DIY repair of fiberglass bumpers

In detail: DIY repair of fiberglass bumpers from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

What is required in order to repair a car bumper at home on your own? Since some types of breakdowns require detailed work, and those that are simpler can be repaired using simpler tools at hand, the selection may differ for each damage separately. However, in order to be ready for anything and for all occasions, it is worth stocking up on all the necessary tools and using them for their intended purpose in specific cases. Here is a selection of the most commonly used tools that will be involved when repairing a fiberglass bumper:

Building hair dryer. It will straighten bumps and dents.
Bulgarian. You can replace it with a grinder, which is required at the very end of the alignment.
Compressor.
Spray. He will paint over the seams or paint the entire bumper.

Two types of putty - fiberglass and plain;
Epoxy resins, fiberglass material;
Acrylic paint thinner;
Brushes, their size is not large, 23-30 millimeters;
Sandpaper;
Primer and varnish;
A spatula made of metal; for convenience, the whole set is bought;
Draft dye;
Fine mesh for working with seams;
Rubber gloves, duct tape.

The process of repairing a fiberglass bumper may include removing it. It is recommended to remove the bumper even when the smallest scratch is to be repaired. When you have at your fingertips everything that may become necessary in the process of performing actions, you need to decide on the type of damage. Among the entire spectrum of possible problems, there is a categorization according to which damage is divided into:

Video (click to play).

Dents. If they are large, repairs can be difficult.
Breakthroughs. Structural failure, loss of integrity.
Holes, breaks. Some damage can cause the bumper fabric to bleed.
Scratches of various depths and sizes.
Chipping off parts.

A certain type of damage has its own sequence of actions and instructions for its repair. If the problem manifests itself as a breakout:

The edges are processed with a sander. After work, they are joined, and the part is placed on a flat surface. Thus, it becomes possible to adjust the dimensions. The damage can be completely removed only by cleaning the part in the direction of cracks up to 5 centimeters. It is necessary to clean until a new layer appears, which is located on the other side of the part. Then resin is applied to the crack. It is necessary to work with it with gloves, and special brushes are used for application. Several layers of fiberglass are laid on the resin. Then we give the resin time to dry, leaving the part for a while. Apply the putty in a thin layer, after which the surface is smoothed with sandpaper, another method - with a grinding machine disc.

A hole will take more time and energy from you. The hole is being repaired, but since the hole is larger than the crack, more fiberglass and putty will be needed. The surface in the damaged area is cleaned at a distance of up to 10-15 centimeters. Such a gap will increase the rigidity of the fiberglass fastening. After stripping, the tape is glued on the back. Apply resin to the hole, 20 centimeters from the hole.

Fiberglass is installed on top, rows should be from three to four. The more there are, the stronger the connection will be. Each row is again lubricated with resin. When the resin is dry, the formed protrusion is cleaned.To do this, use sandpaper or a resin roller. Then a primer and putty are applied. We glue a metal mesh on the putty so that there are no problems with the appearance of microcracks. Dry the applied putty with a hairdryer. If you walk well and work on the sealed area with sandpaper or a sander, the area can be completely leveled off.

Dents are repaired depending on their complexity. A strong large dent is repaired in the same way as the hole.

A small one can be repaired by yourself using a hairdryer. If the damaged area cannot be leveled with a hairdryer, the protruding part can be cut off and repaired with resin. Small dents are repaired with resin and putty.

Scratches are also repaired depending on the complexity and nature. In case of deep damage, resin is applied, and in case of shallow damage, a putty is applied. The place in the damaged area must be pre-sanded.

Splinters of parts of the bumper or its corners can sometimes also be found on cars. In this case, motorists have the opportunity to supplement the missing part of the bumper with fiberglass. Repairing yourself can be a little more difficult than otherwise. Repetition of the ideal shape of the problem area can be difficult if it is not there in order to see an example and shape. If you don't want to try your hand at repairing a spall, you can contact a car service. However, having a set of materials and tools, there is a chance to make a complete home renovation.

Sometimes there are situations when a spall occurs, this happens at the corner parts. The problem area is cleaned until the protruding parts of the fiberglass are completely removed. Fiberglass can perfectly follow the shape of the corners and fill the gap where the missing piece was. The patch is leveled with sandpaper, and the corner should match the shape of the bumper. The gaps are closed with layers of fiberglass and resin. There is a very good chance to reinforce the corners from the inside with four layers of fiberglass. Once the fiberglass bumper has been repaired, it can be painted over.

Bumper painting is done with a spray gun and a compressor. Mixing the paint with a solvent, its color is selected. Sometimes it is enough to paint the damaged area of the bumper, and sometimes you have to paint it entirely. In the first case, for people who do not have experience in carrying out technical and service work, it may be difficult to paint over the problem area so that it is not noticeable and does not stand out from the general background. Therefore, it is better to paint everything completely. This part is painted in two layers. When the paint dries, the bumper is installed on the car, but it is best to wait until the paint is completely fixed - one wrong movement can ruin the appearance of the part, and semi-dry paint does not always contribute to the correct work with the part painted with it.

Acting with the images described in the article, you can repair any type of damage to the bumper, and all the work can be safely done with your own hands at home. Such restoration does not have any very difficult stages, so every motorist can try himself in such a thing as repairing a bumper with his own hands.

In this video you can see how the procedure for repairing a bumper with fiberglass with your own hands takes place.

The bumper is an important part whose purpose is to provide safety in the event of a collision or collision with an obstacle. In such situations, the bumper structure takes the impact and deforms. You can repair a fiberglass bumper with your own hands. It is enough to purchase the necessary materials, prepare the tools and get acquainted with the main subtleties of the repair, which can be watched in the video.

Modern car manufacturers manufacture bumpers from synthetic materials, namely fiberglass.In terms of composition, it does not have a homogeneous structure and is a fiber bonded with a sticky mass - polyester resin. To make the part look smooth, a special material is applied over the fiberglass components - gelcoat, which is usually black.

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Many automotive concerns have abandoned the metal buffer, replacing it with fiberglass. In case of damage, such a bumper can be easily repaired by hand, since the restoration process is technically simple.

Before proceeding with the restoration work at home, it is necessary to determine the nature of the damage. There are several types of damage to the fiberglass buffer:

small or deep scratches that are external defects in fiberglass and only affect the paintwork;
dents in which the bumper was seriously damaged - in such situations it will be necessary to spend a lot of time and effort to carry out repairs with your own hands;
holes or breaks;
spalling of parts of the part;
breaks or gusts, in which the integrity of the structure is violated.

After the nature of the defect is determined, the part should be dismantled. Even if the damage is minimal, it is imperative to repair the fiberglass bumpers, since vibration will increase the defect when the car is moving.

Repair of a fiberglass bumper should begin with the preparation of equipment, materials and the bumper itself. To work at home, you will need the following tools:

construction hair dryer, which can be used to straighten and warm up dents;
compressor;
grinder or grinder - for the final stage when leveling;
spray gun - to paint over the seams or completely paint the part.

Of the materials that will be required when repairing the buffer with your own hands, you should purchase:

putty with fiberglass;
epoxy resins;
fiberglass material;
acrylic paint thinner;
sandpaper;
a set of metal spatulas;
primer;
small tassels;
varnish;
dye;
mesh, which is applied to the seam, so that additional cracks do not appear.

To prepare the resin, you must follow the directions on the package or watch the video on the Internet. Since this component hardens quickly, all manipulations must be carried out as soon as possible.

After dismantling the structure, do-it-yourself repair work will depend on the type of damage. Before starting the repair, you need to clean the bumper from dirt and degrease the surface with a solvent.

Use a sander to grind the tear edge. Upon completion of the sanding work, it is necessary to join the edges of the gap and place the buffer on a flat surface. This will provide the ability to adjust to the required dimensions.

To completely eliminate the damage with your own hands, you need to clean the surface towards the cracks at a distance of up to 5 cm until a new layer appears, which is laid on the other side of the buffer. Polyester resin is applied directly to the crack and the surface around it with special brushes, which is covered on top in several layers with fiberglass.

Important: work on applying polyester resin should be carried out in special rubber gloves.

The part to be repaired is left until the resin is completely dry. Then put putty on the surface and clean it with a grinder or sandpaper.

If a hole is found in the bumper, then do-it-yourself repairs will take more time and material. The surface in the area of the hole is smoothed at a distance of up to 15 cm. This will help to increase the rigidity of the setting of glass fabrics. After the surface is cleaned, tape is glued to the back of the part.The resin is applied directly to the hole and up to 20 cm away from it.Then fiberglass is applied in 3-4 rows, each row is coated with resin.Note that the more layers of fiberglass there are, the stronger the bond will be.When the surface of the part is completely dry, you can start sanding the resulting protrusion. A putty with a metal mesh is applied on top, which will provide protection against microcracks. Then the surface is dried with a hairdryer and leveled with a grinder. Image - DIY repair of fiberglass bumpers

Do-it-yourself repair of the problem will directly depend on the complexity and nature. Large dents should be repaired in the same way as holes. If the dent is not large, then the damaged area must be heated with a hairdryer and returned to its original position. After that, resin and putty are applied to the surface.

Rebuilding the bumper is also possible at home. It is enough to spend a little time, observe the established technology and simple protection rules. When handling hands, gloves should be worn to prevent chemicals from getting on the skin. Since resin vapors are very toxic, you should work with a respirator. These measures will help you not to harm your own health.

It will not be difficult to repair a bumper at home, especially if it is not the first time that you have to work with your own hands with a car repair. To do this, you must first prepare a working tool and purchase the required materials.

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You will need the following tools to work:

A construction hairdryer to be able to warm up and straighten out dents or bumps.
A grinder or grinder is required for the final leveling stage.
Compressor.
Spray gun, for painting seams, or complete painting of the bumper.

And the following materials to make do-it-yourself bumper repairs:

Special putty with fiberglass and regular automotive.
Fiberglass bumper repair kit, which includes epoxy resins and fiberglass material.
Special solvent for acrylic paints.
Small brushes 25-30 mm.
Sandpaper, different hardness.
Primer.
Varnish.
Metal spatulas, it is better to buy a set.
Draft colorant, about 300 grams.
Mesh, to be applied to the seam, so that cracks do not appear (fine-mesh, soft metal).
Rubber gloves and scotch tape.

After making sure that all the tools and materials are available, you need to determine the nature of the damage. There are the following types of damage to fiberglass bumpers:

Dents, the bumper is seriously damaged and you need to make a lot of effort to repair it yourself.
Gaps or tears, the material has lost the integrity of the structure, and the structure of the fiberglass is broken.
Breaks or holes are separated by the appearance of holes in glass fabrics.
Scratches, small and deep scratches exist.
Chipping of parts of the bumper.

Having decided on the nature of the damage to the car bumper, it is imperative to dismantle the bumper. Even if it is a scratch, it is best to remove the bumper and have it inspected and properly repaired.

In case of a break, the edges of the breaks are processed using a grinding machine.

After finishing grinding the edges, the edges of the breaks are joined, and the part is placed on a table or flat surface in order to be able to adjust the dimensions. To achieve the complete disappearance of the damage, you can do it yourself by cleaning the parts in the direction of the cracks, at an interval of up to 5 cm.
Erasing continues until a new layer is visible on the other side of the part. The polyester resin is applied to and around the crack at a distance of up to 10 cm. Working with the resin with rubber gloves. The resin is applied with special brushes.The resin is covered with glass cloth (grade 300) in several layers. After all, we leave the part for a while, until the resin dries. A thin layer of putty is applied and cleaned with sandpaper or a sander belt.

Finding hole damage on a part will take more time and effort to repair. The hole in the bumper needs to be repaired, and this is not a crack, more fiberglass and putty will be needed. It is necessary to clean the surface in the area of the hole at a distance of 10-15 cm. This is necessary to enhance the hardness of the setting of glass fabrics. After cleaning the surface, tape is glued to the hole on the back of the part. The resin is applied to the hole, and at a distance of up to 20 cm.

Fiberglass is laid on top of the resin, in 3-4 rows. The more, the stronger the connection will be. Each row is re-lubricated with resin. After the resin has dried, it is necessary to start cleaning the formed protrusion. Remove this layer with emery paper or a resin roller and clean it. A primer is applied over the covered area and sealed with putty. A metal mesh is applied to the putty so that microcracks do not appear. The putty can be dried with a hairdryer. You can level this place with the plane of the bumper with your own hands using a grinder and a special disc.

Depends on the complexity of the dent, if it is strong and large in size, then it is better to cut and act as with a hole. If it is small, then we will use a hairdryer and do it yourself. The place of damage is warming up, and heating to a certain temperature, we return to its original position. Even if the hair dryer cannot be leveled, you can always cut off the protruding part and seal it with resin. Small dents that go into the bumper are repaired with resin and putty, and you're done.

From the nature and complexity of the scratch, a resin is applied (for a deep scratch), or a putty (for a shallow one), having previously sanded the place in the area of the scratch.

There are moments when the corners of a part or parts of it break off. The lost part of the bumper can be restored with fiberglass. Do-it-yourself repairs here will be a little more difficult. After all, repeating the shape of the chipped part of the bumper can cause problems, especially if this part is lost. It is better to seek help from a professional, but if you have confidence in yourself and decide to do everything at home, then you can try. The cleavage point of the part is cleaned until the fiberglass that protrudes completely disappears. Fiberglass can perfectly match any corner shape. Fiberglass patch is equal to sandpaper. Part of the corner should be the same shape as the bumper. The gaps will be closed with new layers of resin and fiberglass. It is better to strengthen the corners from the inside, establishing 4 layers of glass material. The repair was carried out for any type of damage, and you can proceed to the last stage of work, painting the bumper.

Painting is done with a spray gun and a compressor. The paint is pre-mixed with a solvent, and the color is selected. Either the place of damage is painted, or the bumper is completely painted. The first option is very difficult, the difficulty is that a non-professional cannot paint over a place so that it does not stand out. It is better to use the second option, clean the entire bumper with a grinder and open it with new paint. Painting is carried out in two layers. After the paint has dried, the bumper is reinstalled.
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P When tuning a car, bumpers, as a rule, are made of fiberglass and you always need to be prepared for the fact that at some point they will have to be repaired. The specifics of the repair of such bumpers, in contrast to the factory ones, which are made of polypropylene, are somewhat different. In this article, we will show you how to properly repair fiberglass bumpers.As an example, the front tuning body kit of a minibus was taken, which was damaged as a result of a collision with an obstacle, which led to the loss of a large fragment of the lower shelf, as well as to its rupture.Before removing the bumper from the car, we recommend that you measure the distance between its corners in order to maintain this dimension during the repair process.01. Dismantle the bumper from the car. We install it on the floor in the workshop. In the place of the gap, the bumper sagged due to a violation of its original geometric shape. In addition, part of the shelf is missing, so it is not possible to simply connect the torn edges. It is necessary to paste in the missing fragment.02. The most unpleasant thing that can happen to a fiberglass bumper when hitting an obstacle is a network of small cracks in its rather large area. These cracks indicate tearing of the fiberglass inside the bumper material, which can lead to a rather difficult and time-consuming repair. But, in this case, the presence of small paint cracks near the edges of the rupture was not detected.03. There is no point in combining the torn edges without preliminary processing, since the fiberglass forms protruding shaggy edges at the tear site.
04. To process the edges of the torn parts of the bumper, we use an angle grinder with a flap disc mounted on it. In the absence of such, we clean it with coarse-grained sandpaper by hand.05. Having finished processing the edges, we align the edges of the gap, setting the bumper on a flat surface, adjusting it to the size we have.06. We turn directly to the repair of the fiberglass bumper, starting from the inside. Apply polyester resin to the cleaned surface along the crack. Apply the resin in such a way that it covers the crack itself and the surface around it at a distance of 5-10 centimeters.
07. Place pieces of thin glass mat (grade 300) on the resin. There can be several layers. The fact is that by repairing the inner surface, we restore the original shape of the bumper for the subsequent repair of the outer side.08. Cracks are repaired and other defects are repaired on the outside of the bumper. In the place of the rupture, delamination, chips, cracks not only of fiberglass, but also of paint are clearly visible. Some "craftsmen" simply putty the defective spots, but very soon the results of such "work" appear on the paint layer.
09. In order for the crack to disappear completely, we clean the bumper material hollow ("mustache") towards the crack, starting from the places where the fiberglass chips and paint cracks end, but no closer than 5 centimeters from the crack.10. We grind the old fiberglass until the new layer we have laid on the inside appears through the crack. In this case, a groove with gentle edges should be formed on the outer surface of the bumper.11. We coat the groove with polyester resin and lay the glass mat of grade 300, gluing the edges of the crack. We make just enough layers so that the latter coincides with the surface of the bumper.12. After the fiberglass has hardened, we process it with sandpaper. For this, it is better to use a belt sander. Firstly, it is not so dusty in comparison with the "grinder" with a petal disc, and secondly, we immediately get a flat surface.13. After rough processing with P40 sandpaper, fix the patch with a sanding bar no larger than P80.14. After finishing sanding the patch, apply a layer of universal polyester putty on it.15.When the shape of the bumper is completely restored, we proceed to repair the rest of the damage. In this case, we observe breaks in the corners, without visible deformation of the bumper itself. Here we start the renovation immediately from the outside.
16. We clean the crack "on the mustache". We try to remove delaminated fiberglass as much as possible, so that in future repairs the fiberglass patch can provide the corner with sufficient strength.

17. Reconstruction of the shape of the corners is carried out using glass mat no thicker than grade 300 (thicker glass mat has greater elasticity and falls on the corners with bubbles), and the polyester resin is thickened with Aerosil. By the way, Aerosil can be purchased in the same place as polyester resin and glass mat.
18. The patch made of fiberglass is leveled with P40 emery paper, while the restored part acquires a uniform shape with the bumper, since the new fiberglass completely hides the cracks and breaks. Before applying the putty, the restored part must be sanded with sandpaper no larger than P80, since scratches after a larger one can appear on the paint and through the putty.19. The corners need to be strengthened from the inside as well. At the same time, we grind the old fiberglass almost to a new patch.
20. To reinforce the corner, place two to four layers of 300 grade glass mat.21. So, fiberglass bumper repair finished. It remains only to paint and install in place. Image - DIY repair of fiberglass bumpers

We restore a plastic bumper with our own hands with fiberglass.

From this article you will find out how can you restore bumpermissing a large piece of plastic. As you can see, the bumper looks hopeless, but this can be restored and fiberglass will help us with this. When repairing a bumper with similar damage, the foreman needs some ingenuity, because you will have to build various structures to create a "matrix" of the missing part, and of course, be patient, because I will say that this is a long process. Personally, this turnkey job took me about a week.

Before removing the bumper from the vehicle, the upper and lower parts must be fastened together. This must be done on the spot, because if you first remove the bumper, and then just fasten these parts, it may turn out that the bumper will "disperse" to the sides and initially the "matrix" will be curved.

By the way, I advise you to go to a hardware store and buy a profile, suspensions and self-tapping screws there. With such repairs, all this will be very useful, and even I would say that without it nowhere :)

Now we remove the bumper and think about how to “cover” this big hole. After long walks in boxing and its environs, I came across a Sparco mudguard, which 7 years ago were very fashionable and were on almost every "tuned" car. Now this mudguard will serve as a patch for us.

Which, in fact, was needed, which is why I used it.

In order to restore the missing piece of the bumper, you need to create a base ("Matrix"), on which we will apply the fiberglass. We will do this using polyurethane foam. We take the balloon, shake it well, then using a water spray, moisten the surface on which we will apply the polyurethane foam. If you miss this moment, then be prepared for the fact that the foam will simply fall off the bumper and the procedure will have to be repeated, and this is an extra waste of materials and wasted time.

The creation of a "matrix" of a fragment of a bumper must be taken as painstakingly as possible, because the final result of our work depends on it. Polyurethane foam is very easy to process with sandpaper, so it is often used to create various parts and body kits for cars.

We take in our hands a block with sandpaper, grit P 40 and try to make the surface as even as possible.

Do not pay attention to craters not filled with polyurethane foam, we will eliminate this further.

There are two options for filling these cavities, although you may come up with something else.

So, 1st option: the cavities can be foamed again, and then sanded with sandpaper. The disadvantages of this option are that you will have to wait again for the foam to dry, and this is a waste of time.

2nd option, faster, more convenient and easier. We fill the cavities with plasticine or putty for window frames (this was previously used to insulate windows). We slightly heat the plasticine with a hair dryer and easily level the surface with a metal spatula. This method has no disadvantages.

At this stage, we have the matrix ready for the future product, now the small thing remains to be done, we need to glue the part of the fiberglass bumper together. In this article, I will not repeat myself about what materials, components are needed and how they should be diluted. There is a separate article about this "fiberglass".

I want to warn you that the foam can "melt" from the resin, because when mixing the components, the reaction is accompanied by heating. Therefore, you need to protect yourself from the "subsidence of the matrix". For example, cover the surface of the "matrix" with masking tape, besides, it will be more convenient for you to separate the foam from the fiberglass.

This will be sufficient for the strength of the bumper.

At an air temperature of 20 degrees, this time ranges from 30 to 60 minutes. Then the fiberglass can be processed.

For rough grinding of the surface, you can use a grinder with a flap wheel, then we process it with a grinder.

For this, it is better to use a special putty with a plasticizer, but since I got quite thick layers in some places, I used a putty with fiberglass.

We rub it with a bar with sandpaper and again apply only a fine-grained putty.

And so we repeat this procedure until we achieve a perfectly flat surface.

Perhaps this is the most pleasant moment after such a hard work. We dilute the soil according to the manufacturer's instructions, apply in two layers and wait for drying. Now it's up to the painter to do it.

"Hopeless bumper" turned out quite well, as you saw, nothing is impossible when there is such wonderful material as fiberglass. I would be glad if my article "fiberglass bumper repair" is useful to you.

P.S. If some points are not particularly clear to you, ask questions in the comments, I will be glad to help.

Stunned! This is great! I would never have thought that such a "piece" could be perfectly restored with your own hands! It even seemed to me that there would be a lot of weeks for such a process. Although it may seem so from the outside, until I get down to business myself.
My garage is just empty, one of these days I will try to restore my bumper myself. I am glad that my missing piece of the bumper is several times smaller. ))
Thank you for such a detailed description of the fiberglass bumper repair! I didn't find anything useful on this issue on the Internet until I got here.
Great article! It's just a godsend for me!

From fiberglass, you can restore a bumper with absolutely any damage, even up to the absence of half of the part. I had a copy, a Mazda 626, on which there was no right side of the bumper at all, and I could not find a new one, I had to restore it. It turned out perfect, even many thought that the bumper was simply replaced. With fiberglass, two hands from the right place, and creative imagination, you can invent anything. Good luck Anton in rebuilding the bumper.

I don’t understand, did the scotch tape remain under the fiberglass layer? And also did he then remove the rest of the foam that remained inside the bumper, or did he leave it as reinforcement?

After the fiberglass had dried, I first removed the foam from the back side, and then, where possible, removed the scotch tape, since there was no point in leaving it inside the bumper.After that, on the inside, you can apply another layer of fiberglass, in case you think this structure is not very strong.

Thanks ! Great article! Respect to the author!

if you have any questions, please leave a contact number

Thank you very much for the article, everything is on the case, without further ado ... For me, both the front and the back need to be done.

Excellent article. Here's just how to restore a bumper in which all the elements are in place, but from the impact it is all broken, but still stands on the car just holding on to the holy spirit. What should be done in this case? Yes, so that he does not start to creep again on the second bump.

It's hard to tell from your description alone! It's like asking on the phone: "Doctor, my stomach hurts, what would you advise?"

So if the bumper is made of plastic and all the parts are in place, it is easier to solder it (with electrodes for plastic)

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:

Pieces of plastic, similar in composition to the bumper material, are selected and dissolved in acetone to a thick consistency.
On the back of the bumper, the crack is degreased and also treated with acetone in order to soften the surface.
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 grind 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:

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.

The technology is used to repair damage to body kits made of fiberglass, since the previous method will not work in this case. What is required for work:

fiberglass for bumper repair;

polyester (epoxy) resin complete with hardener;

soft brush;

utility knife or scissors;

latex gloves.

Advice. If a bulge or a depression has formed at the place of impact, then immediately after stripping, level it using a construction hair dryer to heat it.Since fiberglass patches will have to be applied on both sides of the damaged area, it is better to dismantle the bumper from the car. After completing all the preparatory work, including stripping paint and degreasing, proceed in the following sequence:

Using a sander with coarse sandpaper (P80-P120), make a depression in the bumper body from the front side, covering a radius of 3-5 cm from the crack. This is necessary so that the fiberglass overlay does not ultimately protrude beyond the plane of the part.

On the back, sand with a coarse sandpaper, but without a depression. Degrease the area and let dry.

Cut out the fiberglass patches. On the front part, you need to make a neat patch, repeating the shape of the recess, and from the rear you can glue a rectangular overlay.

Mix resin and hardener in the proportions indicated on the package. Apply the composition with a brush to the surface, apply a patch (you can in several layers) and saturate it with resin.

Accurately observe the time specified for the curing of the epoxy compound (written on the container with the resin), then carefully clean the repair area with a fine sandpaper. The task is to level the surface by removing the protrusions.

Note. Initially, coarse sandpaper is used in order to create a roughness on the surface of the plastic, which contributes to better adhesion of the polyester adhesive.This completes the work on the repair of the plastic itself, then cleaning, priming and painting are performed using standard technology. The last operation is bumper polishing, it is necessary to give the element a uniform shine.

Numerous cracks, breaks and torn off bumper elements are repaired using thermal methods, in particular, soldering. This painstaking work requires a small set of tools and materials:

a soldering iron with a power of at least 100 W with a wide sting and a wooden handle;
thin metal mesh specially designed for thermal bonding of plastic parts;
knife, nippers for processing broken off segments;
screw clamp;
fine and coarse sandpaper for cleaning seams.

Note. Soldering of serious defects can take hours. During this time, the plastic handle of the soldering iron will warm up so much that it will become difficult to hold the tool with your hand.

In the process of preparing for soldering, the paint must be removed to the base not only from cracks, but also from torn pieces of the bumper. Moreover, in this case, the body kit is not removed from the car until all the gaps are fastened and fixed by soldering, otherwise the element will lose its exact shape.

Soldering technology is implemented in the following sequence:

Important! When soldering the edges of the plastic, you need to hold it motionless and give time to solidify. If you release the part ahead of time, the seam will come apart.

At the end of the soldering procedure, sand the surface of the element, then degrease and paint in the desired color. During further operation, be more careful, because from a strong impact, the bumper can fly to pieces, breaking in the same places. To hold it together more firmly, it is worth using another method - welding with donor plastic.

This is a more efficient way of joining polymer parts, used not only for repairing bumpers, but also for restoring a variety of plastic products. It allows you to more reliably fasten the elements, spending much less time on work than when soldering. To use this technology, you need to prepare the same tools with materials as for soldering, excluding the metal mesh. In addition, for repairs you will need:

hot air gun with a power of 1600 W with the ability to regulate the temperature of the supplied air from 100 to 700 ° C;

universal welding rods compatible with most plastics.

Advice. If you buy or rent a hot air gun, make sure that it has overheating protection with automatic shutdown.The welding technology of a broken bumper is very similar to soldering and differs only at the last stage:

After completing the preparatory stage, align the edges of the cracks, secure them with clamps and grab them with a soldering iron, as described in the previous section. Replace the broken pieces in the same way.

Using a soldering iron, cut the crack along its entire length, making a depression where the welding rod will fit.

Take in one hand a hair dryer heated to 400-600 ° C (depending on the type of plastic), and in the other - a welding rod. Attach its end to the beginning of the cut crack and heat with a hair dryer simultaneously with the surface of the bumper, holding the tool at an angle.

When the bar begins to soften, start laying it in the groove without stopping heating. Fill the groove to the end.

For reliability, make several transverse seams, applying the softened bar directly to the inner surface of the body kit.

Note. To cut a crack, instead of a soldering iron, you can use a cutting or abrasive wheel mounted on an electric drill. But such work requires care so that the potholders do not fly off.If possible, use special welding nozzles for a hair dryer, where a plastic bar is immediately inserted, so that you do not need to hold it with your hands. At the end of the work, the repaired bumper must be repainted and polished.Advice. If you didn’t manage to get a hot air gun, then you can use a special hot glue gun that welds plastic with thinner rods.