Do-it-yourself dent repair.(CR cars)

Fixing even a small dent or cling in your car can cost hundreds of dollars and tie up your vehicle for a day or longer. A quicker, less-expensive alternative is a do-it-yourself kit sold through television infomercials or on the Internet for as little as $20. Advertising for the kits claims that you may be able to restore certain types of dents to perfect or near-perfect condition.

Our tests of two kits, Ding King and DentOut, showed that both worked about the same, but the Ding King's lower price makes it a better value. We also liked the adjustable feet on the Ding King's pulling bridge. Either kit is worth trying, although they are limited in use and we found it hard to achieve perfect results.

HOW THEY WORK

Paintless-dent-repair kits are intended to be used on relatively small dents (less than about 6 to 8 inches long) that have no paint damage, are not creased, and are not located near body lines. The products are not meant to be used on repainted or aluminum panels because they could damage the finish.

Each kit has a glue stud or pulling tab, which has a threaded rod protruding from the back. To begin, you glue the stud or tab to the dent. Then you position a crossbar or "pulling bridge," over the rod and screw a wing nut onto the end of it. As you turn the nut, the dent is drawn outward. The adhesive is designed to break loose before you damage the finish. But if it looks like you're pulling the metal too far, you can apply an agent to release the glue.

Ideally, you should raise the metal enough to remove the dent but not to leave a bump. One company says it could take up to 10 tries to get it right."

OUR TESTS