So ... this just happened

[wuta3]

Was jacking up the car for some weekend caliper painting. The car shifted on the jack, the wood block I was using to protect the car tilted and dented in the round bit before the lip. Pics:



This looks like it has sent the door out of alignment, as the door/arch area isn't flush along the bottom and the gap between the door and the adjacent panel is larger than the other side of the car.



This has made me proper angry. How can I go about fixing it?

 

[S3Alex]

Bad news.

Someone here will know someone who can.

Good luck with the repair.

 

[wuta3]

Bad news.

Someone here will know someone who can.

Good luck with the repair.

Cheers fella, hopefully get it sorted without blowing my mods fund.

 

[Lewis583]

That's the sill you have dented.

I don't think you can get access to the inside of the sill via the front wheel arch, but I'm not 100% on that.

Try removing the door step trim to see if there are any holes big enough to get a drift through and knock it back out.

The only other way I can think of without having to cut it open, involves a welder/a grinder with wire wheel/ some bolts and a slide hammer with hook attachment.

Basically clean of the dented area with the grinder(with wire wheel fitted)
Spot weld some bolts to the dented area.
Screw a nut onto a bolt, then hook the slide hammer round the nut
Using the slide hammer, pull the dent back down.

Best way is to give each bolt a go and slowly pull the dent out. It will need painting/undersealing afterwards

 

[Lewis583]

Actually I have just found a variation on the weld pulling method that involves gluing instead of welding

LINK

 

[TDI140]

You have jacked up on the side skirt u donut damaged the body so u prob need new skirt

 

[TDI140]

Does that not come off ? As a whole piece ? Could be an excuse to get vortex skirts or s3 skirts ???

 

[wuta3]

You have jacked up on the side skirt u donut damaged the body so u prob need new skirt

Ure a donut! I was jacking on the weld using the "wood with a groove" method and the car shifted. I know better than to jack it up on the soft area, read the first post next time

 

[wuta3]

Does that not come off ? As a whole piece ? Could be an excuse to get vortex skirts or s3 skirts ???

Oy donut, it isn't the skirt that is dented. its a non removable part, the metal iirc is part of the chassis.

 

[wuta3]

Actually I have just found a variation on the weld pulling method that involves gluing instead of welding

LINK

Yea was hoping to avoid pulling. The metal seems pretty thin and fragile there, don't want to split it. I'm sure access to the inside to push it out is possible.

Might nip to a bodyshop after the weekend. Turns out it isn't as bad as I thought, the door alignment is fine, just the sill area is a bit mis-shapen.

 

[wuta3]

Does that not come off ? As a whole piece ? Could be an excuse to get vortex skirts or s3 skirts ???

S3 skirts I think wrap the area that has dented. Not a bad shout though if I can't get it flush again.

 

[voorhees]

Get a hockey puck for next time

 

[wuta3]

Get a hockey puck for next time

Was using wood with a cut in it for the lip ... yes, hockey puck next time.

 

[voorhees]

Was using wood with a cut in it for the lip ... yes, hockey puck next time.

**cough** cheapskate **cough**

 

[Eftwyrd]

If you do find an easy fix let me know, mine is that same. Previous owner must have had to jack the car at the road side using emergency jack. When I looked at it it looks like if the ground isn't level the threaded part of the jack can make contact with the sill.