[S10xGN]

Hi All,

My latest project, a '63 Rambler American, managed to fall off my jack and get hung up on a jack stand on it's way down. Fresh paint too. I can get to the backside of the outer skin (limited access), from the rear wheelhouse. Any ideas how to straighten this out without damaging the paint?

Thanks!

Russ

[MARTINSR]

Without damaging the paint? You are asking for a lot but the only way I see doing it is to get a body clamp.





Or make something that would do the same like two strips of 1/4" thick flat stock that you could clamp together with a bolt hole thru both.

You clamp the bottom of the fender with a little piece of flat stock on the back side as thick as that fold of metal so you don't crush it. In other words this clamp would be grabbing right where the spot welds are only. You then pull down on this clamp and pull the damage out. You would then only have a little work right along that pinch weld to clean up and spot paint.

Brian

[S10xGN]

Brian,

Those tools you show look like they'll require a hydraulic puller, do you think a pair of vice-grips on a slide hammer would work? I'm not too concerned about the paint on the pinch weld, I just don't want to crack or buckle the paint on the body (I have no history on the paint job). This is not real visible, as it's down low. In fact, I didn't notice the damage until after I rolled it 45° on the rotisserie.

Russ

[MARTINSR]

You could use a piece of tubing or something and leverage to pull down on the clamp, do NOT use a slide hammer, constant pressure pulling down works MUCH better than the WHAP WHAP WHAP of the slide hammer.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

I understand you don't have the room to do what is shown in this "Basics of Basics" but using the same principles I think you can come up with what needs to be done. Click here

Brian

[S10xGN]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I understand you don't have the room to do what is shown in this "Basics of Basics" but using the same principles I think you can come up with what needs to be done. Click here

Brian

I could build one of those pretty easily. I can understand the constant pressure too. Should I have a helper do this while I gently "ping" the bottom of the dent from inside the fenderwell? Or just use the puller alone?

Thanks!

Russ

[MARTINSR]

While pressure is applied to tap on the "brow" of the dent on the outside would be the thing to do. If you had a autobody spoon.

Click here

Click here

You apply masking tape over it so it doesn't damage the paint and lay it against the brow and hit the back of the spoon with your hammer while pressure is being applied to pulling the metal down. That brow is what is holding a lot of the dent up, so tapping it lightly is going to release it. But to hit it without having pressure pulling down is going to distort it. So you want pressure pulling down on it while you do it.

Brian

[tech69]

a slide hammer would never get that out. If you don't have a pulling system use your imagination. you need something clamped to the mating flange with a downward puling force. An anchor pot? A steel grate? You can tie it down to somthing strong and jack it up, which will pull out the damage. hammer down any bows or highs as you are giving it the pull. Doubt you can do this without breaking paint. If you want to try first find your highs or bows and tape over the damage, then work it as the tape is protecting your finish. Expect to spot paint.

[farna]

If you can anchor the clamp to the floor somehow you can jack the car up for the steady pull.