Ford Galaxy / Ford S-MAX. Manual — part 1012

easily made using the orbital saw.

Body Repairs - General Information -
Panel Beating Technique and Smart
Repairs

S-MAX/Galaxy 2006.5 (02/2006-)

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Description and Operation

General

Smaller scale body repairs, where damaged panels do not need to be replaced, can often be
carried out by realignment work. Whether the repair is economical however, often depends
on the accessibility of the affected body area.

NOTE: Basic and in-depth training courses are offered on the topics which follow. An
overview of the complete range of training offered is provided by the Ford Service
Organization Training brochure.

During damage assessment, the following technical points must be taken into account:

Small mild dents (without damage to the paint), which are in areas that make access
from the inside possible, can be rectified using undamaged paint panel beating.
If the inner side of the damaged area (with paint damage) can be accessed, then
conventional panel beating techniques can be used.
If the damaged area has no access from inside, then it can only be rectified using outside
panel beating techniques.

Dent removal using special panel beating levers

NOTE: In the Undamaged Paint Dent Removal section, you will find more information on
pressure techniques.

This panel beating technique with pressure is mainly used to rectify smaller dents as a
result of hail impact, transportation or parking, without the paint being damaged.

Small dents are removed from the inside of the body panel by pushing them outwards in a
mechanical process using panel beating levers.

Because of the great variety of shapes of these levers, it is possible to use this panel
beating technique on almost all areas of the vehicle body.

Dynamic puller with counter bearing

Description

Description

1

Deflection by a hook arrangement

2

Pressure tool

This method can be used to reshape dents or more extensive damage from the outside.

For minor damage, the copper electrode in the tool is secured onto the panel surface by
spot-welding and the puller device is used to pull out the damage without jolting.

For more extensive damage, puller bits or U-washers (depending on the application area)
are spot-welded to the panel surface and the area pulled out using the puller device.

Because of the versatile puller and the variable counter bearing, a wide variety of damage
can be worked and rectified using this repair method.

Because of the mechanical lever operation, the variable counter bearing and the optimum
controlled application of power, this external dent removal system allows dents in almost all
vehicle body areas to be pulled out.

Hollow leveling (removing dent without a dolly)

Hollow leveling can only be used on areas which are accessible from the rear.

Description

Description

1

Puller device for minor damage, with integral copper electrode

2

Puller device for more extensive damage

3

U-washers spot-welded in place

4

Puller bits spot-welded in place

5

Attachment for U-washers or puller bits

During hollow leveling, the dent is removed from the inside a using suitable panel beating
tool and applying knocking or pressing movements. High spots around the edge of the dent
area are flattened with blows from the aluminum or wooden headed hammer.

The usual tools are for instance hammers of various designs, dollies, levering irons and
various spoon irons. The correct choice of tool is made depending on the shape of the dent
and the access which is possible.

Dent removal using hammer and dolly

Panel beating can only be performed using a hammer and dolly if access can be gained
from the rear side.

The purpose of the dolly in this case is to transfer the force of the impacts from the
hammer to the steel panel which is in between. As this is done, the deformed body panel is
smoothed (dressed) and the tension fields in the body panel are removed.

The favored tool for this repair process is the aluminum hammer and as opposite support
the universal hand dolly. To rectify minor panel damage, the box file should be used as
opposite support. Because of its serrated surface, the box file prevents normal stretching of
the body panel which would otherwise occur.

Description

Description

1

Center of dent

2

Spoon

Description

Description

1

Aluminum hammer

2

Box file