Bent the front of my pontoon?

Message

wijames · #1 Post by **wijames** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:54 am

I hit a piling in high wind and bent the front of one on my pontoons where the connect eye is. Is it safe to try to straignten it or should I leave it alone? I checked and there are no cracks and it didn't bend but about 3 inches.

Thanks

curtiscapk · #2 Post by **curtiscapk** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:06 am

I would leave it. I think if you started trying to bend it back you could damage it more. Plus your turns in the direction of the bend would be easier!

hyper · #3 Post by **hyper** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:03 am

The turning part is funny, the bending part is not. I would leave it alone to but if you are like me you dont want to and you will try to bend it back right.

wijames · #4 Post by **wijames** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:20 am

It's just that the boat is only 3 months old and I hate to have a bend in it already. I guess it's more a vanity thing than anything else. I just wondered if the aluminum would weaken or crack if I tried to bend it back.

Woody · #5 Post by **Woody** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:31 am

Let's see a pic of it, so we can see how bad it is. If it's not too bad, I would have to try to straighten it, but I've been told I'm too picky about my stuff.....

GXPWeasel · #6 Post by **GXPWeasel** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:49 am

I wouldn't touch it. Once aluminum is bent one way, good luck trying to bend it back. I'll bet you it will crack. The only way I would even consider this, is if I put heat to it, and had a good aluminum welder on stand by.

Just leave it alone. Now you have that first nick/dent, and things will be less worrysome.

#7 Post by **badmoonrising** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:54 am

Yep, it WILL crack if you try to bend it back. Have a welder repair it ...

woolznaz · #8 Post by **woolznaz** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:16 am

One of my toons has the same bend in it. It had it when I got it and it always bugs me, but I just leave it alone. I am pretty sure if I tried to bend it it would crack. Hey, it adds character! My boat was a 3-year old repo, though, so it had a few nicks and bruises like that when I bought it. I've added a nick or two since, and the nice thing is that it just doesn't ruin may day since the boat was not perfect anyway.

texaswildman · #9 Post by **texaswildman** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:04 am

my 1996 tracker had a bend like that , I got a rubber hammer hit it 3-4 times and it looks like new,

GregF · #10 Post by **GregF** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:13 am

A picture would help but I am in the camp of leave it or be prepared to do some welding. Aluminum doesn't take a lot of bending back and forth before it cracks. You could try heat but that is a dangerous thing if you don't work aluminum all the time. It really does not change it's appearance much before it falls.

hyper · #11 Post by **hyper** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:54 am

woolznaz wrote:One of my toons has the same bend in it. It had it when I got it and it always bugs me, but I just leave it alone. I am pretty sure if I tried to bend it it would crack. Hey, it adds character! My boat was a 3-year old repo, though, so it had a few nicks and bruises like that when I bought it. I've added a nick or two since, and the nice thing is that it just doesn't ruin may day since the boat was not perfect anyway.

Dude, you have a friggin "south bay" pontoon boat...It is not a regular Pontoon boat!!! It is a south bay...fix it!! I would love to have your boat...you just dont understand what you have!!

playcat · #12 Post by **playcat** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 12:30 pm

GregF is correct... Steel and fiberglass all show stress when bent, aluminum does not. That's what makes it harder to work with than steel. Sometimes, with thin sheets, a dent can be pounded out, but the metal has stretched, and that "extra" metal has to go somewhere - usually into a ripple or bulge somewhere nearby. Leave it alone, or get a pro to fix it.

woolznaz · #13 Post by **woolznaz** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:12 pm

hyper wrote:
woolznaz wrote:One of my toons has the same bend in it. It had it when I got it and it always bugs me, but I just leave it alone. I am pretty sure if I tried to bend it it would crack. Hey, it adds character! My boat was a 3-year old repo, though, so it had a few nicks and bruises like that when I bought it. I've added a nick or two since, and the nice thing is that it just doesn't ruin may day since the boat was not perfect anyway.
Dude, you have a friggin "south bay" pontoon boat...It is not a regular Pontoon boat!!! It is a south bay...fix it!! I would love to have your boat...you just dont understand what you have!!

Thanks....... I think. Yes, we LOVE the South Bay. I get your point, but it was 3 years old when we bought it and it had a few scrapes, including that one. It was a decent buy, so we bought it and love it, but I am just not sure the bent eye hook should be messed with. The more times you bend aluminum, the weaker it gets. I think I am better of just leaving it alone. It does annoy me a little every time, though. I'm sure the original poster has the same issue.

hyper · #14 Post by **hyper** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:03 pm

woolznaz wrote:
hyper wrote:
woolznaz wrote:One of my toons has the same bend in it. It had it when I got it and it always bugs me, but I just leave it alone. I am pretty sure if I tried to bend it it would crack. Hey, it adds character! My boat was a 3-year old repo, though, so it had a few nicks and bruises like that when I bought it. I've added a nick or two since, and the nice thing is that it just doesn't ruin may day since the boat was not perfect anyway.
Dude, you have a friggin "south bay" pontoon boat...It is not a regular Pontoon boat!!! It is a south bay...fix it!! I would love to have your boat...you just dont understand what you have!!
Thanks....... I think. Yes, we LOVE the South Bay. I get your point, but it was 3 years old when we bought it and it had a few scrapes, including that one. It was a decent buy, so we bought it and love it, but I am just not sure the bent eye hook should be messed with. The more times you bend aluminum, the weaker it gets. I think I am better of just leaving it alone. It does annoy me a little every time, though. I'm sure the original poster has the same issue.

Really though, my dream boat is a South Bay. You have a very nice boat. If I had it I would take it to a shop and have that fixed. Most people dont get to own a South Bay in their life time. Enjoy your boat!!

jafo9 · #15 Post by **jafo9** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:22 pm

my vote is to leave it alone. use the money you saved to buy beer. then drink the beer and the damage won't look so bad. problem fixed.

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