plastic bottle. These are usually larger dents, and the can of air will work on these because the cold will contract the metal into itself thus popping the panel back out... However if you look through YT people are trying the can of air method on dents that are complete fractures of the metal or folds in the metal. It is only plausible on pressured dents - Higher temperatures and CO2 don't have some magical combination that makes metal reverse history.

So pending on how bad the hail damage really is, like the hailstone size and deepness, the can of air method may not do anything at all.

The whole idea of using 'cold' things on the metal is to make it contract, if the fracture is harsh enough, it will have enough force to counter the contraction and you will be wasting your time. I would just look for a paintless dent repair shop and have them do it - the professionals are amazing at it.
 
I found some dry ice in my right by my house.....before I attempt anything do you think the ice could damage my paint?
 
REDBED said:
Hi N8
When using the canned air method is the dent also heated with a gun? Would you know of any good websites about these repairs? T.I.A.
Click to expand...

Yes, the idea is the same; heat the metal so it expands, then cool it quickly in the center contracting it which will bring the dent out.
Just google it man. "dry ice dent repair" or something similar should do the trick.


Andrizzle said:
So pending on how bad the hail damage really is, like the hailstone size and deepness, the can of air method may not do anything at all.

The whole idea of using 'cold' things on the metal is to make it contract, if the fracture is harsh enough, it will have enough force to counter the contraction and you will be wasting your time. I would just look for a paintless dent repair shop and have them do it - the professionals are amazing at it.
Click to expand...

Yeah these types of DIY repairs are best for minor imperfections. Big jobs are best left to the professionals of PDR. They do work wonders and are loads cheaper than body panel replacement.

esalomander said:
I found some dry ice in my right by my house.....before I attempt anything do you think the ice could damage my paint?
Click to expand...

Only if it is falling from the sky :cool: Dont push it hard against the paint. Just heat it and place it against the panel.
 
esalomander said:
That is what I am thinking. My buddy was telling me that he removed almost all of his dents using Dry Ice.

It is tempting to take the $$ because the black paint covers the damage so well.
Click to expand...

black paint covers damage?

funny, mine shows every damn imperfection :mad:
 
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