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rustychassis

Member

• Apr 20, 2023

• #1

Hey all, any best practice advice, tools or equipment to remove small dents on the curved part that runs down the body of the defender?

 

miktdish

Guns n Chainsaws

Full Member

• Apr 20, 2023

• #2

The alloy is very soft, i've never been that succesfull TBH.
If you can get to the inside then a bossing mallet and a leather sandbag works resonably well.
I made my mallet using a (white) rubber mallet and shaped it (like an egg) with a sander, real ones are made from willow but I thought them too hard for the delicate skin of my defender.

There is a distinct possibility that it requires a skill I haven't got

 

tottot

Well-Known Member

• Apr 20, 2023

• #3

Pretty much the same experience as miktdish above, even with proper dolly's and body hammer.
Take it out to Africa, lots of chaps with great skills. You know the type they do great welding with a stick while wearing two pairs of sun glasses!

 

lightning

Well-Known Member

• Apr 20, 2023

• #4

My mobile dent guy can remove defender bodywork dents to perfection, so it is possible

 

mick the builder

Well-Known Member

• Apr 23, 2023

• #5

lightning said:

My mobile dent guy can remove defender bodywork dents to perfection, so it is possible

Click to expand...

I've always found what they do without damaging the paint amazing but how good would they be on the side panels? Being a former farm vehicle, it has various dents from carrying stuff in the back.

 

lightning

Well-Known Member

• Apr 23, 2023

• #6

Depends on the dent, larger ones can't be done particularly on Defenders as the doors are aluminium and when it dents the metal stretches too much.

But small dents can be removed.

 

miktdish

Guns n Chainsaws

Full Member

• Apr 24, 2023

• #7

Mate with a bit of railway line on the inside, you with a wood/hard rubber mallet on the outside ..

 

marjon

Well-Known Member

Full Member

• Apr 24, 2023

• #8

Its a defender they all have dents, dont they.
Call it character and live with it.
Sure there is something better to spend your money on.

J

 

dag019

Well-Known Member

• Apr 24, 2023

• #9

marjon said:

Its a defender they all have dents, dont they.
Call it character and live with it.
Sure there is something better to spend your money on.

J

Click to expand...

^^ this one. They are not supposed to be perfect. If the only think on your land rover you have to wrory about is dents then you already have a far better land rover than everyone else!