Roof Dent Removal
- The first step to removing a roof dent is to take out the headliner, the piece of fabric stretched across the interior of the roof. Begin by loosening the headliner clips positioned near the edges of the roof inside the car. Pop the clips out with a small screwdriver then carefully pull out the remainder of the headliner. If the headliner snags, another clip or pin is present. Remove this with pliers or a screwdriver then take the headliner out.
- There are several types of dent removal tools, and many work well on roofs. A dent pusher with a blunt end and long handle is useful for removing most roof dents. Small, plastic dent pushers are also helpful. It depends on where the dent is and from which angle you will approach the dent. Have a selection of tools on hand because it is hard to judge which tools you need to get the job done before you start.
- Start with the largest dent first and, using your dent removal tool, push on the center of the dent with the blunt end of the tool from inside the car. Push up on the dent to pop it out. Only use the blunt end; never poke a sharp object or blade into the dent. This only makes a sharper dent from underneath. If necessary, add a leverage point to your long handled tool by attaching a strap to the car's hand grips on the roof.
- Once the small dent is popped out, there will be some smaller residual dents on the underside from working the metal with your tools. Tap these dents back down with a hammer and smaller dent removal tool. Work the smaller dents in the roof from underneath and outside the car with smaller dent removal tools. Triangular and square flat tools help shape and form the metal into a smooth surface once again. This part of the job takes several hours and is usually the bulk of your dent removal process as the first stage takes less than an hour to complete.
