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I am stupid, how do I get out this dent?


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Yesterday I showed my brother how stupid I was. We were driving over our newly laid gravel driveway. It is pretty soft stuff, because it needs to get wet and settle down, then it goes like rock. Anyway, I was getting close to the edge, we live on a steep hill, that is just top soil fill. I was backing up and then it got sorta slippery. But by the time I noticed the whole car slide off the side of the drive way. Front left wheels were on the gravel and the other too down in the lose top soil. the only thing holding the car from going further was a small tree. Damn tree put a few dents in my car which I gotta try and get out because I hate big dents :( ... So I tried to drive out, but my left rear and right front just spun. So I tried the handbrake trick... Didn't help, by then the car had gone another foot done the hill. I thought of going done the hill, but that would of made the situation worse. So anyway. We tried to tow it out with a FWD Ford Telstra, I don't think a Toyota 4x4 would pull that out on our nicely fresh driveway... So we used a hand winch and about an hour later we got it out :( ... Not it has broken trim on the left door, a big dent that looks a little worse then it did yesterday. and a dent behind the door I have no idea how to get out.. Anyway, heres some pictures of it, sorry they look so bad, had to use my PDA camera because I gave mine to my parents when they went on holiday. Damn I feel so stupid... I'm also no very happy with my Subie, though she would be better then that. Doesn't help with 185/60r14” road handling tyres I guess.

 

http://webmaster.beverleypaine.com/subaru/stupid/HPIM0142.jpg

http://webmaster.beverleypaine.com/subaru/stupid/HPIM0144.jpg

http://webmaster.beverleypaine.com/subaru/stupid/HPIM0152.jpg

http://webmaster.beverleypaine.com/subaru/stupid/HPIM0153.jpg

http://webmaster.beverleypaine.com/subaru/stupid/HPIM0154.jpg

I didn't want to post them here as they are a little big, 300kb each, hope you don't mind doing some clicking. Oh, and BTW, thats my brother, Roger.

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can I get to the other dent via one of those panels in the tray? I guess I should just go have a look. I can't figure out how to get the inside door paneling off :-\ I can't get the window winder off.

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ive had bigger dents on my eyeball

I have a friend In AUSS. and she said her car wouldn't pass inspection due to rust.. She said that the condition of the car body was a safety issue there. I thought Wow ,, over here cars can be rust particals holding hands, as long as the signels work and the tires are good and the exaust doesnt leak,,, it can have rust holes and dents all over it:-p,, well in North Carolina anyway....

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The window cranks are held on with a little wire clip (spring-type wire) that is shaped kinda like an hour-glass. I use a peice of 14-16 guage wire and make a small hook at one end. with the end of the hook facing outward, you put the wire behind the handle part and near the axis, you will find the wire that you can grab with the wire hook. Careful not to loose it, they can really go sproing :D

When you put the handle back on after you are done, you put the clip on the handle FIRST, then snap the handle into position.

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The window cranks are held on with a little wire clip (spring-type wire) that is shaped kinda like an hour-glass. I use a peice of 14-16 guage wire and make a small hook at one end. with the end of the hook facing outward, you put the wire behind the handle part and near the axis, you will find the wire that you can grab with the wire hook. Careful not to loose it, they can really go sproing :D

When you put the handle back on after you are done, you put the clip on the handle FIRST, then snap the handle into position.

In The States, they have a tool that used to be called a GM trim tool, now just sort of a generic window/trim tool. It is flat, about 6-8 cm acrross and perhaps 15 CM long, with a 2-3cm slot down the middle. You slide the slot between winder handle and door panel, and it compresses the retaining clip out of the way. All of this being said, I find karinvail's method just as easy and US$5-10 cheaper. It is really not that hard to get the clip/handle off... can take more practice to get it back on, as the clip should be compressed on the handle before putting it on the regulator shaft, and then the clip slips into its normal place after fitment to the shaft.

 

After the handle comes off, you have the screws that hold on the armrest, and then the panel is held on by plastic push-clips that fit into holes in the door. These are best removed by carefully prying on each side of the clip and popping them loose from the door. The GM trim tool (or a pair of flat-head screwdrivers) works wonders for this.

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that is exactly how i do it too. it's a bit challenging, and might take a few tries. be prepared for frustration:banghead:

 

The window cranks are held on with a little wire clip (spring-type wire) that is shaped kinda like an hour-glass. I use a peice of 14-16 guage wire and make a small hook at one end. with the end of the hook facing outward, you put the wire behind the handle part and near the axis, you will find the wire that you can grab with the wire hook. Careful not to loose it, they can really go sproing :D

 

When you put the handle back on after you are done, you put the clip on the handle FIRST, then snap the handle into position.

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The clip mentioned is located behind the long handle to the small crank knob just to help in locating it. You will have to push on the door pannel a bit to be able to see it. It will look like a small wire loop. This is where the hook has to grab.

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In a few rare and fortunate cases, I have had good success pulling out dents in my Subarus with one of those suction cup puller things. I don't know for sure where you would buy them, but they shouldn't be too hard to find. I was able to borrow this really nice one from someone that had a little finger pump on the back of it that pulled quite the vacuum. It yanked a big dent out of a front fender. The best thing is you don't have to take anything apart.

 

If you get really lucky a drain plunger might even work.

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Thanks every body. I'll be having a closer look at it tomorrow. Its not that I don't want a dent because it might be illagel, theres enough on the car that is alrealy inc too dark tint, 320mm steering wheel, ect ect. I just don't like having a big dent that tells me every time I open the door that I'm a stuipd idiot.. lol.. The car has plenty of other small dents and big ones that arn';t visible.. But I don't like these ones. Soo I'll try my hardest to get them out straight.

Also, What do you think I should buy first, offroading tyres or a electric winch?

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LSD rear end may help next time.

 

friend plowed his neon through a few feet of snow all the way off the road. wasn't sure if i could drag him through all that snow with packed snow and regular street tires. i felt the tires just start to slip and the LSD kicked in and pulled him right out no problems. pictures would have been sweet, i'll be sure to carry my new digicam with me this winter. may have pulled him out just fine without the LSD, but i definitely felt it kicking in and kept the car pulling nice and straight.

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Hmmm.. I'll have to keep my eye out for a LSD. What subarus did they come on? I haven't looked into it much so I have no idea what to look for. Apart from the sticker on the back of the diff that says "LSD" on it. I'll also have to get a 3.7:1 right?

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Okay Phiz remember you asked.

 

Jeffroid has your "painless" answer

 

Here is my set up, just used it to pull a similar dent out of a panel.

 

First drill a hole in the rubber close to the handle and through into the cavity, then thread a hose barb into it.

 

get the "plumber's helper" started by pushing it on.

Then pump the vac down to about 20 in

 

Hot tip from Skip:

If you do not own a "Mity Vac (pictured) connect a length of vacuum

line to the hose barb on the helper

and run this to the intake manifold and start the vehicle.

At idle it should pull a good 15~20 inches of vacuum.

 

Once the vacuum has the helper stuck fast

yank it smartly....

Works like a charm........remember you asked....

 

Please see my "personal motto"

dentpuller.JPG

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