PDR process?

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imported_Mighty HD1

New member
Just my luck.....Mrs. Hd got a dent on the rear quarter today in the car..... Now I need to look @ the option of PDR. What is the process used? How do they get the stretched metal back to shape?



I've never seen the process done and am quite curious how it works before I start calling around.





:hifive:
 
When a PDR tech fixes a ding/dent, s/he uses a steel rod-type tool to gently push the damage out. The tech gains access to the back of the panel and uses a prying or twisting action the "massages" the metal back to it's original shape. They use either a flourescent light or a reflective line board that highlights the high and low spots of the area so they know where the tool is and where to push.



It's actually a very impressive art. One company that comes to mind is Dent Wizard. I believe they are nationwide, and mobile, so I'm sure there's one in your area.
 
mjpowers728 said:
When a PDR tech fixes a ding/dent, s/he uses a steel rod-type tool to gently push the damage out. The tech gains access to the back of the panel and uses a prying or twisting action the "massages" the metal back to it's original shape. They use either a flourescent light or a reflective line board that highlights the high and low spots of the area so they know where the tool is and where to push.



It's actually a very impressive art. One company that comes to mind is Dent Wizard. I believe they are nationwide, and mobile, so I'm sure there's one in your area.
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The rear quarter can be accessed through the trunk very easily.



Do they use any type of heat to shrink: the metal back?



:woot:
 
I've heard of some using a heat gun to soft the paint on older cars so it doesn't crack, but basically all the repair is done by pushing the metal with the rod.
 
karburn said:
Try to get references. All PDR guys are not equally competent.
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Echo, echo, echo! The good ones will charge a bit more, but you'll know where that money went. My body shop recommended the vendor I last used, and he let me watch (some don't allow it). Amazing process - as described above - and there is undoubtedly an art to it. He walked me through each dent, and we talked at length about the largest one. (The car was my wife's Acura and we were about to sell it.) He was concerned about cracking the paint, and ultimately we agreed that cracking would be the lesser of two evils. He even had a wool pad mounted on his drill, but I told him I'd handle the buffing. I spent $200, which included a $25 tip, and it was worth every penny. He took out four door dings, a nasty little dent right on a crease, and the big one I mentioned above right in the middle of the passenger door.



Sorry for the side story there. Get references and, if possible, see some results prior to contracting.
 
Definitely get some local references if possible. Around here there is as big a difference between good PDR guys and bad ones as there is between good detailers and bad ones.



As an aside, I'd love to learn PDR, but man it's a tight lipped industry!
 
I had PDR done once, and I didn't realize how much skill is actually involved. He popped it back into shape in just a couple of minutes, but that was just 5% of the actual work. When you dent the metal, and bend it back, it doesn't bend back nicely, it's all rippled and buckled with small deformations. He worked for quite a while getting all those ripples just right, precisely tapping on the backside of the panel and on the paint side, too. When he was done, I couldn't spot the repair, even with a light. That was several years ago, and you still can't see it.



Definitely get recommendations if you can, 'cause good PDR guys actually have a lot of skill.
 
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