How to repair a cracked bumper yourself. Repairing a cracked bumper on a car Cracked bumper how to do

Structurally, the bumper device is intended to protect the vehicle body from collisions at low speeds or when hitting certain obstacles. This device designed to absorb all the energy of the impact, thereby protecting the car body itself from deformation. Initially, such devices were made of metal and were quite bulky, although they coped with the task perfectly. However, fashion trends and trends have led to the use of plastic design elements.

IN modern world the bumper practically does not play the role of protection, since the elegance and aerodynamics of the device come first. The vast majority of new manufacturers do not resort to the use of metal buffers, using various types of polymers and plastics. If the vehicle has defects, then repairs should be made plastic bumper yourself, but first you need to study all the materials below.

1. Defects that spoil the appearance of the bumper

The vehicle often operates in harsh conditions, as a result of which the bumper structure is affected by a large number of negative factors. These are sand and pebbles that fly off the wheels of other road users, collisions, collisions, rough terrain. It is all these above reasons that are the root cause of the need to repair the bumper of your car. Modern experts classify all bumper defects depending on the level of damage.

Scratches are permanent damage to the surface. They are divided into superficial And deep. If the former can only spoil appearance, then the latter will degenerate and transform into cracks. Cavities or dents involve deformation of local bumper surfaces due to chemical and mechanical influences. Cracks are through-and-through damage to the bumper. They have different configurations and sizes, as a result of which they tend to increase in length depending on the effect of vibration. In addition, these malfunctions guarantee a decrease in the rigidity and density of the entire part. Breaks are through penetrations of the buffer walls, which imply the formation of holes.

2. Preliminary preparation of the bumper

All necessary work you need to start by directly removing the bumper from the vehicle. This is done directly so that it will be as convenient as possible to carry out repairs and reach all the necessary areas that are inaccessible with this part installed. After this, a number of certain necessary procedures will be carried out:

- thorough washing and cleaning of dirt from the bumper;

Determining the type of material that underlies the part (this is done in accordance with exactly how the manufacturer marked his product on the inside of the buffer by stamping or melting).

It is also necessary to remove the paint coating and primer in the area where all restoration robots will be carried out, both from the internal and external surfaces of the part (the coating is removed at least 1-1.5 mm from the boundaries of the defect). If cracks occur, then it is necessary to drill all their ends (this is done in order to prevent further spreading of the material), and treat the joint surfaces. In the cracks themselves through grinding machines and sandpaper, it is necessary to make certain grooves into which all repair composites will be placed.

3. The process of repairing cracks on the bumper

It is important to note that all subsequent work will directly depend on the material that served as the basis for the design and body of the bumper, both front and rear. One of the most common types of bumper damage is cracks. So, quite often the torn hole is simply not on the bumper itself, and repairing cracks using a variety of methods is not always effective. Based on these considerations, it is necessary to determine which method would be better suited to resolve such a problem. It is best to sew all parts of the cracks together using staples.

However, the use of this kind of method will necessarily take into account the material from which the vehicle's bumper is made. In this way, plastic, which is sufficiently soft and flexible, can be sewn using a stapler. However, there are cases when the bumper is made of a brittle type of plastic. In such a situation, it is impossible to use a stapler, since it can completely split the plastic of the bumper.

But still, in any case, it will first be necessary to drill out all the existing ends of the cracks in order to avoid their expansion in the future. As a result, the stitching procedure can begin. If you cannot use a stapler, then for repairs it is necessary, in addition to the repair kit, to use staplers and a soldering iron, a thin drill. Using the latter, you need to prepare holes where the staples will go. Due to their installation, using a soldering iron, you can recess them directly into the plastic of the bumper.

Of course, they often do without pre-drilling holes, since the staples are inserted by heating them. After the cracks have healed, the surface of the bumper should be degreased and covered with fiberglass, and then with putty. It is in this case that the technology will fully justify itself and its reputation.

Thus, there is no longer any need to contact service center in order to repair almost minor damage that you can fix for free yourself.

4. What is needed to repair cracks on the bumper

In order to repair the front and rear bumpers, remove all dents and cracks, and perform straightening, the motorist will have to have several professional tools available. Gas-burner or a heat gun will serve as excellent tools for straightening and repairing plastic products. Both the first and second devices have a number of positive aspects, but all of them will relate only to operation and shelf life, and not to the direct quality of work.

Quite often, motorists began to use an electric or air soldering iron, which are intended for soldering damaged elements. Some elements have temperature regulators, which is generally beyond praise. Of course, in addition to these devices, To repair the bumper, it is necessary to use other materials, which include: sanding paper, adhesion activator primer, enamel, putty for removing cracks. Using all these elements, you can repair the bumper of your car with your own hands.

The bumpers of modern cars are made mainly of plastic; they are damaged in a minor accident and are not hit by an obstacle.

Various car services repair body parts, some of them specialize in this type of restoration work. In order to save money, some car owners repair plastic bumpers with their own hands. What features there are when independently restoring these body elements will be discussed in the article.

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

• damaged paintwork;
• there are scratches on the plastic element;
• Cracks have formed in the bumper due to a collision with an obstacle or a minor accident.

If the front or rear of the car was hit hard, the bumper most likely cannot be repaired. But specialized car repair shops often take on the task of repairing a badly damaged plastic bumper. The whole question is whether 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 SB can be different; it depends on the level of car service, the degree of damage to the part, and the complexity of restoration. For example, in Moscow, restoration of a bumper can cost from 2,500 rubles, and painting one element will also cost from 5,000 rubles. There are auto repair centers that promise to repair a bumper for 500 rubles and complete the repair within one or two hours. There is no point in relying on advertising; most likely, car owners are being deceived, or the repairs are performed here poorly.

Restoring a plastic bumper

Repair of the front or rear bumper varies in complexity; there are main types of work that are carried out on body elements:

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

Restoring a plastic bumper requires care and precision, sufficient experience, and only a qualified craftsman can perform the job efficiently.

Repairing the bumper 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 budget, and the owner of the car is “hands-on,” you can try to repair the PB yourself. Much depends on the degree of damage; you can restore a slightly damaged body part with your own hands. Repairing a front bumper (with a crack) is carried out by removing 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.

Prepare the bumper for gluing as follows:

• Wash the damaged area to be repaired thoroughly with soapy water and allow the plastic time to dry thoroughly;
• We sand the area to be repaired and remove the paint coating from it. We clean the paint so that the area freed from it can be pasted with tape;
• 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 disk;
  
• clean the treated surface with 3M 08985, wait for the degreaser to completely evaporate;
• stick the tape with outside area to be glued;
• With inside we fix the reinforcing mesh;
• mix the epoxy components in a one to one ratio;
• Apply the prepared composition to the reinforcing mesh with a spatula, push it inward, it should seal the crack;
• heat the crack with infrared drying (6-8 minutes). If special device no for drying, let the glue dry at room temperature approximately 30 minutes;
• remove the tape, degrease, treat the front part with an adhesion activator;
• prepare the composition for the front side;
• apply glue to the outside of the crack;

• Let the parts dry again;
• We treat the dried surface with abrasive wheels, first with a coarser abrasive (180), then with fine sandpaper (240, at the end of processing - 400);
• we blow the repaired area with compressed air, clean it with the composition from the 3M 08985 kit, and wipe it with a dry cloth. Now the bumper is ready for painting.

Damage to the bumper can be different - in one case it is just a crack, in another, pieces of plastic fly off upon 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 pieces of the bumper break off and are lost, we first modify the damaged areas and give them a rectangular or triangular shape.

We carry out the work in the following order:

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

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

If you cannot cut the required piece exactly to 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 hole is formed around the patch.

The surface can be leveled in two ways:

• melt everything on the outside with plastic;
• Apply a layer of putty to the surface, then treat it.

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

Made from thermoplastic plastics (thermoplastics). When heated they melt, and when cooled they return to their original state. The technology for restoring such plastic - welding - is based on this principle. It allows you to efficiently repair, for example, cracks and through breaks in bumpers and even restore their brackets. The same method is used to repair all kinds of moldings, extensions and trims, as well as engine compartment elements, including housings and headlight brackets.

Drawing an analogy with metal welding, in such repairs of plastics, plastic rods are used instead of electrodes or wire. They have a different profile, color, but most importantly - composition. It is selected according to the markings on the element being repaired. For the production of automotive mounted plastic, only a few types of thermoplastics are used. In 90% of cases it is polypropylene (PP), and the rest is, for example, ABS plastic.

Welding of plastic occurs at high temperatures. For polypropylene this is 400–430°C, and, for example, for ABS plastic - 500°C. The repair area and the rod are heated to this temperature with a special hairdryer. Since the process involves plastic of the same composition, the original structure of the thermoplastic is ultimately completely restored. The resulting connection is in no way inferior to the original monolithic zone. This effect can be compared to modeling plasticine from one set. Unlike metal welds, traces of plastic repairs are completely sanded down during the process of preparing the surface for painting.

With the help of welding, in principle, any damage is treated and even broken elements are recreated. As usual, technological freedom of action is limited economic expediency work in each specific case. For example, repairing one, albeit large, tear in the bumper (taking into account its removal, installation and subsequent local painting) usually costs half as much as buying a new body element and completely painting it. But treatment of more numerous injuries may no longer be practical. One example: a crack and damage to the fastenings of the mirror trim of a budget car. Works on full restoration and painting will cost more than the cost of a new element, which immediately goes into color.

Let's look at two examples of plastic restoration work:

1. Repair of numerous through holes in the rear bumper.

It is not economically feasible to restore such a bumper. But you can clearly show the possibilities plastic welding. To begin with, the master, using a hair dryer, straightens numerous dents in several stages and, using metal tape, fastens the places of ruptures.

Preparation for welding begins from the inside of the bumper. A groove is machined along the joint of the breaks and its edges are later processed. As often happens, preparatory work take up the most time.

The plastic of this bumper is marked “PP” (polypropylene). The master selects a rod with the most suitable profile from a set with this composition.

The front part of the bumper is first sanded and the welding process is repeated in the same way as the inner side.

After welding the external seams, the surface is gradually sanded and produced final leveling dents so that the layer of putty during local painting is minimal.

2. Bumper bracket repair

Using the example of the same long-suffering bumper, we will consider more profitable renovation. Often, due to a broken fender mounting bracket, the entire bumper is ordered to be replaced. Basically, only his ears suffer, but welding will come to the rescue if the whole bar falls off with them. Such repairs are done without local painting, so it saves a lot of money.

Work begins from the top side of the bracket. The master processes the edges at the repair site and glues it with reverse side tape, which acts as a temporary base, and welds the plastic rod.

After laying the rod, it is additionally melted and crimped with special tongs. Next, by analogy, welding is carried out on the inside of the bracket.

There is no need to talk about the unreliability of the plastic bumper - drivers know how susceptible this part of the car is to damage. A careless movement, a slight blow - and it cracked, not to mention scratches, chips and other small things. Therefore, many drivers have a question about how to repair a bumper with their own hands. Properly done DIY plastic bumper repair is much more profitable than car service services, primarily in terms of financial costs. Repairing at home also allows you to do everything conscientiously and the way you see fit.

Bumper restoration

Restoring a bumper is not a very difficult job. Here it is important to know some of the subtleties that allow you to repair plastic yourself, and to have the skills to handle the tool. Before repairing a plastic bumper, it must be properly prepared. Do-it-yourself bumper repair, puttying and painting require preliminary procedures.

Preparatory procedures before repair

Let's figure out what operations are needed before repairing a plastic bumper:

• restoration or tuning of the bumper begins with dismantling - it is more convenient to do the repair yourself if the product is removed from the car;
• Carefully remove dirt and thoroughly wash the surface - it should be clean and dry. Do-it-yourself plastic repair requires this operation;
• determine what it is made of. Do-it-yourself plastic repair may vary depending on what material you have to work with;
• in those areas where the bumper will be restored, the paintwork must be removed. Before you repair the damage yourself, you will have to thoroughly clean and degrease the area around it;
• Before repairing, drill out the crack through holes at the ends to prevent further spreading;
• the crack has joining edges - before sealing it, a groove is made along the joints for filling with composite.

Read also: How to repair a car fender yourself

After all of the above has been completed, you can begin repairing the plastic bumper yourself.

Basic principles during repairs

When restoring a bumper with your own hands, you need to adhere to some nuances. They repair based on whether it is thermoactive or thermosetting - before you repair the product yourself, it is important to find out.

You can repair a body kit made of thermoactive plastic using a hair dryer or welding. Welding helps to make high-quality repairs plastic with your own hands, removing all the cracks and breaks. Do-it-yourself repairs at home are quite easy to do if we are dealing with thermoactive material.

Restoring a plastic bumper with your own hands is more difficult if the work is done with a thermosetting material. In this case, welding will not help - the thermosetting structure prevents the product from melting. Do-it-yourself plastic repairs are then carried out using reinforcement and gluing.

Welding a crack using an electric soldering iron

Do-it-yourself restoration of plastic is carried out using ordinary electric soldering iron, if we are talking about a thermoactive structure. After the part has been prepared in the manner described above, you need to work according to the following algorithm:

• connect the edges of the crack as tightly as possible and start soldering from the inside - act carefully, checking how the plastic reacts to temperature;
• use staples from furniture stapler- implant them from the reverse side at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other;
• Using a soldering iron, immerse the staples into the part and make sure that the tips do not show on the front part. The staples are susceptible to corrosion, so they need to be hidden in plastic;
• make a neat seam on the front part;
• Using a machine with an abrasive wheel, sand the seam, gradually changing the abrasive to reduce the grain size;
• use putty for plastic if sanding does not give a smooth surface;
• Cover the part with a primer and paint it after drying.

Do-it-yourself restoration at home is carried out using a hair dryer and plastic electrodes. Before you repair the part yourself in this way, make sure that the electrodes are made of the same material.

Gluing refractory body kits

Do-it-yourself repairs to products made of fiberglass or thermosetting plastics are carried out using the gluing method.

In this case, you need to follow the following algorithm:

• connect the edges of the crack tightly and secure with tape;
• prepare epoxy resin and fiberglass;
• glue layers of fiberglass from the inside out;
• go to the front part - fill the groove with fiberglass with epoxy resin until the surface is leveled;
• after drying, grind using a machine with an abrasive tool;
• use plastic putty to prepare the surface for priming and painting;
• sand the putty again and cover it with several layers of primer;
• coat the product with paint and varnish.

The main function of the bumper is to protect the body from possible damage that may occur during the operation of the vehicle. In most cases, it is he who suffers from mechanical damage, attacks by small stones from the road surface and as a result of an accident.

The winter period is considered the most dangerous, since there is a high risk of an emergency on the road, which can cause damage to the bumper or its splitting. You can purchase a new part, but such a purchase is quite expensive.

It will be much cheaper to repair the bumper yourself. This will not take much time and effort, and not a trace of the defect will remain on the repaired part. Another reason why this part of the body may need urgent repairs– its natural aging, which is inevitable even with careful operation of the car.

The bumper must be carefully prepared for painting; the technology for applying paint in this case has virtually no differences with the technology for applying paint on a car body.

There are two types of bumper painting:

1. Complete (removal of the bumper will be required, and the amount of materials used for the work will be much greater than for local repairs).
2. Local painting (in this case there is no need to dismantle the bumper to carry out the work).

Types of bumper defects

The bumper is scratched, what should I do? This is a question that beginners and even experienced drivers often ask themselves when they discover chips or other damage on this part of the body. You can take the car to a service station, or you can try to carry out repairs yourself.

First, you need to thoroughly wash and dry it. This will help assess the full extent of the damage and choose ways to eliminate them. Types of bumper defects:

• Scratches in the form of a grid. The easiest way to eliminate such defects is by regular polishing. Then the damaged area is treated with a special spray, which improves adhesion and is repainted.
• Dents and various chips. In this case, you can also repair the bumper yourself; to do this, you need to remove all dents using special tool and putty.
• Broken bumper. Do-it-yourself repairs in this case are very difficult; to complete the work you need to collect all the pieces of the bumper.

How to repair a bumper

For correct execution For all work, you will need to purchase special materials and tools. In the process, you may need a soldering iron, a hair dryer, a machine for polishing surfaces and circles for it (you can use a regular electric drill with attachments), sandpaper of different grain sizes, and also Consumables(special putty, primer, degreaser and paint and varnish materials).

Before everyone starts repair work It is better to dismantle the damaged bumper. In this case, it will be much more convenient to work and tension of materials at the defect site can be avoided. The part must be thoroughly cleaned of accumulated dust and dirt by washing it in warm water using special car shampoo.

After drying, the broken pieces must be glued and connected with tape. After this, you need to arm yourself with a soldering iron and carry out all the work to restore the integrity of the bumper. To return the bumper to its original shape, all the fragments are soldered on the inside.

Since it is hidden from prying eyes, you don’t have to worry about the aesthetic side when doing the work. The pieces must be soldered very carefully, so that the seam is uniform along the entire length. In order for the repair to last for a long time, it is necessary to additionally solder staples from a furniture stapler into the seam.

You need to choose them so that they do not pierce the bumper all the way through and fit perfectly in length. It is better to use tweezers while doing the work to protect yourself from possible burns.

The staples should be placed perpendicular to the seam at a short distance from each other. All cracks in the bumper that have just begun to appear must also be sealed so that during the operation of the car they do not develop into cracks due to vibration. It is imperative to protect the staples from corrosion by covering them with heated plastic.

After all work is completed, the bumper should return to its original shape. Repairing bumpers with your own hands does not require any special skills, the main thing is to adhere to the technology of performing the work.

How to repair a bumper yourself

After completing all the work to restore the integrity of the bumper, it is necessary to carefully sand the resulting seam. For this you can use a special grinder with circles of different abrasiveness or do all the work using sandpaper.

Needs to be removed old paintwork, remove the primer and level the surface. After soldering, the seam must also be thoroughly polished, smoothing out all irregularities. There is no need to try to get a surface without a single flaw, since there is a possibility of thinning the bumper and only further deforming it.

After completing the work, you need to remove the dust accumulated on the surface by blowing the bumper with compressed air or treating it with a special cloth.

DIY bumper painting

At the next stage, it is necessary to smooth out all defects using a special putty. Only dents and holes need to be filled with the mixture; it is better to remove the layer of putty that is applied to a flat surface.

Each layer must be given enough time to dry (in accordance with the instructions) and only then apply the next layer. After the putty has completely hardened, you can begin to level it using a sander.

The work can be done and sandpaper, but it will require more time and effort. Also carefully processed with sandpaper hard to reach places bumper After this, the bumper is primed with a special two-component acrylic primer.

It must be applied in a thin, even layer to avoid smudges. Be sure to carefully treat problem areas and allow the previous layer to dry. You need to dry the soil for at least a day; you can speed up the process by using a special infrared heater.

The sanding procedure begins only after the drying process is completed and is carried out similarly to the previous stages. Before starting the procedure, be sure to use developing powder to identify possible flaws that remained after the previous stage of the repair.

How to paint the bumper yourself? After finishing, the surface of the bumper is cleaned of dust and degreased. After this, you can start applying paint.

How to paint a bumper with your own hands?

The procedure for choosing a paint color needs to be given a lot of attention so that the subsequently repaired bumper does not differ in shade from the rest of the paintwork on the body. Therefore, it is better to contact service station specialists who will carry out tinting using special equipment.

This procedure is quite expensive, but it guarantees 100% accurate selection of the required paint shade. Before starting work, it is better to try spray paint on the old one. unnecessary detail body to check its quality and shade.

Before starting painting, it is necessary to thoroughly degrease the surface to ensure better adhesion paint coating and base. However, this must be done very carefully, since a large amount of anti-silicone can cause the soil to become wet, and all preparatory work will need to be done again.

The paint is applied in several layers until the desired shade appears, and after the paint has completely dried, the bumper is polished. If it is necessary to paint over only local damage, then grouting and all preparatory work should be carried out only at the site of damage.

Then the entire part is varnished so that the repair area does not stand out. If low-quality varnish was used in the work or it was applied incorrectly, various types of defects may appear, which can sometimes be quite difficult to eliminate.

It is better to apply paint in a room specially equipped for this purpose using a compressor and a spray gun. The paint is applied very carefully so that smudges and other defects do not form on the bumper. Before pouring paint into the spray gun, you must carefully strain it using a special filter or using a regular nylon stocking. The spray gun must be positioned at a distance of at least 20-25 cm from the surface of the bumper.

If a local bumper repair is being carried out, it is not necessary to dismantle it; all preparatory work can be carried out without violating the integrity of the factory assembly. Before painting, it is necessary to protect all parts from paint getting on them using a roll of polyethylene and masking tape.

Then acrylic varnish is applied to the dried paint in several layers. When working, be sure to follow the instructions for it and not neglect the means personal protection when working with toxic paints and varnishes.

In most cases, painting a bumper yourself is much cheaper than turning to professionals, but there is a possibility that various defects due to non-compliance with technology or lack of necessary practical skills.