What is bodyline dent repair?
Modern cars have sharp pressed lines running along doors, fenders and quarter panels. When a dent lands on one of these lines the edge collapses and the reflection breaks, which is why even a small bodyline dent is very visible. Simply pushing the low spot up produces a rounded, "soft" line that still catches the eye.
Bodyline repair therefore has two stages: bringing the low metal up, then rebuilding the crease of the line with precise pushes exactly along the original edge and tapping the surrounding metal to match the panel's factory profile. Under a line board the technician checks that the line's reflection runs unbroken across the repaired area.
Dents suitable for this service
- Door dings and minor dents landing on a swage line
- Dents on wheel-arch style lines of fenders and quarters
- Bonnet and boot lid edge-line dents with rear access
- Hail dents crossing bodylines
When PDR may not be suitable
- Bodyline dents with cracked paint on the edge (paint on lines is thinner and cracks sooner)
- Heavily stretched lines where the edge has been flattened over a long distance
- Lines on panel hems with no access
Benefits
- The factory line is restored rather than hidden with filler
- No repainting of highly visible panels
- Repair blends seamlessly with the surrounding original paint
- More affordable than replacing or repainting a lined panel
How Dry Denter assesses the damage
Please photograph bodyline dents with the reflection running along the line, so the break is visible. We check paint on the edge, how much of the line has collapsed and how the area can be reached. Where a bodyline dent combines with a crease we quote it as a crease-plus-line job.
Repair process
- Photo assessment along the line
- Low metal lifted from behind in gradual passes
- The line\'s edge re-formed with a sharp tip tool along its original path
- Surrounding metal tapped down to the factory profile
- Reflection of the line checked from multiple angles and distances
How long does it take?
Expect 1 to 3 hours for most bodyline dents. Sharper factory lines and dents near the ends of a line, where the metal is stiffer, take longer.
Common questions about bodyline dent repair
Why are bodyline dents harder to fix?
The pressed edge has to be rebuilt, not just lifted. Restoring a crisp line so its reflection runs straight takes precise tool placement and repeated checking.
Can the line be made as sharp as factory?
In most cases yes. On very deep bodyline dents the edge may end up marginally softer; we tell you if that is likely before starting.