Loading…
7
A dent puller slipped and put a hole right through a quarter panel on a 2015 Civic
I was working on a small crease in a customer's silver Civic at my home shop in Tacoma. The slide hammer tip wasn't seated right and it popped off, punching a clean hole. My stomach just dropped. I ended up welding a small patch from behind, grinding it smooth, and redoing the whole blend on that section. Has anyone else had a puller fail like that, and what's your go-to fix for a surprise puncture?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
angelacooper5mo ago
Ugh, that's the worst feeling. I've had a tip slip before, but never punched all the way through. Your fix is basically the right way, welding from behind is solid. Susan's not wrong about checking your setup, but man, stuff happens fast sometimes. At least you got it sorted without making a bigger mess.
8
susanp506mo ago
Honestly, that kind of slip-up is totally on the tech, not the tool. A slide hammer popping off like that screams it wasn't set up right in the first place, maybe the tip was worn or the threads were dirty. I've used them for years without ever punching a hole. Your fix sounds like a lot of extra work for what was probably a simple user error, you know? Sometimes you just have to slow down and double-check your gear.
5