There is no need to talk about the unreliability of a plastic bumper - drivers know how this part of the car is susceptible to damage. Careless movement, light blow - and he cracked, not to mention scratches, chips and other trifles. Therefore, many drivers have the question of how to repair the bumper with their own hands. A competently made repair of a plastic bumper with your own hands is much more profitable than the services of a car service, first of all, in terms of financial costs. Even home renovation allows you to do everything conscientiously and as you see fit.
Bumper restoration Rebuilding the bumper is not a very difficult job. Here it is important to know some of the subtleties that allow you to do plastic repair yourself, and have the skills to handle the tool. Before repairing a plastic bumper, it must be properly prepared. require preliminary procedures.
Preparatory procedures
Let's figure it out what operations are needed before repairing a plastic bumper:
- restoration or begins with dismantling - do-it-yourself repairs are more convenient if the product is removed from the car;
- carefully clean off dirt and thoroughly wash the surface - it must be clean and dry. Do-it-yourself plastic repair requires this operation;
- determine what it is made of. Do-it-yourself plastic repair may differ depending on what material you have to work with;
- in areas where the bumper will be restored, the paintwork must be removed. Before you repair the damage yourself, you will have to thoroughly clean and degrease the space around;
- Before repairing the crack, drill through holes at the ends to prevent further spreading;
- the crack has joint edges - before sealing it, a groove is made along the joints for filling with composite.
DIY bumper repair After all of the above is done, you can start repairing the plastic bumper with your own hands.
Basic patterns
When restoring, you need to adhere to some nuances. They are repaired based on whether it is thermosetting or thermosetting - before you repair the product yourself, it is important to find out.
Thermosetting plastics You can repair a thermosetting plastic body kit with a hair dryer or welding. Welding helps to make high-quality plastic repair with your own hands, removing all cracks and breaks. Do-it-yourself repairs at home are quite simple to perform if we are dealing with a thermoactive material.
Do-it-yourself plastic bumper restoration is more difficult if the work is done with thermosetting material. In this case, welding will not help - the thermosetting structure does not allow the product to melt. Do-it-yourself plastic repair is then performed using reinforcement and gluing.
Soldering the bumper Welding a crack with an electric soldering iron
Do-it-yourself plastic restoration is performed using a conventional electric soldering iron, if we are talking about a thermoactive structure. After the part has been prepared as described above, you need to work according to the following algorithm:
- connect the edges of the crack as tightly as possible and start soldering from the inside - act carefully, checking how the plastic reacts to temperature;
- use staples from a furniture stapler as reinforcing elements - implant them from the back side at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other;
- using a soldering iron, immerse the staples into the part and make sure that the tips do not show up on the front part. The staples are prone to corrosion, so they need to be hidden in plastic;
- make a neat seam on the front;
- using a machine with an abrasive wheel, grind the seam, gradually changing the abrasive with a decrease in the grain size;
- use putties for plastic if sanding does not give a flat surface;
- cover the part with a primer and paint after drying.
Do-it-yourself recovery at home is performed using a construction hair dryer and plastic electrodes. Before you repair the part yourself in this way, make sure that the electrodes are made of the same material.
Bonding refractory body kits
Do-it-yourself repairs to products made of fiberglass or thermosetting plastics are performed by gluing.
It is easy to guess that the bumper with a high degree of probability can be damaged if the car is used quite intensively and even with very careful operation.
The bumper can be damaged not only due to lack of driving experience, but for reasons such as:
- actions of other sloppy and inexperienced drivers;
- the departure of small stones from the movement of other vehicles.
Regardless of the cause and nature of the damage, the appearance of the vehicle after a bumper breakage deteriorates significantly. The car owner automatically wants to solve a similar problem by doing a bumper repair with his own hands.
Ways to eliminate the problem and mechanical damage directly depend on what kind of plan the defect was applied to the car part. Among the most basic types of damage are the following.
- Scratches, which can be superficial and deep, that is, reaching the ground or to the base layer of the part. This damage must be repaired immediately, as later cracks may appear at the scratch site.
- Cracks- this is a more serious damage to a car part, which belongs to the category of dangerous. Without removing it, it is not recommended to operate the machine.
- - are formed by a strong mechanical effect on the bumper. These injuries are very often accompanied by other adverse manifestations. Scratches and cracks almost always appear next to dents.
- Chips and breakouts... This is a special through damage that has a fairly large area. They appear most often at the edges of the bumper after a collision of the car with a certain obstacle.
Of course, you can contact any service center, but in this case, the cost of restoring the bumper, even with minor damage, becomes much higher than the cost price. Of all the options listed above, it is self-repair that will become the optimal and affordable method for restoring the bumper.
General methods of repairing bumpers
Directly depending on the degree of damage, repair work aimed at restoring the bumper can be divided into local and complex ones. Scratches and small chips of various types on the surface of the paintwork can be eliminated without preliminary dismantling of the part.
If the bumper has received serious enough damage, it will definitely need to be dismantled.
It is necessary to work with this element so that access to the outer and inner surfaces of the element is provided. The installation of the part in its original place is carried out after the implementation of the required repair and restoration work.
Materials, equipment and means
When carrying out a process such as self-repairing a plastic bumper, you will need to prepare special tools and materials. Among the most important of them are the following.
- Special hair dryer for vehicles... This accessory is used to dry the applied formulations. Unlike a conventional appliance used to dry hair, it produces hotter air that can, if necessary, not only dry, but also melt the plastic.
- Soldering iron... Any device is suitable here, even one that is intended for use at home. If possible, it is better to buy or rent a more powerful device.
- Metal grid... The material is necessary for high-quality and durable bonding of individual parts of the plastic. If it is not possible to purchase a mesh, you can use material from a previously used and already unnecessary air filter.
- ... This is a special composition that is sold in conventional cylinders. It is advisable to take care of the presence of a special compressor or pistol for easy application of the primer.
- Putty... This tool is necessary to eliminate cracks of different size and depth. You need to know that the composition can be used only in places hidden from strangers.
- Sandpaper... Required for grouting the applied putty during the final stage of repair work. To work with the bumper, it is better to purchase sandpaper No. 800.
- Rags- it is required for washing the bumper and for treating the surface with a hairdryer, preventing the risk of burns from the hot air flow.
When preparing tools and equipment for a bumper repair, you need to take care of your protection. It is worth purchasing a special respirator mask, goggles and gloves.
Competently thought-out protection will comprehensively protect the respiratory organs, eyes and hands from the effects. This is an automatic guarantee that the body will not be harmed by the spraying of harmful substances in the air and by high temperatures.
Along with the acquisition of the necessary materials and tools, in the preparation process, you need to carry out certain work with the bumper itself. Among the most important points are:
- Removing the bumper from the car body.
- Thorough cleaning of the part from dirt and dust. The surface must be dry and clean.
- Determination of the material from which the bumper is made.
- In areas where restoration work will be carried out on the bumper, it is imperative to remove the applied paint. It is necessary to thoroughly clean and degrease not only the damaged area itself, but also the adjacent space.
- The crack must be drilled with small through holes at the ends before repairing. This will avoid the subsequent spread of damage, its increase in size.
- Any crack has special joint edges. Therefore, before repairing the crack, it will need to be filled at the joints with a special composite.
After completing all the above processes and manipulations, you can start repairing the bumper with your own hands.
Possible methods of repairing damage
The scheme according to which the repair of plastic bumpers will be carried out depends directly on the degree and level of damage. The following recovery techniques may be applicable:
- Gluing- it is used for parts produced by the cold forming method. A special polyurethane-based adhesive is used here.
- Heat sealing- Suitable for bumpers that have been hot formed. The bumper fragments are connected using special welding equipment.
- Lamination- the method is suitable for restoring lost fragments similar. It uses a special reinforcing mesh and putty.
- Using flat electrodes... The technique is based on the use of a special construction hair dryer, which melts the electrodes and effectively repairs cracks.
- Soldering- the best option for repairing a bumper in normal home conditions. You will need to use a soldering iron, sandpaper and paint.
- - suitable for the elimination of large cracks. The process is based on the use of double-sided soldering and simultaneous reinforcement with special staples or metal mesh.
- Pasting- crack elimination is carried out with fiberglass and epoxy glue. The restoration material is applied to the glue and strictly on both sides of the bumper.
Below is a description of the most common and labor-intensive methods of restoring a car bumper, depending on the damage caused.
Putty
The previously prepared putty must be prepared according to all the rules of the instructions, add a special hardener there. After that, the resulting mass is applied to the area of the bumper where the damage is located. You need to wait about 10 minutes, take sandpaper No. 80 and grout the composition with special circular movements. The result becomes visible after several manipulations.
When grouting, care must be taken to respect the overall geometry of the bumper. To ensure optimal proportionality, it is advisable to apply several putty layers at once. Each previous one must be cleaned very carefully.
Priming work is carried out just as easily. It is required to take a prepared rag and rinse the bumper very well. Once the surface is dry, the entire bumper should be inspected for correct shapes. If there are no dents, you can start priming. This process is carried out according to the following rules:
- Apply the primer in a circular motion towards the left or right side of the element.
- The composition must be allowed to dry completely.
- After that, sandpaper No. 800 is taken and everything is thoroughly overwritten.
- Using a regular water bottle, you need to wash the bumper. In this case, it does not matter where the crack or other damage has formed, the bumper must be washed out completely. As soon as one layer is completely dry, the plastic automatically takes on a matte shade. The top soil is then completely washed off.
- Only then can the second layer of the primer be applied.
Once all the applied layers are dry, a thorough inspection of the part will need to be performed using a lamp. The layers should be perfectly even and make up one piece together.
Painting
If, after examining the part, it becomes clear that all coatings are applied as efficiently and evenly as possible, you can proceed to such a process as painting. The room must be prepared, all surfaces that need to be protected from the paint used are closed. The pigment is applied strictly in two to three layers. Drying should take 5 to 10 minutes between each layer.
If during the inspection of the surface between the application of layers, particles of debris or dust are found, you need to wait until the paint layer has completely dried and remove them with a special interlayer napkin.
After applying the required paint coating, the bumper is coated with two layers of varnish. Intermediate drying is also important here. At the end of the painting work, you need to check the quality of the applied compounds again; if smudges are found, light sanding and thoroughly polishing the surface are required.
You may also be interested in the article of our specialist, which tells about how to carry out.
Features of the repair of certain types of damage
In the process of restoring the integrity and appearance of the bumper, the upcoming work will depend on the type of damage found. This is an important point, since one option is used for scratches and chips, a completely different method is required to remove a dent.
If you need to carry out repairs with your own hands, or the insurance does not work, or there is no money and desire to contact the service center, you will need to carefully study the nature of the damage. If the driver realizes that the bumper is very badly damaged, you should not try to restore the part on your own, but it is better to purchase a new one. If relatively small chips or dents are found, the problem can be completely eliminated on your own, knowing how to act in this or that case. So, how can scratches, dents and cracks be repaired quickly and effectively.
Scratches
Elimination of this problem can be carried out by using sandpaper. Material No. 50 is taken and grouting is carried out. In this case, it is necessary to carefully eliminate all irregularities, acting until the surface becomes completely correct in shape. In the course of this process, the damage may become slightly larger in size, but their depth will become much smaller. Do not be afraid of this, after thorough cleaning all the irregularities will be filled with putty.
If there is a desire and certain skills, then instead of putty, you can use a special liquid plastic, which fully corresponds to the type of material from which the plastic is made. After applying this composition, after it has completely dried, it will also be necessary to clean the surface and carefully sand it, sanding it to the most even surface.
To repair a minor dent that did not damage the paintwork, you simply need to heat the deformed part of the bumper. The concave part of the plastic must be heated with a previously prepared thermal or technical hair dryer until the material becomes soft enough. After that, the dent is manually straightened, at the same time giving the damaged section of the bumper the correct geometric shape.
Cracks and chips
If cracks appear on the surface of the bumper, it will be necessary to use a pre-prepared metal mesh and a soldering iron. The sequence of actions in this case will be as follows:
- The edges of the damage must be brought together and soldered to one side of the mesh. It is advisable to drown it as deeply as possible in the plastic, but you cannot overdo it, as a hole may form.
- The end of the mesh is covered with melted plastic.
- Similarly, you need to walk along the entire crack.
If the damage to the bumper is minor, special construction brackets can be used instead of the mesh. In the process of soldering them, it is recommended to use tweezers, which will prevent burns of the brushes. Bonding actions should be spaced 2 cm apart and along the entire length of the crack.
Even if the cracks are not very visible, they still need to be carefully soldered. Failure to follow this advice can lead to the appearance of various fractures on the bumper.
To prevent the mesh and metal staples from rusting after a while, the items must be covered with special liquid plastic. At the end of all the work that is carried out on the inner surface of the bumper, its front side immediately takes on its original appearance.
conclusions
The question of how to restore and repair a car bumper with your own hands is relevant for all modern motorists without exception. If you follow the instructions and tips provided in the article, you can repair damage to the bumper with minimal money and time.
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If you operate your car almost every day, then one way or another you have to drive through bumps and puddles, and stand in endless traffic jams that form here and there in a big city. In general, whatever one may say, but constantly have to get into situations in which there is a high risk of damaging the plastic bumper. In general, this part of the car is designed to take the first blow in a collision.
Also, he suffers greatly from falling stones from under the wheels of the cars in front. That is, no matter how careful the driver is in driving, the repair of a plastic bumper is something that almost every car owner has to deal with.
1. Damage to plastic bumpers, which most often have to be repaired by car owners
As we said in the introduction, usually our cars are operated in conditions where it is very difficult to protect the plastic bumper from damage. Of course, metal bumpers are more durable and do not require frequent repairs. However, they are expensive for car manufacturers, which is why they replace them with plastic ones. With regard to the most common damage to this part of the machine, experts have created the following classification:
Normal scratches. We are talking about damage to the surface of the part, which is not through and can only touch the paint layer, or only the top layer of the bumper body. The former are referred to by experts as superficial, and the latter as deep. We think you yourself guessed that if the first occurs, the appearance of the bumper can only suffer, while the second can cause more serious damage - cracks.
Dents, cavities. Such damage occurs as a result of collisions or impacts. However, due to the fragility of plastic and low melting points, dents on such parts very often occur under the influence of chemicals or high temperatures.
Cracked bumper body. This type of damage refers to through damage, since it leads to splits of the part into parts. Cracks can be of a wide variety of sizes and configurations. The most unpleasant fact is that if they are not eliminated in time, the cracks can grow significantly under the influence of vibrations. Also, in the presence of cracks, the rigidity and density of the car bumper is significantly reduced.
Breaks. They do not occur very often, but they have the most unpleasant consequences for the protection of the car. We are talking about through holes in the walls of the part, which lead to the chipping off of whole parts from it. As a result, whole holes appear on the bumper.
But no matter how serious each of these damages may have, they all require immediate repair. Simple scratches and dents can be removed with regular sanding followed by sanding, priming and painting. However, more serious damage is eliminated through rather serious technological manipulations. But be that as it may, all this is within the power of any motorist and does not require contacting a specialized service.
2. Preparatory work: processing the bumper and finding the necessary materials
If there is damage to the plastic bumper, you must not delay repairing it and you must immediately begin to prepare for this process. It's about finding the necessary materials and preparing the bumper itself. Indeed, even with constant driving on a fairly flat and completely asphalt road, a lot of dust accumulates on it, which will interfere with the implementation of repair work. However, everything is not limited to ordinary washing, so we will tell you about everything in more detail.
Materials and devices for the repair of a plastic bumper
In order to prepare the bumper and completely get rid of all damage, you will need to immediately prepare and purchase some materials and devices. They are quite common and often used, so it is quite possible that you can simply find all of them in your own garage:
1. Grinding machine. With its help, the bulk of the work will be carried out, both preliminary and basic. You can replace this machine with a conventional electric drill, however, only if you have a set of special attachments for performing such work.
2. Do not forget to purchase a "sandwich" - a special adapter made of foam rubber. It is used for the aforementioned machine and acts as a connecting piece between the abrasive wheel and the sole of the machine.
3. Sandpaper, which may also be needed for sanding. It is best to prepare options with different grain sizes, since you have to work not only with plastic, but also with other materials with which you will correct and repair damage.
4. Soldering iron. Depending on the material from which the bumper is made, and on the complexity of the damage, both ordinary household and super-powerful can be used. In some cases, a construction hairdryer is used instead, for which you will also have to purchase special electrodes.
5. Thinner for removing old paintwork.
6. Putty and primer for leveling already repaired areas.
7. Spatulas, preferably of different sizes (this is necessary for the convenience of work).
8. Paint and varnish to cover the bumper and give it a new look.
During such work, it is very important not to forget about your own safety. Therefore, even before starting work, do not be too lazy to purchase work gloves and safety glasses in a special store. Also, when sanding and painting the bumper, you will definitely need a respirator. Be very careful when using a soldering iron.
Description of mandatory preliminary work
It is clear that in order to carry out a full-fledged, and not emergency, repair, it is necessary to completely remove the bumper from the attachment point. Thanks to this, you will be able to approach even those areas that are closed when the part is installed. Already with the bumper removed, it is necessary to carry out such manipulations as complete cleaning of the part from all contaminants and washing it. Take the time to inspect the bumper in search of additional cracks and damage, which will also need to be repaired. It is equally important for carrying out repair work to find out what kind of material your bumper is made of. You can find out by the corresponding stamps on the inside of the part:
- polypropylene is usually marked with such Latin letters as PP or PPTV;
Polyurethane bumpers can be identified by the letters PUR;
Hard plastics, which have a very high melting point, are marked with combinations of letters and numbers - ABS, GF15, GF30, PAG6;
Even fiberglass is sometimes used for the manufacture of bumpers, but it is not marked.
After clarifying such nuances, proceed to the complete removal of the paintwork from the place of future work. It is important that even within the boundaries of 1-1.5 centimeters, not even traces of paint remain, since it can negatively affect the quality of the work carried out. If there are cracks on the bumper, their ends must be drilled. Otherwise, cracks may continue to grow directly during the repair work.
Even at the preliminary stage, it is important to process the joining surfaces. Directly in the crack itself, using a grinder and sandpaper, small grooves are made in the shape of the letter "V". It is in them in the future that you will have to lay repair composites, which will completely remove the crack and create an integral surface.
As for further work, everything will depend directly on the material from which your bumper is made. For example, if these are thermoactive materials, then their "melting" is carried out using a building hair dryer and using special electrodes. Also, you can work with similar materials with an ordinary household soldering iron, the power of which does not exceed 100W. As for the bumpers, which are made of thermosetting materials, reinforcing material and subsequent gluing are required to restore them.
3. Do-it-yourself plastic bumper repair: get to know the possible options for eliminating damage
And so, we have already mentioned above that plastic bumpers can be made from a variety of materials, which, accordingly, require a special approach. It is for this reason that we will not consider the repair of the bumper in general terms, but we will separately get acquainted with the different options for performing such work.
How to patch holes in the bumper with an electric soldering iron?
This method of repairing cracks and splits in the bumper is quite effective. However, in order to perform work, in addition to a soldering iron, you also need staples from an ordinary furniture stapler. Having all this at hand, he does the following work:
1. Those places of cracks and splits, which we enrolled and cut out V-shaped grooves in them, are combined with each other. It is very important that the plastic is pressed against each other as tightly as possible, otherwise you may have holes after soldering. To avoid this, from the lyceum side of the part, the crack can be fixed with tape and only after that start work from the inside.
2. We start melting the seamy side. Thanks to this, you can practice with a soldering iron and feel how plastic reacts to its temperature. Even if something does not work out for you, then from the outside your "punctures" will not be noticeable. Experienced experts recommend performing very smooth movements with a soldering iron in order to evenly act on the polymer. Extra jerks can cause additional damage.
3. How is the crack closed? To do this, the tip of the soldering iron must be moved along the crack itself, making transverse movements. That is, you kind of have to apply a seam to the crack, which should be even.
4.
So that the place where the bumper is “stitched together” does not burst during the further operation of the car, it is recommended to reinforce it. For this we need staples from a construction stapler. They must be soldered across the crack, while holding the bracket itself with ordinary tweezers. Typically, these brackets have long enough tips that they can "stick out" from the front of the bumper. In order to prevent this from happening, they are simply not simply shortened with the help of nippers. Please note that the material from which the staples are made is quite susceptible to corrosion. To prevent this from happening, they must be completely sealed in plastic. For this, the material itself must be pulled from the areas adjacent to the damage.
5. After you succeed in successfully completing all the work from the seamy side, you can safely go to the front. All the same work is done here as on the inside. If the crack is not large, then on the front side it may not even be reinforced.
6. After you have no trace of the crack, you can start leveling the surface of the bumper. It is recommended to carry out such work using an eccentric sander and an abrasive wheel P240. It is very important here not to overdo it with grinding, so as not to thin the material. Therefore, do not try to make the surface perfect. The remaining dimples can be repaired with a plastic filler.
That's practically all. After working with an abrasive wheel, polymer hairs may remain on the surface of the bumper, which can be disposed of using a regular lighter. Further, the entire "repaired" surface will need to be degreased and putty, and then it will be possible to paint.
Sealing cracks with electrodes
Despite the effectiveness of the above works, today the method of repairing plastic bumpers using special flat electrodes is becoming more and more popular. As we have already mentioned, the role of the welding machine in this case will be played by a construction hair dryer. We only note that when working with electrodes, you need a special nozzle, the size of the nozzle hole of which is 2.4x6.1mm. Such a small nozzle is necessary in order to create the highest possible temperature and achieve the most efficient melting of the electrodes. Note also that it will not be difficult to purchase a flat electrode from you, the main thing is to clarify with the seller its purpose - for polypropylene or for polyurethane.
Please note that electrodes for different materials are not interchangeable and can significantly reduce the rock service of the repaired area, since it makes the connection fragile. After all, under the molten patch from the electrode, the same crack will remain, and if this weasel does not fit snugly to the bumper, it will very soon cease to perform the connecting function. If you have flat electrodes lying around in your garage, but you do not know what material they are intended for, this can be determined by simple testing. Weld half of the strip onto the inside of the bumper, let it cool completely and try to pull it off. If you fail, and if you succeed, then with great difficulty, then the electrode is compatible with the material from which the bumper is made. But an even more effective way to seal cracks is to use pieces of plastic from an unnecessary bumper instead of electrodes. The main thing is that this old bumper has exactly the same markings as the one you are going to repair.
As for the work itself, it is important to use such a thermo-gun (as experts call a construction hairdryer), which has the function of smooth temperature control. The importance of this is explained by the fact that different polymers have different melting points, and if the same temperature may not affect the state of one in any way, then it will completely melt the other. To close the crack, you just have to attach an electrode to it and gradually melt it. When it dries, exactly the same manipulations are carried out with the surface of the bumper as after soldering.
Features of the repair of bumpers made of refractory materials
Quite often, hard plastics or fiberglass are used for the manufacture of bumpers. Holes in such a material can be closed using the gluing method. However, there are a lot of features and important points that must be taken into account:
1.
Having washed and cleaned the entire surface of the bumper from dirt, it is also necessary to process the edges of the crack. The fact is that after splits appear on the fiberglass bumper, their edges are framed with threads. These threads will prevent you from tightly connecting the torn parts, so they must be removed using a universal grinder - "grinder".
2. We press the fragments of the bumper together and fix them in this position from the front side, using tape or special glue for this.
3. We are preparing epoxy for gluing. Instead, you can use a more modern material - polyester resin, although in terms of strength they practically do not differ from each other. When working with resins, follow the directions on the packaging completely.
4. Lubricate the crack on the seamy side with a preparatory compound. Also, it must be applied to the entire area around the split, covering an area of 5 centimeters.
5. Saturate a thin fiberglass mat with the above mixture and apply it to the crack.
6. After the fiberglass, a layer of glue must be applied, then fiberglass, glue, etc. are applied again. The process continues until the thickness of the applied patch reaches the thickness of the bumper in the place where the defect was.
7. Give the fiberglass and glue time to dry and move to the front side.
8. On the front side, with the help of a "grinder", it is necessary to make a V-groove, the edges of which are false to gently approach the patch on the seamy side.
9. The resulting groove is filled with fiberglass, which was previously impregnated with resin. The surface of the part must be leveled until no trace remains of the furrow.
10. After work, all that remains is to grind the sealed surface and paint it.
4. How is the plastic bumper painted?
After all the irregularities are sanded and putty, and the surface of the bumper is completely degreased, you can start painting it. However, don't forget about the primer. It is recommended to use a two-component acrylic primer for this. It is not recommended to apply it in large quantities as it may leak. Multiple coats of primer can be applied. Before applying, it must dry for at least one day. This period can be shortened by using an infrared heater. The primer must also be sanded to keep the surface completely smooth and even.
The painting itself is carried out after another degreasing and blowing air on the bumper surfaces. First, apply the pigment, preferably 2-3 layers, drying each of them for 10-15 minutes. After the pigment, it is also necessary to apply two layers of varnish, not forgetting to dry each of them. This is especially important in cases where the color of the bumper is adjusted to the color of the entire body, since it is the varnish that will prevent its fading. After repair and painting, the bumper is installed in its original place. It is very important to avoid very high pressure washes for the next two or even three weeks. Enjoy the beauty of the updated bumper!
Often, when driving off-road or accidentally driving onto a curb, the bumper of the car can be damaged. Pieces may break off from it or there may be some dent, in any case, this nuisance needs to be removed somehow. And the less money you spend on it, the better. In order not to go to a car dealership, it is better to make repairs yourself at home.
You can see how to do this in the video:
In order to solder the hole, you need to prepare:
- gloves;
- grinder;
- knife;
- Scotch;
- mesh;
- putty;
- putty knife.
If you are a lucky person, then for sure you can find a similar old bumper, in which there will be a completely surviving desired piece. It can be cut and fitted to the hole in the bumper of your car. You need to cut with a trimmer, remembering to wear gloves and long sleeves, because hot plastic can burn the skin.
We attach the cut piece to the hole. If everything fits very well, then it's time to completely cut a gap on the bumper of the car so that the edges of the cut are as even as possible.
To do this, first of all, you should mark the future cut at the highest break points. After the marking is done, we cut it out with a grinder along the drawn lines. We remove the cut pieces. If something is not cut, we cut it with a knife, we also cut off the melted parts.
Now we attach a cut piece that will serve as a patch and proceed to marking it. To make it more convenient to work, we grab it with tape to the body. We draw on it exactly the same piece that was cut out, so that it coincides millimeter by millimeter with the hole after cutting.
If the new piece protrudes slightly or does not quite correspond to the desired shape, it should be filed.
Sandpaper we clean the edges of the bumper hole by 2-3 cm, this is necessary so that it is convenient to solder. The rest of the bumper should be protected with construction tape to avoid damage when stripping.
We heat up the soldering iron.
We put the part in place and begin to grab it with a soldering iron. Until the stuck place has cooled, it is better to hold the part, otherwise it may shift. To make the grip strong, the plastic should be melted deeper, but not through.
After that, we begin to melt and fasten the part with plastic, securing them to each other as much as possible. Align the surface. Then we melt the seam, apply the mesh and melt it inside the plastic.
We clean it with a machine for evenness.
Degrease the surface. After that, apply fiberglass putty to the areas to be painted.
Why repair a bumper if it doesn't interfere with your ride? If you decide to sell your car, the unkempt appearance will lower the price. We will give advice on how to repair a car bumper (patch up cracks, chips, scuffs) + how to do it yourself video.
Most of the cars are equipped with plastic bumpers. This is done to lighten the weight and quickly replace the damaged part with a new one. Some damaged plastic bumpers can be repaired. Recent developments in special materials allow even small chips or cracks to be repaired.
Small scratches, dents, holes can be repaired by yourself, having previously bought a special repair kit. More serious damage is best done in a car service. Bumpers with multiple cracks, large holes and heavily distorted shapes should be replaced with new ones.
How to patch up scratches
- Sand bumper scratches with coarse sandpaper. Just don't overdo it. If skinned diligently, a small indentation may form at the processing site. Sand carefully until the surface is smooth.
- Sprinkle the sanded area with a primer for plastic. Apply two thin coats. Allow each layer 30 minutes to dry.
- Sand the painted area with fine-grained emery paper (grit 1000 or more). Then wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust.
- Next, apply 3-4 thin coats of car paint of a suitable color. Each layer should dry for at least 30 minutes. Keep a can of paint at a distance of 15-20 cm from the surface.
- Finally, apply 2 coats of varnish. Let the paint dry for 24-48 hours.
How to repair chips, dents and cracks
- Clean the damaged surface with a plastic cleaner or white spirit (degreaser).
- Rub the damaged area with sandpaper. It is necessary to completely remove the old paint in the damaged area.
- Apply fiberglass tape to the inner surface of the bumper. Stir the filler and thickener together. Apply the resulting mixture to the tape.
- Next, we clean the surface and sand it. Liquid plastic is applied to this place.
- After the plastic has hardened, you need to sand the surface.
- The final stage is painting the bumper of the car.
Personal experience
I had a front bumper all in cracks and chips. Allocated the whole day to work. He removed the bumper from the car and started to repair the large cracks. Reinforced the damaged areas from the back. For this I used fiberglass (it is the strongest). Where there were large cracks, I soldered metal wire with a soldering iron. It's like stitching with a cross, with the wire connecting the two pieces. All this is necessary to give rigidity to the damaged bumper and in the future there was no formation of new cracks.
From the front side, using a glue gun with plastic tubes, I applied plastic adhesive into large cracks. Do it carefully so that there are no bumps left. Next, take a sander and sand the entire bumper. At this stage, skins with a large grain size are suitable - from 40. Then we look where the bumps and dents remain. We close it up with automotive filler. First coarse, then fine-grained. Then we skin (we take smoother skins) and so on until the bumper is perfectly smooth.
The last step is wet sanding. You need a skin from P1000 to P2000. We do it manually. Soak the skin in water and grind it. We constantly wet the bumper and the skin with water so that no sand gets in. When everything is dry, you can start painting. In addition to paint, you need a special primer for plastic. Without it, the paint will peel off over time. I painted from an aerosol can, but it is better to give it to specialists for painting if you need a good result.
Videos - everything from soldering to painting
If this repair technology is difficult, it is better to contact the service. The cost of painting will be approximately 5-7 thousand rubles, excluding the bumper itself or its restoration. It is better to trust a trusted service, where they give a guarantee for the work performed.