Repair of bumpers with your own hands at home (photo)

In the development of the very first cars, such a detail as a bumper was designed to protect the body and doors from damage caused by collisions on the road or collision with obstacles.

Bumpers, like all other elements, were made of metal, they had high strength, and their repair, as a rule, consisted in the elementary restoration of the original shape by the straightening method. The main participants in such events were welding machines, as well as hammers and sledge hammers of various sizes and types (metal, plastic, wooden, rubber).

Modern bumpers and their repair

Today, automotive industry leaders prefer to use polymers to make as many details as possible. These materials have the necessary texture and strength, and also have a number of other significant advantages:

• A light weight.
• Relatively low price.
• Ease of processing.
• Immunity to corrosive processes.

Based on these characteristics, we can conclude that the plastic bumpers can reduce fuel consumption (by facilitating the car), improve the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle due to its streamlined form, as well as reduce the costs of the owner of the car for repair or replacement in case of damage.

In addition, repairing bumpers with your own hands at home becomes much easier and faster. The answer to all possible objections of novice motorists concerning the strength of bumpers from various types of plastic can be numerous test drives. They clearly illustrate how this part, when squashed in a collision, extinguishes part of the energy and effectively protects the engine and body.

Causes and types of bumper damage

Most often, the bumper of the car suffers from carelessness or inattention of the driver, or due to circumstances beyond his control. The location of the repair shops allows you to quickly repair bumpers (HLW and other districts). The main reasons for contacting specialists are:

• Natural wear (impact of destructive weather factors, gravel, gravel).
• The falling of heavy objects on the part, a strong blow.
• Unsuccessful parking.
• A run on a curb or other obstacle.
• Emergency situation on the road.

The result of such adverse situations often become surface damages of the bumper or its mechanical failure (cracks, chips, deformation).

General principles of repair and restoration works

Noticing the crack or chips on the bumper of your vehicle, you should not rush to the repair shop, because even with the minimum availability of tools and experience, it is possible to effectively repair bumpers with your own hands at home.

One of the main conditions for the productive restoration of automotive parts from polymer materials is the proper selection of materials and technology. Repair of plastic bumpers reduces to the assembly of damaged elements (if necessary, fragments with a similar composition are added instead of missing parts), careful comparison of their edges and fixation with the help of glue or soldering apparatus.

Finishing stage, which completes the repair of bumpers on their own, is polishing and painting. These measures are carried out after the main repair of the part, its puttying and stripping.

Remedy for easy damage

As a result of the collision, the bumper takes on a significant part of the impact, in which an unavoidable damage to its integrity occurs. The severity and nature of the breakage can range from minor scratches on the paint to serious dents and the loss of plastic debris.

In those cases when the bumper of the car does not have deep or through damages, and the paint layer remains unscathed, it is possible to repair the bumpers without hands. This procedure requires the presence of a construction hair dryer and car polish. The bumper material under the influence of high temperature expands, pushing out the dent and taking the original shape. Any attempt to level the surface of the bumper without heating will lead to exfoliation of the paint and a rise in the cost of repair work.

After the detail has leveled, it is necessary to walk on it a polish, which will help to hide small scratches and abrasions.

Preparatory work

Those owners of vehicles, who were not lucky enough to get off with a slight fright and a few scratches on the bumper, have to look for ways to restore the damaged part. Repairing bumpers with your own hands at home requires a certain skill, supplies and tools.
In addition, it is necessary to properly select the technology of restoring a plastic part, taking into account the type of polymer material and its composition, and also to follow the sequence of work.

The choice of the repair method depends on several factors:

• Type of polymer;
• The degree of damage;
• Financial possibilities of the car owner.

Find out what plastic is made of a bumper, you can by looking at the markings on the back of the part. This information is important, as not all types of plastic are amenable to soldering.

To the preparatory work can be attributed the search and purchase of plastic, as well as a metal mesh for patching (if necessary), mixtures for grinding, puttying and painting, sandpaper, spatulas, soldering iron and grinding machine.

Methods for restoring the integrity of the bumper

There are several popular methods for comparing parts of a broken bumper, each of them has its own specifics and characteristics.

• Traditional - soldering the broken edges with a soldering iron (with or without plastic pads).
• The method of parallel seams - is to introduce metal pins into the plastic from the back of the bumper. For this purpose, use wire or nails, freed from hats. Soldered seams are designed to strengthen the bumper structure, to give it rigidity and to prevent a new fault at the repair site.
• "Snake" - is similar to the previous method, only copper wires are used instead of pins.
• A patch made of a grid or a grid is one of the most convenient methods. A flexible metal mesh is soldered into plastic, allowing quick and reliable repair of bumpers by hand at home.
  

Insert patches and seams into the plastic preferably on the back of the part. However, if this is not possible, you can solder them from the front, carefully sanding and covering with several layers of putty in the next stages.

How to replace missing parts of a part

In some cases, if damaged, the plastic of the bumper can split into several fragments, which are spilled out and lost. Without these elements, there is no way to restore the part, so experts recommend replacing them with similar plastic patches, metal grilles or fiberglass. Small chips can be filled with epoxy glue and special putty.

Repair bumpers made of fiberglass is different materials used: epoxy resins, fiberglass material, special putty, containing fiberglass.

Painting car bumper

After all global damage is eliminated, and the restored bumper surface is carefully ground and degreased, you can start painting. Beforehand, the part should be covered with a coat of primer and allow it to dry. Carrying out repairs of bumpers with their own hands ("Priora universal", "Hatchback" and other automotive vehicles) and applying a paint and varnish layer, it is worth to follow the manufacturer's recommendations, which are indicated on the cylinder. Often, they relate to the method of spraying, the distance to the surface, the nature of the master's movements and the drying time of the paint and varnish.

Given the consistently high level of popularity of independent repair car works, there are more and more practical tips and instructions on the Internet that allow repairing bumpers by oneself. The photos, videos, comments of the masters and a step-by-step description of all phases really help to ensure high-quality and economical maintenance of your car.