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How much heat to slightly pull back in place the A Pillar?

4K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Brian_B 
#1 ·
Guys the truck I'm working on was slid on the side and on impact slightly pushed the drivers side A Piller in. I've check the whole A-Pillar and there is no kinks in the pillar but you can tell it got pushed back a little. I want to pull it back into place but was wondering how much heat I would need to apply to the A Pillar metal to get it bend back in place.
Thanks

MP
 
#3 ·
I would not use heat. If you can get ahold of some pillar-to-pillar upper body measurements, that would be good. I've been able to correct pillars with a large (9/16 thread) eyebolt through a door hinge bolt hole. Usually if you bend some tangs the captured nut for the hinge bolts will come out and a large load spreading plate can be put inside the pillar. This is just generic advise though, pics might help.
 
#4 · (Edited)
"This is generic advice", boy is that an understatment! Crashtech, you are right on the money (as usual). Without seeing it, there is no way we can say what "to do" but we can tell what you "could do". :)

MP, that post "could" be in, or just an illusion because of other parts that are bent. The pillar could be in all the way from the side of the cowl, you don't know. Seldom will something like that show a "kink" because it gets bent over such a long area.

I just did a Honda that the pillar was "smashed" in the way it was damaged. It was IN about a 3/16" along the side but was not "bent" at all. It looked bent, but with some measuring I found that the pillar and door surround over the top of the door was only knocked out of shape. The inner points all measured good. So used my "Basics of Basics" dent pulling method and pulled it all back into shape and it needed very little filler to smoothout where I had cut off the pulling piece.

I am not saying this is your problem, there is NO way any of us can tell you what will work. You need to measure, measure and measure again to see what is out of whack.

Have you hung a door on it?

Brian
 
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