bike fell off roof denting roof..how to fix?

[speed856]

Horrible story, but I had a bike on my roof rack and drove into the garage. The bike came off and put a fist sized dent in the body panel right above the rear door ('09 4runner). It looks like it'd just pop out if I could get access to the rear of the panel. Has anyone taken this panel off before or know how I could loosen it just enough to try and pop the dent out?

 

[Gatafly]

Warm up the spot pretty good with a hair dryer and then take and put dry ice on it. Since dry ice can be hard to come you could try canned air like used for computer keyboards. Hold it upside down and spray spot until it pops out. Not sure if that will work though. Another item that I am not sure where to find except that we have it at work is gum remover which is an aerosol can that you spray to freeze gum for easy removal. . . . . . I know that would work because it gets down to around 100 below zero.

 

[MidwestT4R]

No guarantees here. When I was younger and dented a variety of cars I would always give this a try on small dents with no real hard creases in the metal. I would clean the surface very carefully to ensure there was no dirt or grime. Then I would take a standard toilet plunger and clean the the bottom of it. Then get it wet and stick it on the dent compressing it down so you get a good seal and suction.

Then give it a hard yank. Usually, the dent would pop right out. Would it be perfect? Not all the time, but most of the time the dent would pop out and you really couldn't see thee dent unless you knew it was there before. If it plunger pops off and then dent doesn't change, try it a few times.

If that doesn't work you may have to go at it from the inside or just go to the body shop and chalk it off as one of those stupid, unfortunate accidents. Good luck.

 

[zerowkul98]

Id look up Dent-Wizard or some "paintless dent removal" service, as long as the paint hasnt been disturbed. They can take care of it.

 

[Uneek]

Dent Expert by SAL - Paintless Dent Removal in S.F. Bay Area

 

[DocMT]

Man, that sucks. Did you wreck the bike too? Like others have said, paintless dent removal is awesome and is probably the way to go...

BTW, this is why I have a hitch-mounted bike rack in my 4Runner. I can drive right into the garage with the bike(s) on the back.

 

[Uneek]

BTW, this is why I have a hitch-mounted bike rack in my 4Runner. I can drive right into the garage with the bike(s) on the back.

:iagree: Yakima Holdup 2.

 

[speed856]

bike

I actually have both, with no real eason of using one over the other (until now I guess).

The bike frame broke in three places, and the carbon fork cracked. Luckily it was a beater bike I had built up from spare parts, so it wasn't TOO expensive, but sucks nonetheless.

 

[galactic_04]

if it's a good sized dent, try a plunger

 

[xlaxx]

I actually have both, with no real eason of using one over the other (until now I guess).

The bike frame broke in three places, and the carbon fork cracked. Luckily it was a beater bike I had built up from spare parts, so it wasn't TOO expensive, but sucks nonetheless.

Glad it wasn't a Tarmac, Cervelo, or C-dale Supersix up there,... that would have been a VERY bad day.

 

[progress4m]

Id look up Dent-Wizard or some "paintless dent removal" service, as long as the paint hasnt been disturbed. They can take care of it.

I would also recommend painless dent removal services. I actually just used one of them my area (DFW) for my parents Avalon (some one hit rear quarter panel on the parking lot and left…). I did not think it would be possible without body shop but results of the painters repair was great!