DIY bumper repair drive2

Often in the traffic flow you can find a car with a cracked or deformed buffer. What can you do, no one is safe from unsuccessful parking or a minor accident. However, this is not a reason to continue driving a car that has lost its "shiny" appearance - there is a practical experience of restoring the original state of this element.

The external plastic components are mainly made of thermoplastic plastics. The technology for restoring such products is based on welding, it is this technology that allows you to get rid of through cracks and even recreate broken fasteners. Actually, the procedure is not much more complicated than preparing and spray paint damaged area of ​​the car body.

Some car enthusiasts assure us that we repair the bumper with our own hands using metal brackets. But the experienced car owner knows that like is treated like this, that is, repair plastic rods are used for soldering. Their composition, color and profile are different; the required core is selected according to the marking on the buffer.

Making the right choice means guaranteeing a high-quality repair, because the mismatch of materials will significantly reduce the life of the automotive element. To find out what the cracked bumper is made of, it is enough to carefully examine the inside of the part. Depending on the marking, appropriate conclusions are drawn:

1. PP - polypropylene base.
2. ABS (GF, PAG 6) are hard plastics.
3. PUR - polyurethane.

Plastic welding requires high temperatures, for example, 400-450 ° C is suitable for propylene, and 500 ° C is necessary to restore an ABS structure. Many car owners will learn how to repair a bumper with their own hands in a video where craftsmen use an ordinary 100 W soldering iron.

Video (click to play).

You can also restore a damaged part using pieces from a bumper with a similar marking. They are cut into strips 8 mm wide for PUR, and 4-5 mm for polypropylene.

Almost any breakdowns are treated by welding, even broken parts are reanimated. However, no one canceled the economic feasibility of such work, because the restoration of numerous defects can hardly be called justified. The cost of a complete restoration and staining will be more expensive than a new buffer.

Certain tools are required to complete the repair. These can be both ordinary household appliances and professional tools. The ideal kit includes the following items:

• Orbital sander or sanding block.
• Grinding wheels of various grain sizes.
• Mini drill like Dremel or drill.
• Clamps and rubber spatula.
• Soldering iron and hair dryer.
• Metallic tape.

Of the materials for restoring a cracked buffer, you may need:

• Putty and primer.
• Brass mesh for crack reinforcement.
• A can of paint or a can of paint.
• Plastic repair rods of the required configuration and composition.

The damaged part must be dismantled in order to eliminate, firstly, excessive stress in the crack area. Those who have already done such work will say that now we clean the bumper and only then repair it with our own hands.

The cracked parts fit together. For reliability, they are fixed with metal tape from the outside of the part. If the breaks are quite significant, then clamps will be needed to clamp the edges of the cracks. Their number depends on the complexity of the repair.

When restoring PP-based parts, the reinforcing mesh is not used.The process begins with the fact that a nozzle with a nozzle with a diameter of 5-7 mm is installed on the hair dryer. In the future, work is carried out according to the following points:

• On the inside of the buffer along the crack joint, use a Dremel mini-drill to make a groove for the plastic rod.
• Using a hair dryer, melt and place the repair rod into the prepared groove.
• Clean the front part of the bumper with an orbital sander with P240 attachment and repeat the welding procedure similarly to the operation on the inside.
• Grind the cooled seam from the outside with a nozzle with the same grit P240, then remove dust from the surface.

• Even out irregularities with a special putty for plastic, try to keep the layer as small as possible.
• Dilute the primer with solvent 3: 1 and apply two coats to the degreased surface. Drying time for the first layer is 15 minutes.
• Apply a developing layer in a contrasting color, followed by sanding with a disc or sandpaper with grit P800 and P1000.
• Eliminate the detected defects with a nitro putty followed by sanding with P1000 sandpaper.
• Remove dust with a damp cloth and degrease the part, then paint plastic decorative paint with overlapping borders 50-100 mm. Apply the paint in 3-4 coats with intermediate drying cycles.

Anyone who is interested in how to properly repair a bumper in a video with their own hands should take into account an important detail. 30-40 minutes after applying the last layer of paint, the part should be varnished. Thus, we get a flawless appearance of the repaired part. Do not forget to follow a few simple rules:

• You should try to apply a minimum layer of putty.
• Take a temporary pause for complete hardening of the putty layer.
• To process the putty area with a grinding wheel or sandpaper with grit P800, and then - P1000.
• It is desirable to apply a developing layer of primer.

In the case of a polyurethane buffer, the preparatory stage in the form of grooving work is excluded. A brass reinforcing mesh is applied to the crack; steel is not recommended for use, because it is prone to corrosion. Alternatively, stapling staples can be used every 10-20 mm. They are recessed into the body of the part across the seam, it is imperative to make sure that the bracket does not go through the part.

Further, the repair technology does not differ from the restoration of a polypropylene part. Wire mesh or staplers should be sunk into the plastic. Only after that, the seam is filled with repair plastic and soldered from the opposite side. Some important points of technology should be taken into account:

• It is necessary to solder the mesh or staples carefully so as not to overheat the plastic, otherwise it may deform from the opposite side.
• For a complete DIY repair of a polyurethane bumper, the width of the reinforcing mesh should be 15-20 mm.
• It is better to press in the mesh or staples with a flat object.
• If the legs of the staples pierce the plastic through and through, then they should be shortened using side cutters.
• For the convenience of working with metal elements, you can use tweezers.
• To prevent the new enamel from peeling off, it is necessary to grind the paint over the entire plane of the part.

Puttying and painting are performed in the same way as described above - according to the traditional scheme. Repair work on the restoration of the buffer can be combined with painting the car , so the consumption of materials will be more rational. It is important to determine in advance the feasibility of carrying out restoration work. If there are significant costs in the future, then it is better to buy a new part.

The most dangerous time of the year for plastic body parts is winter. After all, slippery areas do not leave enough room for maneuvers and sometimes you have to ram drifts or something harder. In this case, the first affected area of ​​the vehicle is the plastic bumper.

You shouldn't run to the nearest auto shop and buy a new expensive part. You can do bumper repairs with your own hands in your personal garage. The result will be decent, and the savings can be spent on something more enjoyable.

There are three unspoken classifications of damage to bumpers:

1. A network of scratches. The option is considered the easiest, since it requires the least amount of investment in time and other resources. Often the work consists in sanding the damaged surface, treating it with a specialized spray to improve the adhesion properties, and then applying the paint layer.
2. Chips, dents and cracks. Alignment is carried out using liquid plastic. Irregularities can also be tidied up with a putty. To eliminate such defects, an additional tool will be needed.
3. Split bumper. This problem is solved on an individual basis. Repair of a car bumper in case of splits is carried out based on the degree of damage to the product.

Before starting work, you will need to stock up on the necessary tools.

It is unlikely that you can do without such a minimal list:

• soldering iron 40-60 W;
• tweezers with long thin legs;
• medium power construction hair dryer;
• orbital sander;
• coarse and fine-grained grinding wheels;
• Consumables.

For high-quality processing of a broken or damaged bumper, it is advisable to carry out repairs on the removed product.

Dismantling does not take much time, but it will save it during work. This relieves unnecessary stress in cracks at the attachment points to the car body.

It is advisable to wash the removed bumper from dirt and let it dry for further work. Further, the breakaway parts can be attached with adhesive tape by sticking the tape on the outside of the bumper. After that, you can heat up the soldering iron and start repairing the plastic bumper with your own hands.

The soldering of the fragments is carried out from the inside of the bumper. It is not visible from the outside, so you can conduct training on pairing elements. Significant flaws will be hidden from outsiders. During work from the back, you can feel the material, its reaction to a heated soldering iron and behavior in a softened state.

It is desirable to work smoothly, without a long delay in one place and abrupt transitions between the sections to be sealed. A perfect seam looks even, and the material does not deform in other areas that are not damaged.

In order for the soldering to stand for a long time without deformation, it is advisable to secure the additionally sealed cleavage line with metal staples using a furniture stapler.

The legs of the brackets must be selected so that they do not protrude from the back of the bumper when reinforcing.

To avoid burns, you must use tweezers.

The staples should be installed at a distance of up to 2 cm. All emerging cracks should be soldered. This will prevent new splits from occurring in the place of kinks during driving and vibration.

The staples must be closed against further corrosion. To do this, you will need to pull off a little plastic from adjacent areas and completely cover the metal parts. After carrying out such preliminary work, the form should return to its previous state.

We put a circle with P240 grain marking on the grinder. With its help we clean paint, varnish, irregularities and roughness. After that, we carry out soldering on the front side of the bumper, but only without using reinforcing brackets. We seal the cracks and cavities with too much plastic.

After cooling all surfaces with a grinder, we grind the seam. You should not seek to remove all the scuffs; it is enough to prepare the surface in a rough version, removing as much as possible irregularities and smoothing the protrusions. The soldering iron can penetrate deeply into the body of the bumper, you do not need to get carried away and reduce the thickness too much, since you need to repair the bumper carefully, leaving it with the maximum possible strength characteristics.

Sanding will electrify the bumper surface. After that, dust particles, villi and other small debris stick to it. You can get rid of this with compressed air. You can also wipe the surface with a clean cloth.

Working with an industrial hairdryer, leveling the surface, you need to know that from significant overheating, plastic can leak, the fibers will lose their original shape. Having finished with the alignment, you need to remove the caverns by treating the surface with a special putty on plastic.

The material is applied only to level out the formed pits, and the excess part must be wiped off. Having given time to the putty to polymerize, having received a solid material, we process the surface again with a grinder.

After finishing, all dust must be removed from the surface. Now you can apply the primer to the plastic. We dilute the mixture, guided by the recommendations from the instructions for use. Apply two layers in order of 15 minutes. Apply a layer of development from a spray can on the treated area.

This procedure is necessary to indicate pits, protrusions and other irregularities for grinding. After grinding, the development on the convex places will be removed, and in the depressions it will remain. At this stage, a nitro putty will help to get a flat surface. It is applied to cleaned and primed surfaces.

When the nitro putty hardening process is over, the surface is polished.

Now, for better adhesion of the enamel, a base coat can be applied. It binds plastic and paint at the molecular level.

After the base, you can enamel at least two layers, allowing the previous one to dry.

Then varnish is applied. The dried product can be neatly mounted on the vehicle. Only professionals will be able to notice traces of repair after such processing, and then only after a thorough examination.

Bumpers of modern cars are made mainly of plastic, they are damaged in a minor accident and collision is not an obstacle.

As you know, there are front and rear bumpers, and the front bumper (PB) is damaged much more often than the rear (ZB). PB needs repair if:

• the paintwork is damaged;
• scratches appear on the plastic element;
• bumper cracks have formed as a result of a collision with an obstacle or a minor accident.

If the impact to the front or rear of the car is severe, the bumper is most likely beyond repair. But in specialized car services, they often undertake the repair of a badly broken plastic bumper. The whole question is whether the restoration is worth the money, in some cases it is easier and cheaper to buy a new part.

The cost of repairing a PB or ST can be different, it depends on the level of the car service, the degree of damage to the part, the complexity of restoration. For example, in Moscow, the restoration of a bumper can cost from 2,500 rubles, and painting of one element will also cost from 5,000 rubles. There are auto repair shops that promise to repair the bumper from 500 rubles, to carry out repairs within one or two hours. Advertising is not worth it, most likely, car owners are deceived, or the repairs are performed here of poor quality.

Repair of a front or rear bumper can be of varying complexity, there are main types of work that are carried out with body elements:

• sealing cracks;
• restoration of plastic fragments;
• repair of dents;
• preparation for painting (cleaning, sanding);
• primer;
• painting;
• restoration, repair of fasteners.

Restoring a plastic bumper requires care and accuracy, sufficient experience, and only a qualified master can do the job with high quality.

Repair of the PB becomes profitable if the bumper itself is rare, installed on an expensive car, on which the car owner does not want to install a cheap “non-original”. There are also tuning bumpers - they are expensive, and the industry does not produce non-original spare parts of this kind.

If the car is budgetary, and the owner of the car is "with hands", you can try to repair the PB yourself. Much depends on the degree of damage; you can also restore a slightly damaged body part with your own hands. Repair of the front bumper (with a crack) is carried out with the removal of the body part from the car, and to seal the crack, you need to connect the edges of the damaged area - make a reliable lock.

There are special repair kits on sale, for example, from 3M. The FPRM kit includes:

• two components of epoxy material (glue);
• reinforcing mesh;
• special tape.

We prepare the bumper for gluing as follows:

• the damaged area to be repaired is thoroughly washed with soapy water, we give time to the plastic to dry thoroughly;
• we grind the repaired area, remove the paintwork from it. We clean the paint so that adhesive tape can be glued to the area freed from it;
• we grind the edges of the crack at an angle of 45 degrees, they should be in the form of wedges. We process the surface first from the inside, and then from the outside, for this we use a grinder with a cleaning disc;
• we clean the treated surface with the composition 3M 08985, wait for the complete evaporation of the degreaser;
• we glue the scotch tape on the outside of the glued area;
• on the inside, we fix the reinforcing mesh;
• mix the epoxy components in a one-to-one ratio;
• apply the prepared composition on the reinforcing mesh, with a spatula, push it inward, it must close the crack;
• heat the crack with infrared drying (6-8 minutes). If there is no special drying device, let the glue dry at room temperature for about 30 minutes;
• remove the tape, degrease, process the front part with an adhesion activator;
• we prepare the composition for the front side;
• apply glue on the outside of the crack;

• let the parts dry again;
• we process the dried surface with abrasive wheels, first with a coarser abrasive (180), then with fine "sandpaper" (240, at the end of processing - 400);
• blow through the repaired area with compressed air, clean it with a compound from the set 3M 08985, wipe it with a dry cloth. The bumper is now ready for painting.

Damage to the bumper can be different - in one case it is just a crack, in the other, pieces of plastic fly off on impact. To seal a plastic element, you will need:

• construction hair dryer;
• angle grinder;
• pliers;
• screwdriver;
• soldering iron;
• sandpaper;
• spatulas.

The soldering iron must be powerful enough, preferably at least 100 watts.

If the pieces of the bumper are broken off and lost, initially we modify the damaged areas, give them a rectangular or triangular shape.

We carry out the work in the following order:

• from the inside and outside around the damage, we process the entire surface with a cleaning wheel - we clean off the paint;
• we remove all cracks in the paint to the base (to plastic);
• we prepare a nozzle for a hair dryer, it is needed so that hot air can be directed to the damaged area;
• we join the torn seam, melt and solder the pieces with a soldering iron. We grab the plastic with a soldering iron in several places - it is also necessary for the plastic to become homogeneous;
• we put on the nozzle on the hair dryer, with a hairdryer we evenly warm the plastic on both sides. It is important to keep an eye on the hair dryer, with a narrow nozzle it can overheat,
• after warming up, align the edges of the plastic;
• we solder the seam with a soldering iron thoroughly.

If you need to solder pieces of missing plastic to the bumper, it is advisable to take plastic of the same type, the marking is usually indicated on the inside of the plastic parts.

To solder the missing pieces into the bumper, proceed as follows:

• we take paper, apply it to the bumper, draw a circle around the damaged contour;
• we transfer the drawing from paper to plastic, cut out the necessary piece;
• install the cut-out piece in the bumper flush, solder along the edges with a soldering iron;
• So that the piece to be soldered does not move, we first grab it with a soldering iron from all sides.

If you cannot cut the desired piece to the exact size, you can cut off the plastic with a margin and solder it on the inside of the bumper. But this option is worse, since when soldering from the front part, a dimple is formed around the patch.

The surface can be leveled in two ways:

• melt everything outside with plastic;
• apply a layer of putty to the surface, then process it.

After soldering and applying putty, we process the surface, prime the bumper and paint.