Dent Removal for a Truck Fender

Truck fenders are easily dented because of the thin sheet metal the fenders are made from. Truck fenders are a small body panel in comparison with the rest of the truck’s body, but a dent can make it stand out more than it should. Remove the dent in your truck’s fender to help it blend with the body of the truck like it should. You can remove a dent in the fender with some materials from a local auto parts store and a few hours spent in your driveway.

Things You'll Need

• Drill
• Slide hammer
• Body hammer
• Grinder
• Sandpaper, 80-grit
• Body filler
• Plastic squeegee
• Sandpaper, 120-grit
• Sanding block
• Sandpaper, 380-grit
• Sandpaper, 600-grit
• Masking paper and tape
• Wax and grease remover
• Microfiber towel
• Painter's breathing mask
• Paint gun
• Primer
• Paint

Instructions

1. Drill a hole in the center and around the middle of the dent. Insert the screw tip end of the slide hammer into a hole, then slide the hammer up and down the tool to pull the sheet metal out to its original shape. Repeat this for each hole until the metal is close to the original shape.

2. Use the body hammer and gently tap down areas of the metal that are higher than the surface should be. It’s better to have low spots than high spots since they will be filled in later steps. Clear away the paint from inside and up to 3 inches around the dent using 80-grit sandpaper.

3. Fill the dented area with body filler. Spread the body filler with a plastic squeegee until it is smooth and fills the entire dented area higher than the surrounding surface. Let the filler dry for 30 minutes.

4. Sand the filler with 120-grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Keep the sanding block flat against the surface and lead with a long edge, not the short ends. Again sand the filler, using 320-grit sandpaper.

5. Place masking paper and tape around the repaired area. Wipe the area with wax and grease remover and a microfiber towel.

6. Spray primer over the repaired area. Let the first coat of primer dry for 30 minutes. Spray a second coat of primer and let it dry for one hour. Sand the dried primer with a sanding block and 600-grit sandpaper. Again wipe the area with wax and grease remover.

7. Paint the area with paint that is premixed and matched to the color of your truck from an automotive paint supply store. Use horizontal strokes, not vertical. Spray a total of four or five thin coats of paint, letting each coat dry for 10 minutes before spraying the next coat. Let the final coat dry for six hours before touching it.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear a painter’s breathing mask when spraying primer and paint.

• Always paint in an open or well-ventilated area.

• Don’t apply body filler over paint. Body filler only adheres to bare metal and will crack and fall off a painted surface over time.