Got a problem - bent tailgate door :-(

Wondering if anyone here has thoughts, ideas, input, etc on this below. Would greatly appreciate it!

My VX had suffered a slight rear ender where the bottom most part of the tailgate just below the license plate had bent in. No issues with tailgate door alignment, rear bumper below seems fine, just the tailgate door bottom got slightly pushed in and now does not line up with the lower bumper cladding when closed. Other than asking/paying a bodyshop, any thoughts on how to bend back that part to its original shape without collateral damage? The tailgate door cladding is unharmed at least cosmetically, it may have to come off to get to the metal behind it, who knows. Leaving it as is is not an option, it looks too awkward.

I'm guessing that it's do-able. I still have my old door with that section of cladding removed. Lemme know if it would help to post a pic of what's behind the cladding.

If I were trying to straighten it, I think I'd make a sacrificial tool (unless you have access to some body shop tools). Take a 2x6 about 3 feet long. Cut a 1 inch wide, 4 inch deep knotch in one end (sorta like a 2 prong fork). Use it to try and bend the damage out ... GENTLY.

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

I'm guessing that it's do-able. I still have my old door with that section of cladding removed. Lemme know if it would help to post a pic of what's behind the cladding.

If I were trying to straighten it, I think I'd make a sacrificial tool (unless you have access to some body shop tools). Take a 2x6 about 3 feet long. Cut a 1 inch wide, 4 inch deep knotch in one end (sorta like a 2 prong fork). Use it to try and bend the damage out ... GENTLY.

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A pic would be helpful sure! I get your idea, and was thinking along the same lines...a steady reverse pressure of how the damage occurred...but it would have to be on the backside of the thin part of the bottom of the door pushing outward. It's the whole bottom that is out of whack, not just the door bottom tip, and even one side of the lower (left) part of the license plate was tweaked inward from the impact, which was a subtle one but had enough force to bend a lot. It looks like a tricky fix to get everything back outward, without removing the door, perhaps a counter force from behind but then I'd have to figure a way to brace the door and also what is pushing. Kinda sux. :mad:

Bfh!

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Originally Posted by Triathlete

Bfh!

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I should reiterate...no collateral damage :smilewink

I used to have a tree in my front yard that had the perfect fork in it for doing these jobs. I performed metalurgical deformation on many items. Everything from straightening pool skimmer poles to making a fender for a trailer to fixing a severely crunched running board. A storm took out my natural mandrel last summer.:(

Of course to do that with the door, you'd definitely need a helper.

I would take it to a body shop to have them do a NON-INSURANCE quote for you. When they give you the quote you can talk to them about how they would actually perform the repair, which should give you a good idea of how to fix it yourself (if that's even possible).

If you do end up taking it into a body shop, offer to remove the door and strip it down. It took me about an hour to do that so it'll save you some 'ching'. They'll probably want to mount the door when done though to make sure it fits right.

Caution though, I was quoted $500 to repaint the new rear door. Rekin shops are starving so prices are up.

The hinge bolts on the door have some play. I would try loosening the bolts and adjusting the door position. You might get the door to close flush with the cladding that way. Also, I remember the very bottom of the door is just a cladding lip and can easily be bent straight.


Do you have any pics? I worked extensively with a damaged door when I built the spare tire carrier. The body work wasn't too difficult but it's hard to give advice without pics.

Try to find someone in your area that does paintless dent repair.

Most body shops and dealerships will have contact info for someone in your area, but whether they'll give you the info is another story. They usually want you to bring the vehicle to their shop for the repair, then all they do is have a p.d.r. tech do the work and charge you a surcharge for arranging the repair. Better to cut out the middleman and just track down a p.d.r. tech on your own and make other arrangements. They will usually have the tools to get into almost any body panel area to push the dent back out from the inside, and in most cases, you'd never even know anything had happened. And in your case since the repair would be behind some of the cladding, getting it perfect won't be as much of a concern.

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

Lemme know if it would help to post a pic of what's behind the cladding.

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I didn't forget. It's tough to get pix when it's dark when you leave for work ... & dark when you get back home from work. OK, the truth is that I procrastinate real goodly.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_1934.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_1933.JPG

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Originally Posted by VX4EJR

I should reiterate...no collateral damage :smilewink

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Sooooo????

How did it turn out???

If you end up needing to replace the tailgate, there's one in a boneyard near Pittsburgh.