I had to choose between a stud welder and a glue pull system for a big dent job

Last week I had this 2018 F-150 with a nasty crease down the rear quarter panel. I kept going back and forth on whether to use my stud welder or try out this new glue pulling setup I borrowed from a buddy. The dent was right on that body line and I was worried the glue might not have enough hold for how sharp the crease was. I ended up going with the stud welder because I know exactly how it behaves on thicker Ford metal. Pulled it out in about 20 minutes with minimal hammer work but I did burn through a few spots where the paint was thin. It came out pretty clean but now I'm second guessing myself on whether the glue pull would have saved me the paint repair time. Anyone else made the switch from welding to glue for stuff like this and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

jennifer_fisher7d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back a little on one thing you said there. Glue pulling has some serious drawbacks that people don't always talk about, especially on factory paint jobs. In my experience, when that glue lets go mid-pull on a sharp crease, it can actually tear a chunk of paint or clearcoat right off with it, which is even more to fix. Your stud welder might burn through thin spots, but that's usually just a few little dots you can touch up with a pen, not a whole panel's clearcoat that's now compromised. Regretting that choice seems like you're being too hard on yourself. I'd take a handful of tiny burn marks over a glue failure that turns a 20 minute job into a two hour paint correction any day. Your mileage may vary but that's been my honest experience.

holly477d ago

You mentioned "when that glue lets go mid-pull on a sharp crease" but honestly I'd rather risk a glue failure than burn through paint any day... those burn marks always seem to show through no matter how much you touch them up later.