DIY repair of an unpainted bumper

As a result of the most common minor accidents, the bumper of the car is most often damaged. In this regard, the question of its repair or replacement is relevant. This article describes how to repair a Renault Logan bumper.

Since Renault Logan belongs to budget cars, there are versions with body-colored and unpainted bumpers in lower trim levels. The complexity of the repair work and their cost is determined by the presence of paintwork.

In addition, among Renault Logan owners, there is doubt about the relevance of bumper restoration in service centers. Many of them believe that the cost of replacing a damaged bumper with a new one will be much cheaper than repairing it. Do-it-yourself repairs can also be a solution.

Of course, it is easiest to repair an unpainted bumper. In addition, scratches on it are almost invisible, so basically only large defects such as cracks are eliminated. One of the ways to restore the bumper is gluing. This will require, first of all, glue and sandpaper. You can purchase a repair kit that includes, in addition to these components, a hardener.

Most often, bumpers are glued with epoxy glue, but the owners of Renault Logan say that this substance does not interact well with the plastic of the bumper, therefore it is recommended to additionally reinforce it with fiberglass in several layers.

Work begins with the treatment of the damaged area with coarse-grained sandpaper, after which it is degreased. Then, the fragments of fiberglass, previously impregnated with epoxy glue, are applied to the crack, one on top of the other, taking breaks for the polymerization of each of them. In addition, each layer of the material must be sanded with sandpaper after polymerization.

Video (click to play).

Each next layer should be 30-50% larger than the previous one in area. Instead of fiberglass, a plastic or metal mesh can be used to reinforce the bumper, secured to the back. The plastic mesh is soldered, and the metal mesh is heated and pressed. If the bumper is painted, then it will need to be painted. An easier repair method is to staple the crack with staples.

As you can see, the considered work is very difficult and time-consuming, so it is possible that it is more expedient to replace the bumper with a new one. Moreover, replacement is a simple procedure, and the cost of a new part is not much higher than the cost of materials that will be required for repair.

For this work you will need a flat screwdriver, 10 "wrench, TORX T3. First, unscrew the mud flaps in the front of the bumper on both sides, which are fixed on three bolts each. After that, pull out the caps from both sides and disconnect the lower part of the bumper, then unscrew the 4 bolts in the upper part of the part and from the fender liner. The last one to remove is the bolt on the bottom of the bumper.

The installation of a new part is carried out in the reverse order, with all the work taking about half an hour. If it is difficult to loosen the bolts, use the WD-40.

Removing the rear bumper Renault Logan begins by unscrewing the wheel arch liners, which are held on each side by 3 bolts. After that, remove 5 bolts from the bottom of the part, remove the license plate light and disconnect the wiring connector. Then unscrew the 3 bolts of the upper attachment, and at the end of the work, you need to disconnect it from the plastic clips.An assistant is required to remove the rear bumper, and installation is also carried out in the reverse order.

The bumper is considered one of the most problematic parts of any vehicle. This is due to the fact that it is this element that most often undergoes various kinds of breakdowns. However, this is the main purpose of bumpers - to protect both the car body and the people in the cabin from external impacts.

Modern bumpers are made mainly of plastic materials - special plastic alloys or fiberglass. This material has increased strength and at the same time elasticity, which allows the bumper to take impact, while not changing shape. However, over time, even if the buffer does not contain defects obtained in an accident, numerous small scratches appear on this element, and maybe even cracks, chips, dents. All this, of course, does not make the car attractive, so sooner or later it will be necessary to repair the bumpers.

Today, a number of automakers, offering buyers several complete sets of a new model to choose from, offer the most budgetary version of a car with a plastic unpainted bumper. This, of course, reduces the cost of the basic configuration, while the unpainted bumper looks quite noble, without depriving the car of its aesthetic appearance. Repairing an unpainted bumper is much cheaper than a painted one, since there is no need to waste time and materials on painting, varnishing and further polishing the car body.

In most cases, the car owner can repair unpainted plastic bumpers on their own. An unpainted bumper lends itself easily to any kind of artificial deformation, which makes it easier to carry out repairs. In addition, small scratches on it will practically not be noticeable, therefore, repairs are carried out mainly when there is significant damage.

The most common and effective way to repair an unpainted plastic bumper is, of course, bonding. To carry out these works, you will need special glue for plastic and fine-grained sandpaper. In car dealerships, special kits are sold for self-gluing of plastic bumpers, which also contain a hardener.

The beginning of work is a thorough treatment of the defective area, first with a coarse-grained sandpaper, then with a fine-grained one. After that, the treated surface will need to be degreased. A fiberglass strip impregnated with glue is applied to the crack (gap). After the strip is dry, you will need to sand it with sandpaper, and then apply a few more layers of fiberglass. At the same time, experts advise increasing each layer of strips by 35-50% compared to the previous one.

On the reverse side of the bumper, you will need to apply a reinforced mesh - it will strengthen the bumper and reliably fix its shape.

The second most common method is stapling the tears with staples. However, it only applies when the tears are in hard-to-reach places in the bumper that are not visible. Since the bumper is unpainted, it will be difficult to disguise the brackets that hold two or more parts of the bumper together. For this reason, the gluing method is most often used as it is especially simple and at the same time effective for almost all types of damage.

As with any type of body repair, repairing an unpainted bumper is a laborious and time-consuming procedure. In most cases, to carry it out, car owners prefer to seek professional help.

Today, restoring the integrity and shape of a bumper is much cheaper than buying a new bumper.Therefore, it is advisable, in order to maintain the status of the vehicle, to give the bumper for repair to a specialized company, while saving part of the money for the purchase and installation of a new buffer.

Mokko specialists have been repairing bumpers for many years. In this case, all restoration procedures are carried out (both repair of an unpainted bumper and a painted one). In the arsenal of the company there is only modern, up-to-date equipment, with the help of which even the most difficult repairs can be carried out quickly and efficiently. At the same time, only competent specialists who are certified in confirmation of their professionalism are allowed to perform work.

Of course, for every work performed in the company, a guarantee of the durability of the integrity of the restored bumper is given.

Thanks to this approach to work, a firm opinion has developed about the company as a reliable and decent performer of all types of body repair.

It is quite difficult to imagine a vehicle that does not have such a necessary element as a bumper. The main purpose of the part is to protect the body from damage and deformation. When a difficult situation arises, he takes on all the shock and damaging factors. It is for this reason that the question of how to repair a plastic bumper with your own hands is one of the most relevant.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Dents - 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.
4. 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.

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.

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.

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:

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:

1. Removing the bumper from the car body.
2. Thorough cleaning of the part from dirt and dust. The surface must be dry and clean.
3. Determination of the material from which the bumper is made.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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:

1. Gluing - used for parts produced by cold forming. A special polyurethane-based adhesive is used here.
2. Heat sealing - Suitable for bumpers that have been hot formed. The bumper fragments are connected using special welding equipment.
3. Lamination - the method is suitable for restoring lost fragments similar. It uses a special reinforcing mesh and putty.
4. Using flat electrodes... The technique is based on the use of a special construction hair dryer, which melts the electrodes and effectively repairs cracks.
5. Soldering - the best option for repairing a bumper in normal home conditions. You will need to use a soldering iron, sandpaper and paint.
6. Brazing with reinforcement - 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.
7. 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.

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.

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:

1. Apply the primer in a circular motion towards the left or right side of the element.
2. The composition must be allowed to dry completely.
3. After that, sandpaper No. 800 is taken and everything is thoroughly overwritten.
4. 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.
5. 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.

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 or three layers. Drying should take 5 to 10 minutes between each layer.

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.

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.

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. The end of the mesh is covered with melted plastic.
3. 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.

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.

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.

Having broken a plastic bumper on a VAZ car, the owner can relatively inexpensively purchase and install a new one, painted in a suitable color. Owners of foreign cars are not so lucky, plastic body kits for their cars are much more expensive. The way out is to repair the damaged part by repairing the crack with your own hands in order to save money. It is useful to know about the methods of restoring broken plastic to the owners of Russian cars, not to buy a new element because of small cracks.

Depending on the amount of damage and the type of plastic, the following methods of cracked bumpers are practiced:

• cosmetic bonding with acetone and donor plastic;
• gluing with modern chemical compounds;
• mount on epoxy resin using fiberglass reinforcing mesh;
• sealing the crack with a soldering iron reinforced with a metal mesh;
• welding with a hot air gun and a plastic rod.

Reference. There is one simple method used by car enthusiasts who are not overly concerned about the look of the car. This is the connection of the edges of the crack with wire or staples from a stapler. This is a simple matter, which means that there is no point in considering this technology, everything is clear.

The use of acetone for bonding, which can dissolve many types of plastics, is a temporary measure used for small cracks that have appeared in the middle of the body kit. Its essence is as follows:

1. Pieces of plastic, similar in composition to the bumper material, are selected and dissolved in acetone to a thick consistency.
2. On the back of the bumper, the crack is degreased and also treated with acetone in order to soften the surface.
3. Liquefied plastic is applied to the damage from the reverse side, and then hardens for several hours. Outside, the defect can be tinted with a corrector tube.

Any single cracks in most plastics can be sealed using thick two-component compounds sold in two tubes. The exception is fiberglass body kits, they are glued together with epoxy resin, and in case of serious damage, reinforcement with fiberglass mesh is used.

With numerous large cracks, breaks and holes in the bumper, bonding methods become ineffective. In such cases, soldering or welding with a hot air gun using a donor polymer material is practiced. After such repairs, the place of the defect is thoroughly cleaned and painted in the color of the car. Finally, a full bumper polish should be done so that the painted area does not stand out against the background of the old coating.

Advice.If you got into an accident or collided with a fixed obstacle and broke the body kit, try to collect all but the smallest pieces that have flown off. This will allow you to use "native" plastic for repairs and not look for something similar.

The preparatory process differs little for various methods of gluing and welding polymer parts, so it should be considered separately. The first question is whether it is really necessary to remove the bumper in order to make repairs. In most cases, dismantling is indispensable, since the plastic must be sealed on both sides. The exception is broken body kits, cracked in many places. They must first be stitched together and then removed. Otherwise, after repair, the part may lose its shape, which is why the attachment points will not converge, and the gaps with adjacent elements will increase.

Reference. Often, the body of the bumper comes off at the attachment points and small pieces of plastic remain on the screws. Before dismantling, such a part is securely welded to the torn mount and only then removed.

To prepare a damaged body kit for repair, you need the following tools and materials:

• a set of keys and screwdrivers for removing the element;
• electric grinder;
• sandpaper of various grain sizes - from P180 to P320;
• degreasing liquid - organic solvent or white spirit;
• rags.

Note. With the help of a grinding machine, you can perform cleaning better and much faster than by hand. This and other power tools that are needed for painting and polishing can be rented for 2-3 days.

Regardless of whether work is being carried out directly on the car or with the bumper removed, it must be thoroughly washed and dried. Then, with a coarse sandpaper, you need to peel off the paint with an indent of 3-5 cm from the crack in each direction and sand the area with fine sandpaper. Whichever method of repair you choose, the paint must be removed to the base, otherwise it will interfere with the adhesion of the adhesive or the fusion of polymers during welding. At the end, the area should be degreased.

Advice. The quality of the body kit repair depends on the conditions in which it is produced. It is more convenient to repair damage in a garage equipped with a viewing ditch for easy removal of a part and soldering of loose fasteners in place.

To implement this method, you need to purchase the following bumper repair kit from the 3M brand:

• 2 FPRM components for the preparation of liquid polymer in tubes of 150 ml (price - about 2500 rubles);
• special hard tape;
• self-adhesive reinforcing mesh made of fiberglass (otherwise - glass canvas) 48 mm wide;
• an adhesion initiator in an aerosol can;
• 2 spatulas - wide and narrow;
• stationery knife;
• gloves, goggles.

Reference. Similar kits are offered by other manufacturers, but the 3M brand is the most famous and proven in practice.

Liquid resin bonding is suitable for most plastics and can be done either with the body kit removed or on the vehicle. True, the second option is rather inconvenient, plus you will need good lighting in the inspection pit. To cut the crack, you will need an electric drill (not a grinder!) With a mandrel for abrasive wheels. The repair consists of the following technological operations:

Using a low speed drill and an abrasive wheel, chamfer approximately 30 ° around the edges of the crack on both sides. In cross section, it looks something like this: "> Before painting, irregularities need to be putty

Important! After mixing the components, the composition must be used within 6 minutes, which is quite enough for applying to the damage on one side. A curing time of 30 minutes is correct for a room temperature of 21-23 ° C, therefore, when working in a cold room, it is imperative to arrange local heating of the bumper (for example, with an infrared heater).

If irregularities are noticeable on the front side of the element, then before painting, apply a little putty intended for plastic on the drops. After drying, clean it with P1500 sandpaper, degrease and paint with a spray gun, after applying a layer of primer. After 1 day, polish the surface of the body kit.