San Diego Aluminum Hoods & Panel Repairs
More vehicles are made with aluminum because it is lighter than steel. Vehicles made with aluminum weigh less and are much more fuel efficient. Hoods are often made of aluminum but deck lids, roofs, fenders, and doors are also being manufactured with aluminum. Getting your aluminum hood or panels fixed at your local auto body repair shop usually requires more down time and price than our PDR services.
Repairs to aluminum cost more than repairs to steel and this is because these repairs are more intricate. They also cost about 25 to 50 percent more per panel than steel repairs do. Aluminum can, however, be fixed using paintless dent repair.
Steel has to be returned to its original shape after being dented. Aluminum does not have this kind of memory and it requires additional pressure for each dent. It does not always retain its form after being pushed so paintless dent repair is a better option.
To test if the car panel or hood is aluminum a magnet is applied to the surface. If it sticks to the surface, it is not aluminum. Some panels are designed in a honeycombed shaped. Honeycombed hood as it is prepared for paintless dent removal following damage from hail. You can see the access is limited.
Conventional Aluminum Car Panel Repair
If an aluminum panel is damaged beyond the point where a good paintless dent repair can be done a body shop will order a new panel. The panel can be OEM or it can be an after-market part which is made to fit but not made by the manufacturer. The body shop preps the panel for paint and will refinish it to match the rest of the car. Most shops have the capabilities to fix aluminum panels if they wish but it is not always as cost-effective as a replacement.
Repairing Aluminum Car Panels Using Paintless Dent Repairs
PDR is done using glue pulling. This procedure is complex when done to aluminum. Aluminum bends differently than steel. The glue cools at a different temperature rate, too. Dents can be taken out of aluminum with great results, but it takes an expert to do it properly. To get a quote from Paintless Dent Repair San Diego, give us call or text a picture of your damage.
