This tailgate is off a 66 stepside and has a dent that bulges through to the inside.
Someone else had the truck and took off the chains when they lowered the tailgate several times and it hit the trailer hitch making the dent.
These pictures are not real clear on the dent. It is about 2 1/2 inches round and about 3/4 in. deep. Or the size of a trailer hitch ball. Could I use a press to get it out and then some bondo, Or heat it up and use a hammer? Any suggestions?
Any help I could get will be great.

I would use a torch, hammer and dolly to shrink the stretched metal. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, take it to a pro. The money you spend doing that should be much less than replacing the whole gate. And the headache will be non existant.

CrashBob

is that tailgate center one piece or is it double walled. If it is double walled you will have to work each peice separate. (stud gun the front piece then hammer the back)

It is a double wall.
What is a stud gun?

Stud guns are a small type of welder and weld on small pins to a panel and you use a slide hammer that goes over the pins and you use the slid hammer to pull the metal out. They are very nice to have. Only problem is on the backside of the panel you will have burn marks where the pin was welded and can start rusting over time.

EDIT: Heres a link to one...
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/pc-10303-498-uni-spotter-stinger-kit-5050.aspx

It is a double wall.

Not to question your statement, but I believe all the step-side tailgates of that design are a single wall in the center piece area. If it was a double-wall, the inside would not have the inverse of the "Chevrolet" stamped into it. Mine is a single-wall and it was tricky to fix, not impossible, but tricky.

You have to carefully hammer and dolly the dents (or peaks, as the case may be) without stretching the metal. Then you have to apply filler to both sides to make it look like a stamping wave in the metal and no longer a dent or peak. You have to apply filler well beyond the damaged area so you can "float" out the small humps left from hammering. (kinda like doing drywall and floating the tape seams) Make sense?

Sounds complected but that way it looks "smooth" on both sides. My tailgate was very rough when I got it and I have allot of time and energy getting it "straight". If you look down my gate you can see slight waves, but no dents. It looks factory, like stamping imperfections. A new re-pop gate from LMC is about 400 bucks. You just have to decide if your time and energy is worth less than the money for a new gate. :)

Hope this helps.

D

Richard is spot-on correct ... stepside tailgates are single, not double walled.

After looking closer I think it is a single wall. I think all of the suggestions are good. I like the stud welder idea but I do not know any one who has one.
What about drilling a hole in the center inserting a bolt and nut and heating the backside and useing a dent puller on the front side at the same time. Will this work?

It could accomplish the task but will just make more work for you in the end. I mean, you do that, now you have a hole to plug weld and grind and keep from warping back to where it was. Better off trying to find a stud gun. I am sure someone on here in your area has one. If not...buy one. They can be had fairly cheap. Check online body tool places. autobodytoolmart.com, eastwood.com you will end up using it alot if you have one.

lay the tailgate down with the high spot up. Take a short piece of 2x4 and place it on edge between the "R"and the body line. Set this up so the tailgate is sandwiching the 2x4 with a hard surface(bench or floor). then smack the high spot with a hammer. You can work the body line with a chisle to get the edge. The board is hard enough to remove the dent, but soft enough to keep the metal from stretching to a minimum. You might have to add heat right at that spot. A body man could knock that out in about 5 minutes.

I will do that , Thanks for the help.
If that does not work for me I will send it off to someone who can fix it.
Thanks again for the feed back.