Roof rack hit in parking lot. Roof has dents. How do i fix?

That truck is my baby

Exactly why i asked the original questions of feasibility, possible cost and access to repair it in the first post. If i can access it I will fix it today by myself. That is the point of this website.

 

Im pretty sure your year headliner is easy to remove and you can get access to all the dents if it's an early Tacoma like mine it's an actual vinyl headliner and is really hard to deal with cuz it's not a solid piece where yours is a solid piece I believe

 

2004.
Looks to be a solid unit.

Is this glued to the roof metal? or is it free of the metal held with screws or automotive push porcupine things. If the former i am weary. I recall several old cars (like late 80's early 90s) where the headliner was mostly foam and it never was the same as before i started tinkering.

 

1. I think I viewed a video that Timmah the Toolman made. The video showed how he removed the headliner, but it was for a 4Runner, not a truck. You might want to check out this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVJW0XM2x24&t=0s&index=22&list=UU9EMiD9KPy61kJ6hdXcbjxA

2. I have not the foggiest idea what could have caused your damage. To get some reliable opinions on repair costs I would call the insurance company, tell them what happened, and see which shops they do business with. Then take the truck to those shops, and to at least 3 other shops that do real body work, not just a "painless dent repair", to get estimates. At least you will know what it might cost you, and I'm thinking somewhere around $1,500. I'm not absolutely sure if that big dent above and behind the rear door can be pulled out without removing the headliner, but I kinda think that it can.

As I read through your posts, I can feel your sadness. Nobody needs that kind of grief. I've had my truck (1998 Limited) for 21 years now and I know that it would just not feel right to drive it with that kind of damage. Sorry it happened. And as for those negative comments from others who visit this forum, they'll get theirs too, if they haven't already. What goes around, comes around.

 

Right!!??

 

No clue what the automotive grade calk is. All i have is this automotive goop. That crack is not metal cracking, just metal bending. I hope. So plan is to fill it with goop and bent it back with channel locks unless someone say that makes life hell for a body shop in the spring.

 

did you try to use a plunger yet? that has worked for me in the past. put the plunger on the dent (stick it) and then pull.

If that doesnt work, try a mallet. from the inside. hammer out the dent on the inside, then go from there.

if none of those work, i guess bondo is an option, lol

 

I think it is Too small for the plunger, SkunkMan17. But Thanks, i will look into it. I think one would have to weld to it and pull it out.
Yes hammering from inside was the goal today. I think that normaly ends up best. But i could not confirm it is was double walled there or not. If i take it to a shop i would rather they pound or weld and pull it best they can and not bondo. Fill, in my LIMITED experience, doesnt last as long as paint on metal even when crumpled. But i might be wrong.

 

Dang, well, besides all the negative comments, keep us posted on if you were able to do a fix yourself or if it ended up being a shop job

 

PDR guys will use a combination of pushing from the inside and pulling with glue tabs from the outside.

I had a car a while back that got hit with some light hail and was able to get it in satisfactory condition by myself. Watched some YouTube vids, talked to a couple friends that are in the PDR business for tips.

The tools that I bought cost WAY more than having a PDR guy do it, but I got the satisfaction of doing it myself and now I have another set of tools in my arsenal.

This is the main set I used:
https://www.dentcrafttools.com/hail-compliment-set.html

Glue pulling stuff:
https://www.dentcrafttools.com/dentcraft-glue-kit.html
https://www.dentcrafttools.com/hot-glue-gun-110v-large.html
https://www.dentcrafttools.com/t-handle-puller.html
https://www.dentcrafttools.com/aluminum-slide-hammer.html

 

Your headliner is removable, but it will require removing much of the plastics that go up and support it, along with the dome light and map light/mirror fixture. I also imagine that you would need to remove the seats, in order to have room to maneuver it out. I had mine out last year, while in the process of soundproofing my '04 DC. I can't imagine that you would not have nearly all of the plastics on the door posts, etc. out, and most would require removing seats belts and such as well. Don't hold me to this, but it runs in my mind that for the most part, there were not a lot of structural re-enforcements. I only recall one, were the dome light is, going side to side, but wasn't really looking for them.

 

This was intimidating and informative. Thank you. I hate that interior work. But the "Don't hold me to this, but it runs in my mind that for the most part, there were not a lot of structural re-enforcements. I only recall one, were the dome light is, going side to side, but wasn't really looking for them" comment is promising if it comes to that. Thanks for this!!!!! it helps.

I didnt realize it could be done with hot glue.... I have seen it done with tack welds.... Thanks for this.

 

Wether or not glue pulling works depends on how much tension the dent is under. There’s also the possibility the dent can be pulled too far, but in that case, there are knock down tools to get the metal to go back in some.

https://www.dentcrafttools.com/knockdowns-hmrs.html