Essential Tools for Doing Auto Body Work

There’s nothing worse than hearing the crunching sound of your bumper scraping a parking curb while pulling into a spot or backing into something and hearing the awful sound of your rear bumper either denting or splitting. Dreading hearing the cost of auto body repair and what that means for your vehicle and bank account, you’re likely leaning towards ignoring it for a later date. But, what if you could do some of the body work on your car at home? While we recommend coming to our North Charlotte Toyota body shop and getting an estimate first, there are some repairs you can do yourself, but you need to make sure you have the right tools on hand. Check out this guide from us at Toyota of N Charlotte on essential tools you should have before starting your auto body work.

Essential Auto Body Work Tools You Need

1) Air Compressor

If your repair work involves painting in any way, its best to have an air compressor on hand. This will help distribute paint on your N Charlotte Toyota car evenly and help to avoid bad streaks and drying patterns. Make sure to look for ones that have a large tank capacity.

2) Spray Gun

In conjunction with the air compressor, you should also use a spray gun for your auto body work. A spray gun that atomizes paint into finer particles will help it adhere to paint and look better.

3) Dual Action Sander

Auto body work requires a lot of sanding to keep surfaces porous and free of other materials. Doing it by hand is tiring and a dual action sander can help cut down on time by automating the process. However, if it’s not within your budget, you can sand your N Charlotte Toyota car by hand just fine.

4) Auto Body Hammer and Dolly Set

Dents are problems best solved by using a hammer and you’ll likely need several types to get the auto body work done on your N Charlotte Toyota vehicle.

5) Body Filler (Bondo), Spreaders, and Putty Knives

Depending on the extent of the damage on your vehicle, you’ll likely need to use a type of body filler to fill any holes or cracks. You can use either plastic or metal filler types, but make sure you have spreaders and knives to distribute the material over the spots that need it evenly and cleanly.

6) Slide Hammer

This tool is typically used for pulling out panels and repairing dents, so if you plan on doing this as part of your auto body work, you’re going to need this tool. Basic slide hammers use screws to pull out panels and more expensive ones use hook adapters for a cleaner removal.

If you’re planning on doing any auto body work, make sure you have an assortment of tools on hand to get the job done correctly. But, if you’re feeling intimidated by this sort of work, Toyota of N Charlotte is here to help! Our auto body specialists can answer any questions you have or get you an estimate on any repair work you need done. Find us at 13429 Statesville Road or give us a call at (704) 875 – 9199 seven days a week.