sill damage?

[evlRA]

Hey, i took my car to get certified today and the guy gave me a list of things that i need to fix before he will issue me with the cert.

Now.. the previous owner of this car must have jacked the car from the wrong place and has pushed up the sill (the piece that runs down the side of the car where the side skirts go). The guy said this is structural and that i have to fix it in order to get the cert, i agree BUT

How can i fix it? Or who can i employ to fix it? Has anybody else encountered this problem before?

Im thinking that it could be pulled down back into shape somehow?

Any help is appreciated!

[Guest boostin]

I think panelbeaters can drill a small hole, insert a tool and pull the dent out, then fill the hole and paint it.

[Optical]

got a pic of the sill?

[evlRA]

i didn't have a camera on me so i couldn't take any pictures. Basically the lip piece that sticks down is bent over flat against the sill and the sill is dented up making it out of shape.

[albaru]

I got under the car and repaired it like a true bogan:

slip a screwdriver between the bent seam and car and bent partially upright

grip the seam with a pair of vice grips and straighten vertically

paint with undercoat

paint with grey house paint lying around

It wasn't pretty, and was hard work, but it passed muster.

[Guest loren]

I have the same problem... the sill itself is fine, but the lip that the factory jack

is supposed to fit around is all bent up from using a trolley jack and jack stands.

Have been thinking about bending back with my vice... but that's not going to strengthen

them to prevent it happening again.

[Guest]

ive had the same thing happen to mine i have to fix before re vin , im planning to weld a panel beaters slide hammer to it and pull it out , thats the way to go

[readosnr]

vinning my car was a complete drama

it went back 4 times over 2 months before it got re-vinned and in the end it cost me $1700 as they had to repair the sills. when it was moved around at (im guessing turners damaged auctions) it was moved with a forklift which put dents in the rear door and bent the sills, which is what i had to pay to get fixed and painted

i guess the ra models are more susceptible (spelling?) to damage and your more likely to see the damage as they dont run the side skirts

[evlRA]

Thanks for the input. If it were only the lips that were bent over i wouldn't be too worried but the actual sills themselves are dented in, i suspect from using trolley jacks.

There are two ideas i have come up with:

Panel beater drills a small hole, inserts a special tool and pulls out the dents in the sill then straightens the lips with vice grips. (may be easier if heated with a blow torch?)

or

Drill a hole from inside the car in the top of the sill and insert a socket extension or something and bash the dent out with a hammer

just some ideas, what do you think?

[Guest boostin]

Talk to a panelbeater first.

[evlRA]

Yer i called a panel beater before. he said:

Usually they clamp a tool on the lip and tie it down to the hoist then jack it up and the dent pulls out, but depends how bad the damage is, and if the floor has pulled away from the floor etc. etc.

will be taking it in to get fixed next week

[Guest]

bollocks Iv got the same problem, about 30cm of my sill is pushed up flat against the bottom of the car, better get the screwdriver and vice grips out I guess

[wrx_lou]

i hooked a rock in my old car and it fucked up my sill something chronic. we got a large nut and bolt and mig welded the nut to the dent got a nice peice of chain and used the bolt to sure it to the nut. Then just yanked like a maniac lol. pulled it out, bogged and prepped and did a respray.

[Guest]

lol what works, works i guess just had a look at mine while doing oil change, its just the lip folded over the actual sill is fine yah

[wrx_lou]

it depends on how damaged it is too. on another car that i had i spun into a bank and folded the sill up over the doors. they cut the whole side off and welded a new one on. id say that would of been expensive though. thank god for insurance.

[sickmatesick]

ive got a bent sill under the front 1/4 panel on my legacy from using jackstands. Passed a wof but its near the top of my to do list because it's a real pain to jack the car up with it in that condition & also dangerous

[Guest boostin]

Always put axle stands under the chassis rails, not the sills!!

[albaru]

axle stands under the hinge thingy that the a-arm hinges from

axle stands under the front hinge thingy of the trailing arms

[crazy-jono]

failed a warrant for that. paid $300 at panel beaters to fix up both sides

[wrx_lou]

That sounds about right. Most places ive been charge about 150 a panel to beat and paint. I guess you can consider that 2 panels.

[nzkaosnz]

hmmm - am i the only one that jacks front of car up using the big plate under the main xmember?

[nt_a_foz]

 nzkaosnz said:

hmmm - am i the only one that jacks front of car up using the big plate under the main xmember?

Yeah i do the same lol...

then stick axle stands under where the factory jack points are

[nztintin]

anyone wanna upload pics of where you should be jacking and axle standing our cars??? would be rally useful from the looks of it (me included)

[Guest boostin]

 nt_a_foz']

[quote name='nzkaosnz said:

hmmm - am i the only one that jacks front of car up using the big plate under the main xmember?

/quote]

Yeah i do the same lol...

then stick axle stands under where the factory jack points are

Big no no Braddles.

Stands go under the chassis rails. They're the big squarish things. Otherwise do what others have said and stick them under the front and rear suspension arm mountings.

[Guest keltik]

I busted my 'factory approved jacking point' with my trolley jack. Now i just use that plate under the main xmember.

If ive got the wheels off for whatever reason ill stuff em underneath the chassis rails so theres one more line of defence between my head and the floorpan