Repairing a plastic bumper with your own hands in a garage. How to repair a plastic bumper with your own hands? How to repair a plastic car bumper

Bumpers primarily perform protective function and the stronger the material, the better. But modern car manufacturers give preference to polymer products, so they have to be repaired often. Cracks, scratches, dents significantly distort the appearance of the car, which must be restored. You can repair a plastic bumper with your own hands at home, you just need to familiarize yourself with the technology.

General information about the subject

To understand how to repair a bumper with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the damaged object. What is a modern bumper? This is a protective element of the car, in the event of a collision it takes over main blow, therefore, it is in this place that the car is most vulnerable.

Today main material for them it’s plastic. They use thermoplastic plastics that can be repaired by welding, which will not only get rid of small cracks, but also restore the fastening. Knowing how to use welding is not enough; you need to learn how to repair a plastic bumper yourself.

Bumpers primarily perform a protective function and the stronger the material, the better

Lasting plastic material for a bumper has a number of advantages:

Ease.
Does not corrode.
The cost is significantly lower than metal.
Easy to care for.

You need to know the material!

Restoring a bumper with your own hands must be done extremely carefully. Need to pick up the right material, plastics are classified in mechanics. Types are divided depending on strength and composition. Full information is located on the reverse side of the material on the marking:

PP – polypropylene base.
ABS (GF, PAG 6) is a hard type plastic.
PUR – polyurethane.

You can determine the type yourself; it must correspond to the labeling. Incorrectly selected plastic will complicate the repair process. The strength of such an element will be insufficient, and new cracks may appear in the near future.

A little about the “diseases” of bumpers

The bumper is always the center of damage. Even if there is no collision, it is affected by sand, dirt, dust, stones from under the wheels and other factors. As a result, defects appear:

Local damage. These are minor scratches. Deep damage can reach the ground.
Dents. Have a larger diameter, represent surface deformations varying degrees. Occurs as a result of mechanical damage.
Cracks. Through damage. The danger of these defects is that they constantly increase during vibration.
Breaks. The most difficult option. Not only the painting suffers, but also the integrity, parts break off.

Restoration and repair require time and significant costs. In special services, you will be required to pay a large sum, depending on the front of the robots. Car enthusiasts are interested in how to repair a bumper with their own hands, and whether it will be possible to completely restore the appearance of the car. This is quite possible, the main condition is adherence to technology.

Recovery stages

Repair plastic bumper Doing it yourself requires full responsibility and a serious approach to business. It is best to find a specific place and create a home service where no one will interfere. The technology involves several stages and will take some time:

Preparation of the damaged part and material.
Processing the bumper from the inside.

Repairing a plastic bumper with your own hands requires full responsibility and a serious approach to the matter.

Work on the front side: alignment.
Applying primer.
Alignment.
Grinding.
Puttying, if necessary.
Painting.

Preparation

First, the damaged bumper must be disconnected from the car; this can be done with your own hands. Then complete cleaning is required: washing, drying, removing dust. For additional effect, you can degrease the element.

On preparatory stage It is also worth choosing the material that will be used for repairs. You should follow the markings.

The final point is to remove the factory paintwork from the bumper; do-it-yourself repairs must be carried out at all stages, and the last will definitely be a new paint job.

DIY bumper soldering

Restoring the integrity of the bumper

Complete restoration of integrity is the main goal of repair work. A plastic bumper can be repaired using the following methods:

Soldering.
Gluing.
Additional work.

The last point includes getting rid of minor damage and repairing fasteners.

Soldering

The procedure is thermal soldering; it is needed in case of serious damage, when there are extensive dents, through cracks, or breaks. Equipment required for this: a powerful soldering iron, metal grid for fastening, pliers, clamps, sandpaper. The person who will carry out the soldering must take care of safety (protective gloves, glasses, overalls).

Soldering technology is carried out in several stages:

Fixing parts using clamps.
We make tacks at a distance of 2 cm on both sides.
We solder the metal mesh.

Fixing bumper parts with clamps

We connect the plastic parts along the entire length.
We check the soldering from the outside and carry out test soldering.

For those who want to learn how to repair a bumper, you need to learn the first rule. Everything needs to be done very carefully, it is difficult to correct later. In addition to a soldering iron, it is used construction hair dryer.

Gluing

The bumper is cracked, how can I repair a plastic bumper with my own hands if it is made of fiberglass or hard plastic? In this case, gluing is required. The process is a little simpler, but the strength of this method is significantly lower than soldering. To be effective, be sure to degrease. Then use tape to secure it.

The glue is prepared with epoxy resin and hardener. They are sold as a set; how and how much to mix is indicated in the instructions. Additionally, prepare a patch from the material. You need to glue from the inside, the seam is at least 5 cm, after installing the patch, you need to let the surface dry. Large damages are glued on both sides.

DIY bumper gluing

Removing dents, scratches and repairing loose fasteners

A bumper that is made from artificial material, can easily crack or develop other small defects. The advantage of such raw materials is that they can be easily corrected. Small dents can be easily smoothed out with boiling water. On inner surface pour, then the plastic will heat up and level itself. If there are scratches, you cannot do without putties and painting.

There are fasteners on the bumper; if they come off, they need to be attached. For this purpose, soldering and gluing methods are used in accordance with the material.

Grinding

The grinding process is necessary if the bumper needs to be completely repaired. It is carried out after soldering or gluing. This method levels the surface and removes unnecessary defects: parts of melted plastic, glue. This can be done using special brushes or sandpaper. Before painting, the surface must be absolutely flat, old traces of paintwork should also be completely removed. In this case, the damaged areas will not be visible at all.

Painting

Painting – final stage in bumper repair. It is carried out after sanding and priming. It is best to leave this difficult moment to a specialist. He will help you choose a color to match the overall color of the car.

Car bumper painting

Bumper repair cost

In addition to the question of how to repair a cracked bumper, many are interested in how much such repairs will cost. The cost will depend on the brand of car, material and chosen method. Alignment costs a little less, soldering and gluing costs more. Painting and preparation for it are paid additionally.

Experts give important tips how to repair a bumper with your own hands:

If you are not sure about own strength, leave this work to specialists. You shouldn't train in your favorite car.
When choosing materials, be sure to pay attention to the markings. It is not present on fiberglass.
Be sure to go through all stages of repair. A careless attitude has a significant impact on quality.
Small cracks are best repaired immediately. When a car drives as a result of vibration, they tend to increase.

Hello, dear guests and regulars of our site! We continue to talk about painful topics for car owners. Today I’ll tell you about repairing a plastic bumper with your own hands, a video about which will allow you to more clearly study the whole process step by step.

I understand perfectly well that situations are different, just like the bumpers themselves. In some cases, at home it is impossible to return a body kit element to its previous state. Rather than collecting a whole set of tools and auxiliary materials, it is sometimes easier to buy yourself a new one. This applies to both the rear and front bumpers.

But sometimes repairs are the best way out of the situation. The cost of such work will largely depend on the cost of your car. This is if you look for the addresses of car services and contact them. But at home it’s quite possible to make a local one body repair, that is, restore the integrity of the bumper without investing a lot of money. Think about how much a new bumper costs for your car and compare it with the cost of several new fasteners, that is, ears, putty, glue and possibly fiberglass mesh. Here, act according to the situation when choosing materials.

If buying all these consumables is cheaper than buying a new bumper, then feel free to start repairing cracks or chips.

Approximate work plan

Depending on the nature and complexity of the damage, use different methods recovery. Some people prefer to use epoxy resin and reinforce it all with fiberglass mesh. Resin and mesh hold the damaged structure together well and ensure fairly long service life of the body element after repair.

If there are chips and dents, I prefer to use the soldering method with additional priming and puttying of the damaged areas. In principle, damage of any complexity can be restored this way if you put in the effort.

Approximately the work plan for repairing a damaged bumper is as follows:

assessment of the current state;
work from the inside of the bumper;
external side treatment;
alignment;
padding;
applying putty;
finishing and painting.

If you have a simple crack without dents or chips in the paintwork, you may be able to do without painting. But soldering the cracked element will be useful in any case. The technology is not the most complicated. But if you want to get a high-quality result, do not forget to buy the appropriate soldering electrode and learn how to handle the soldering iron itself.

To choose an electrode, don’t just read reviews, but focus on the composition of the plastic from which the bumper is made. For plastic body kits, polyurethane or propylene is used in most cases. Depending on this, you will need appropriate flat plastic electrodes. The price for them is not that high. If you choose the wrong electrode, it simply won't stick and you'll have to do the whole job again. But now with a suitable electrode.

Carrying out repair work

Let's not delay, but let's get to work.

We identify the nature of the problem. Very carefully examine the condition of the bumper after damage. A large crack can branch out and spread quite far. All this will have to be repaired, otherwise the crack will spread further and then again everything will have to be removed, repaired, soldered and glued.
We are preparing a friend for repairs. It is best to remove it, since all damage usually begins at the points where it is attached to the car. Each machine removes the element differently, so we won’t go into details. After dismantling, remove all dirt and dry the plastic.
Choosing a tool. I would recommend soldering as this method bonds the plastic better when the right approach. Glue, epoxy and fiberglass mesh can serve as alternatives or additional fasteners. The choice is yours. I'll tell you about soldering.
Inner side. Soldering always starts from the inside, because this way you can get rid of all the consequences of damage without causing harm outside. Soldering is carried out along the entire length of the damage. If you leave dead-end cracks unattended, they will disperse over time, and you will get a new batch of problems.
Staples. They are used as additional element fixation. The staples are inserted into the plastic along the entire length of the cracks. Approximately insert 1 staple every 2-3 centimeters. If the staples are long, shorten them first. Using a heat gun, melt the plastic of the bumper a little so that the staples fit into the material and do not just stick out of it. The heated plastic is easily smeared, which will allow the elastic material to be evenly distributed. Or, instead of staples, use glue and reinforcing mesh.

Grinding. You will need a grinding machine with an abrasive wheel of type P240. With its help, the shape is restored, the dimensions are equalized, and fine-tuning is done. Plus you remove the paint and primer for later processing.
Soldering. Another soldering procedure is carried out from the outside. Here, proceed in the same way as in the first case, only you do not need to use staples. Then also process and sand everything with an abrasive wheel.
Alignment. You need to remove all dust, small pieces of plastic and other debris, bringing the surfaces of the bumper completely clean. Plastic hairs may remain on the surface, which can be very easily removed with a hair dryer. Next, a special putty for plastic is applied. Try to get to all areas. When the mixture dries, walk over it grinder, and where it doesn’t reach, use sandpaper.
Primer. The bumper must be primed in 2 layers. Take a break of at least 20 minutes between applications. The primer itself is prepared and applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. Mixtures are different, so focus on the specific composition.
Development. This is contrast paint, spray or dry powder. Development is needed in order to identify irregularities and defects after puttying. This way you can easily remove them and bring the condition to perfect evenness.
Removing development. It can be removed with sandpaper or a primer sander.
Putties. Now another layer of nitro putty is applied on top of the primer. The surface is degreased and dried.
Restoration of the paint layer. When the bumper is restored, it is thoroughly polished, then a base is applied - a solvent that will help the paint adhere to the primer. Then comes the paint required quantity layers, varnish and polishing. The main thing here is to choose paint that matches the color of the bumper so that it does not stand out and traces of repair are not noticeable.
There shouldn't be any problems with repairing the mounting lugs. But I advise you to buy a ready-made set of fasteners and install them in place of the old ones. The work will take literally 30 minutes.

Photo and video instructions will make it easier for you to navigate. This technique is one I have personally tested. But there are other ways to repair a damaged bumper. The simplest of them is to contact a service station in St. Petersburg, Neftekamsk or any other city. Moscow alone has hundreds of car repair shops.

Structurally, the bumper protects the car body in the event of collisions at low speeds or collisions with obstacles. It absorbs the impact energy, thereby protecting expensive parts to repair from deformation. Initially, bumpers were made of metal and were bulky. But they did an excellent job with the protection function. Then fashion trends and trends led to the fact that the shapes of the buffers changed dramatically, and they themselves became a material for design experiments.

At the moment, the protection functions of the bumper play a secondary role, with elegance of shape and aerodynamic characteristics taking first place. Modern manufacturers mostly refuse to produce models with metal buffers, using polymers and plastics. If the molding installed on your car has defects, then repairing the plastic bumper with your own hands after studying the materials laid out will not be difficult.

Defects that spoil the appearance of the bumper

The car is operated in harsh conditions and the bumper is exposed to a lot of negative factors. These are pebbles and sand flying off the wheels of other cars, collisions, hitting obstacles, driving over rough terrain. A number of these, as well as other reasons, lead to the fact that the part loses its presentation. Experts classify bumper defects according to the severity of the damage as follows:

Scratches

Permanent surface damage. They are divided into superficial - damaging only paintwork(paintwork) to the primer or base. And deep ones - drawing a mark in the plastic of the bumper. And if the former only spoil the view, then the latter often degenerate into cracks.

Cavities or dents

Deformation of local bumper surfaces due to mechanical or chemical influences.

Cracks

Through damage to the bumper. They have different size and configuration, as well as a tendency to increase its length due to vibration. Among other things, they reduce the rigidity and density of the part.

Breaks

Through penetrations of the buffer walls, during which fragments break off and holes are formed.

All of the above defects require repair. Surface scratches and dents can be removed by sanding, puttying and priming, followed by painting. Deep scratches, cracks and breaks require special attention and studying the technology of performing work.

Preliminary preparation

Work should begin with removing the bumper from its seats. This is done to facilitate repairs and access to areas that are obscured when the part is installed. Then the following procedures are performed:

Cleaning from dirt and thoroughly washing the bumper
Determining the type of material from which the part is made. Manufacturers mark their products with inside buffers by melting or stamping methods.

It is customary to label it like this:

Latin letters PP or PPTV - the product is made of polypropylene
PUR – bumper made of polyurethane
PAG6, GF15, GF30 and ABS are hard plastics (have very high temperature melting – about 5000°C)
The fiberglass part is not marked

If you doubt your ability to determine the material of the product, take a piece from the back of the bumper and consult with specialists.

Removing paint and varnish coating and primer in the area of restoration work from the external and internal surfaces of the part. The paintwork should be removed at least 10-15 mm from the boundaries of the defect.
In case of cracks, drill their ends to prevent further spreading of the material.
Processing of joining surfaces. Using grinding machines and sandpaper, V-shaped grooves are made in the cracks into which repair composites will be placed.

The next steps depend on the material from which the bumper is made. Parts made of thermoactive materials are melted using a hair dryer and special electrodes, or a household soldering iron with a power of 40-100 W is used. Thermosetting materials are restored by applying reinforcing materials followed by gluing.

We carry out bumper repairs using an electric soldering iron

At this method which brings good results, use staples from furniture stapler and a household soldering iron. After execution preliminary preparation(we omit the last point with cutting V-grooves) combine the parts of the part, placing them as close to each other as possible. For better positioning and fixation of fragments, we glue the damaged areas with tape from the front side.

We start fusing from the wrong side. This will allow you to practice and feel the reaction of the polymer to heating without worrying about spoiled appearance. Movements of the tool are carried out evenly, without sudden jerks. The soldering iron tip is moved along the crack with transverse movements, resulting in an even seam. For greater strength it is reinforced.

To do this, we melt staples across the crack every 2-3 cm, holding them with tweezers. To prevent the ends from piercing the front surface, if necessary, shorten them with wire cutters. The paper clips are susceptible to corrosion, so they must be embedded entirely in plastic, pulling the material from adjacent to the damaged areas.

Having completed the repair of the wrong side and acquired practical skills, we move on to the front surface. Having melted the plastic bumper on both sides, we proceed to alignment. To do this, we need an eccentric grinder (ESM) with a P240 abrasive wheel. When sanding a seam, do not try to achieve a perfectly flat surface - you can greatly thin the wall material. It is better to fill the remaining small holes with plastic putty. The polymer hairs remaining after treatment with an abrasive wheel can be burned with an ordinary lighter. After this, the bumper is ready for further finishing work.

Welding with electrodes

Currently, methods for repairing plastic parts using special flat electrodes are becoming increasingly widespread. As welding machine a construction hair dryer with a special nozzle is used, the nozzle opening of which has dimensions of 2..4 by 6..10 mm. Such figures are dictated by the need to create a high temperature in a local area for more efficient melting of the flat electrode.

The latter are on sale in wide range for both polypropylene and polyurethane bumpers. Moreover, electrodes for buffers from different materials not interchangeable. That is, it may be possible to weld with an electrode that does not match the material of your bumper, but the repaired part will not last long.

The connection will be unreliable, cracks under the patches will spread due to vibration when the car is moving, and the bumper will have to be repaired again. Therefore, before performing work, do a test welding - weld a strip halfway to the inner surface of the buffer, let it harden and try to tear it off.

If the material does not separate and comes off with difficulty, then the composition of the electrodes matches the components of the part being repaired. The best option there will be strips of plastic made from pieces of an unwanted bumper, marked in the same way as the one being repaired.

Firstly, the materials are completely compatible, and secondly, there is no need to spend money on purchasing electrodes. When performing work, specialists use a construction hair dryer, called a heat gun, with a function of smooth temperature control. This is explained by the fact that different polymers have their own melting point, different from others. So after you've stocked up necessary materials and the appropriate tool, you can begin to restore the damaged part.

Restoration of a polypropylene bumper

When welding a polypropylene buffer, no reinforcing mesh is used; the structural rigidity is imparted by the melted and then polymerized repair compound. For welding, use flat polypropylene electrodes or pieces of a bumper with markings similar to the product being repaired, 3-4 mm wide.

Accordingly, a nozzle with a nozzle 4-6 mm wide is put on the heat gun. The temperature on a hair dryer is set so that the plastic of the electrode quickly melts, but does not bubble or evaporate. The viscous mass resulting from heating is pressed into the V-shaped groove with little force. As a result, the melted plastic fills the entire fracture, leaving a small protrusion on the surface.

To more accurately join the fragments of the part, welding begins from the middle of the crack. Then the middles of the halves are welded, then the quarters, and so on, until fractures 50-80 mm long remain unprocessed. They can be melted in any order.

Features of repair of polyurethane bumpers

Polyurethane materials have a lower melting point than polypropylene materials, and when heated above +220°C they begin to collapse. Therefore, it is important not to overheat the part, otherwise the polymer will become brittle and lose its properties. Also, when performing preliminary preparation, the ends of the cracks in the polyurethane bumper are not drilled.

The splits are reinforced with a special mesh or staples from a furniture stapler. Then 8 mm wide polyurethane electrodes are laid on top and melted with a construction hairdryer. In this case, the polymer should melt quickly, but without evaporation. Just as in the case of a propylene product, the strips are fused starting from the middle of the crack, then the middle of the half, and so on. For a heat gun, select a nozzle with a 10 mm nozzle.

Technology for working with refractory materials

If the body kit is made of hard plastic or fiberglass, do-it-yourself repairs of plastic bumpers are carried out using the gluing method. In this case, after cleaning and thoroughly washing the part, the following actions are performed:

Treatment of crack edges. After tearing, the edges of the cracks in fiberglass bumpers are framed by threads of material that do not allow the parts to fit tightly together. Interfering fibers are removed using a universal grinding machine(angle grinder), usually called “grinder”.
We combine the joined fragments and fix them on the front part with tape or special glue
Next, epoxy resin or more is prepared modern material– polyester resin, according to the manufacturer’s instructions
From the wrong side, lubricate the crack and an area 50 mm wide next to it with the prepared composition.
We impregnate a thin fiberglass mat with the same mixture and apply it to the fracture
We apply layer after layer of glue and fiberglass until the thickness of the patch is comparable to the thickness of the bumper at the defect site

We are waiting for the fiberglass to harden and move on to sealing the front side
Using a grinder, we make a V-groove on the outer surface so that the edges of the break gently converge towards the patch
We fill the resulting groove with fiberglass impregnated polyester resin, until completely leveled
After the repair compound has hardened, we grind the ESM

Then the restored part is puttied, cleaned, degreased, primed in several layers, and painted. Please note that only specialized putty for plastic should be used. And if the bumper is painted in the color of the body, the enamel is additionally coated with varnish in 1-2 layers. Afterwards, the bumper is installed in place, and the use of high-pressure washers is avoided for 2-3 weeks.

In addition to the fact that the bumper performs a protective function, it also serves decorative element decorations. It is not surprising that it is so important for us to keep him in good condition and provide him with decent care. Even if damaged, it can be repaired, and this alone can save you several thousand rubles instead of purchasing a new product. Presentability appearance the front bumper is lost over time, because today they are made of flexible but fragile plastic. Experts classify several types of damage to this element:

cracks, which are considered rather unsafe damage. During operation, due to constant vibration loads, they increase in size, and this may be accompanied by unpleasant knocking sounds;
scratches - as a rule, they begin with small ones, but constantly become larger, becoming cracks over time;
dents - appear due to mechanical impact and lead to the creation of other deformations;
various chips that occur after contact with sharp hard objects.

Preparatory work

Each type of damage requires an individual repair technique and algorithm for its implementation. However, before this, the product should be prepared at home. First, the bumper is removed from the car - this is done to make working with it more convenient. After this, it must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, dust, oil residues, bitumen and other things.

The damaged area of the product plus an additional couple of centimeters is cleaned of primer, paint and varnish residues. It is necessary to carry out this work both from the outside and from the inside. Now you should install the bumper material (front or building). It is believed that they are all made of plastic, but each has its own marking, which can be seen on the reverse side. These are propylene, polyurethane foam, various styrene and others. If there is no marking, then the product is made of fiberglass or fiberglass. In any case, you can find relevant information on the Internet.

“Home” welding repair technique

One of the most reliable repair methods is surfacing bumpers using electrodes. As you guessed, we will need a hair dryer and special flat electrodes, which can be purchased in the departments of auto stores. Let's get started with the work:

It is necessary to check the compatibility of the electrode and the material used to produce the bumper that is cracked. The best thing is to find a piece of an old analogue for testing.
Let's try to weld a strip of electrode. If it holds securely, then we can pick up our damaged bumper.
We find a crack and begin to weld it from the middle to the edges. As soon as the center is processed, we seal the surrounding areas.

Simplified recovery option

You can resort to a simpler method in terms of equipment and execution. For him we need to stock up electric soldering iron, a grinder, an electric drill and metal staples that are used in staplers. This option is less reliable, but you should weld the brackets with an assistant. We adhere to the following procedure:

Using a drill with a small drill, we drill holes along the edges of the damage so that it does not expand further.
We bring the deformed areas together and stick a piece of tape.
Turning the bumper over inside up.
Now the soldering itself begins. We run the soldering iron along the crack itself, continuing to work from the inside.
Now we take a pack of staples from the stapler with tweezers or pliers and begin to weld them with plastic. This should be done carefully, ensuring a reliable connection.
You can turn the product right side up.
The same procedure is carried out for the “face”, with one difference - staples will not be used here.
It's time for sanding. We pick up a machine and a circle of type P240. Carefully smooth out the unevenness. If necessary, you can remove plastic hairs with a lighter. Additionally, rivets can be installed for strength.

And here is another, by the way, the most budget option.

As you can see, dear friends, welding a bumper at home is not something outstanding. If you approach the issue carefully, you can do it yourself and use the saved money on fuel for your car. In the future, I will try to delight you with new practical materials on the topic of car repair and care. I recommend subscribing to blog updates. I was with you

Even the most experienced driver cannot be insured against damage to the bumper of your car. If not you, then you. If it can be resolved through the insurance company, good. If the insurance doesn’t work, then there are two options: trust the professionals (here, too, it often happens) and shell out a considerable amount, or repair the bumper yourself.
It all starts with assessing the damage. Usually a bumper is not very expensive, especially if you buy a Chinese analogue. If the bumper is damaged quite seriously, then restoring it is out of the question - it will cost more. Repair work It is advisable to restore a plastic bumper if there is a small crack or cracks, scratches, chips, dents, or if a replacement cannot be found at all.

Before repairs, it is advisable to remove the bumper for convenience. The entire restoration process, right down to painting, can be conveniently performed on a separate stand.

Procedure

Remove the damaged bumper;

Wash it well;

Remove the paintwork from the damaged area;

Clean the outer and inner surfaces with a coverage of 10-15 mm on the sides from damage. The paint layer removed during cleaning must be at least 0.2 mm, since the top layer of the surface often changes its properties during operation, which can affect the quality of our repair seam;

Carry out the actual repairs - we will consider the methods below;

Primer and painting will be required in most cases.

To repair a bumper with your own hands, you will need a minimum set of tools:

- Car hair dryer. This is a special device, in appearance and principle of operation no different from a regular hair dryer. The only difference is that the flow of hot air from such a hair dryer has a higher temperature and can soften or melt the plastic.

- Soldering iron. You can use any soldering iron, preferably a more powerful one. Rosin and tin are not required, this is not the case.

- Metal mesh. These are sold in specialized stores. The mesh will allow you to hold pieces of plastic together. You can use an old air filter.

- Priming. A regular can of automotive primer will do just fine. If you have a compressor and a spray gun, then that's even better. Choose for yourself - it doesn't matter.

- Putty. No matter how perfect you are at sealing the cracks, you will still need putty. The exception is if this place is not visible.

- Sandpaper. For rubbing putty numbers 40 and 80, and for rubbing primer already 800.

- Any rag. It will be needed when washing the bumper, and when working with a hairdryer, because straightening hot plastic with bare hands not always comfortable. It is also good to use gloves.

- A piece of an old bumper. It will be needed in exceptional cases when there is not enough plastic.

It may be advisable to buy a repair kit, which includes such items as sandpaper, various touch-up paints, and fillers. Such kits are not that expensive and may turn out to be cheaper than taking everything separately, since the kits use small packaging - why do you need a whole bottle of primer for a small crack? Also putty, etc.

Bumper repair

To begin with, a qualitative inspection is carried out at good lighting. Determine how many cracks, scratches, chips and dents there are on your bumper. We immediately calculate the amount of mesh, putty and other Supplies. It is best to do this before purchasing consumables and missing tools.

Now let's carefully examine the inside of the bumper. There you need to find extruded (in some cases melted) information about the material of the product. Depending on the type of marking, the following conclusions can be drawn:
PP type designations (PPTV20 and analogues) – the bumper is made of propylene;
mark PUR – polyurethane bumper;
PAG 6 (GF, ABS) – designation of hard plastics.

But this is not a complete list of materials from which car bumpers are made. You can also find parts made of fiberglass and similar carbon, but markings are applied to them very rarely and the most that can be found is information about the manufacturer. But if your bumper is made of hard (thermoset) plastic or carbon fiber, then repairing plastic bumpers of this type is different from repairing products made from other materials.

Cracks.

If there is a crack on the bumper, then we will need a soldering iron and a mesh. Turn the bumper over so the wrong side is facing you and cut the mesh. It is worth making oblong pieces 2-3 centimeters wide and the cracks long in size. Bring the edges of the crack together and solder one end of the mesh. We need to drown it in plastic, but don’t get too carried away, you can just make a hole. After this, the end of the mesh should be covered with molten plastic. Next, in this way, we solder the entire crack.

Let's evaluate the outer side of the bumper. If everything is ideal there, then there is no need to do anything. Otherwise, we pass through the mesh and along outside. The main thing is to hide the ends of the mesh so that nothing sticks out. When you sharpen the putty with sandpaper, you will regret the protruding mesh hairs.

Small cracks, instead of mesh, can be reinforced with staples from a furniture stapler. The size of the paper clips should be chosen so that their legs do not pierce the body. If there are no suitable staples, then you can take others and shorten them to the desired length. Use tweezers when soldering fittings, this way you will protect yourself from burns.

We place the staples perpendicular to the seam at a distance of 1-2 cm along the entire length of the fracture. We also fuse barely visible cracks and branches. Otherwise, in the future, due to vibration, they will develop into splits. To protect the staples from corrosion, completely cover them with heated plastic, pulling it from adjacent areas. After you fuse the bumper along the inside, the front surface should return to its original shape.

If the cracks on the bumper are large or there are fasteners nearby (places where the bumper is attached to the body), since the nearby surface of the bumper often breaks, it is advisable to tighten the crack with screws before soldering. A fairly simple but very effective method is proposed.

We take a hanger - it’s exactly called a “metal hanger for attaching guides”, you can find them in any hardware store. We need it to tighten the crack with screws.

We cut it with a hacksaw or a grinder as shown in the photo, depending on the type of crack in the bumper. Usually parts 1 or 2 are used - the holes used are painted blue. Although it happens that when two cracks come together, piece of iron No. 3 is used. Below is an example of the location of the plates on a bumper crack.

In the figure, the working holes for the bolts are shown in blue. We drill holes in the bumper for screws, put a plate on the back side, insert a screw into the holes and secure the entire structure with nuts.

If you are repairing a bumper for the first time, then be sure to carry out this procedure from the inside (and it’s better not the first time either).
Place a plate on the crack. Through the holes in the plate, drill holes in the bumper with a drill with a diameter of 3.6 to 3.8 mm. Drill so that the drill bit is closer to the outer edge of the plate hole.
the drilled hole in the bumper must be countersinked so that the screw head “sinks” into the bumper. If there is no countersink, you can use a drill instead, with a diameter slightly larger diameter screw heads. When countersinking, do not overdo it, do not countersink right through! But you also don’t need to make the hole too small. And one more thing - you can countersink by hand, just with your hand, make a couple of turns with a large drill in the hole drilled for the screw - and the desired angle for the head is ready.

We check the quality of the soldering. Stagger around the crack after it dries. If everything is flimsy, you will have to resolder it. However, this cannot be allowed; everything must be done for sure. After healing the crack, the surface of the bumper should also be degreased and covered with fiberglass and then putty.

Dents

If the dent turns out without a scratch, that is, the paintwork remains intact, you are very lucky. You can straighten it out in minutes. This will complete the restoration of the bumper. All you need to do is wet a regular rag, turn on the hairdryer and heat the dent on the back side. They usually warm up for no more than thirty seconds. Then we reel damp cloth onto your fist and begin to bend the plastic back. We do everything carefully and without using much force. The main thing is not to push everything out. You can do several approaches with a break of ten minutes, allowing the plastic to cool.

In the case where, in addition to the dent, there is also a crack, we perform the same actions, but with the expectation of further puttying and painting the surface.

Chips and scratches

You can fight them with sandpaper. We take the largest one (number 40) and start rubbing. It is necessary to sharpen the pits, turning everything into a more or less flat surface. The hole, in fact, increases in diameter, but loses in depth. Then we will fill this depth with putty. It is advisable to use body bars if available, but you can also rub with the palm of your hand.

Detailed instructions for removing chips and scratches on a car - for those who need it.

A good result is obtained by using liquid plastic that matches your type of plastic on the bumper. Be sure to consult with the seller, first writing down the type of material of your bumper.
Apply masking tape (preferably self-adhesive fiberglass tape) to the front surface of the bumper. Mix the adhesive and thickener on the cardboard. Apply the resulting mixture onto the masking tape. This is done to level the surface of the bumper. Next, the masking tape is removed, and the surface is again cleaned and sanded. Liquid plastic is applied to this place. After the plastic has hardened, you need to sand the surface.

Putty

Let's prepare the putty by adding a hardener to it. After this, we will immediately apply to the place of dents (if the paintwork is damaged), cracks, scratches or chips. This is done naturally after the above-mentioned measures to eliminate breakdowns.

You should wait ten minutes before starting work. Let's take it sandpaper number 80. Using movements directed towards the left and right edges of the bumper, begins to rub in the putty. Sooner or later you will come to the desired result. Of course, you should respect the geometry of the body if the breakdown occurs in some not very convenient location. You can apply several additional layers of putty to make the surface more even.

We prime

Let's take a rubber rag, wash the bumper and let it dry. Let's check the result one last time. If you are happy with everything, then you can start priming. We take the cans or turn on the compressor. You need to apply the primer with movements directed, again, towards the left and right edges of the bumper. Basically, you need to draw a horizontal line when spraying.

Let the soil dry completely. After this, you will need to take eight-hundredth sandpaper and wash it thoroughly. This is done with a bottle of water. No matter how local the damage is, the entire bumper is completely washed out. It should become matte after drying. And the first layer of primer will be completely washed away, leaving only gray dots in the marks and pores on the putty.
Let's apply another layer of primer, which we will also wash off. Check the evenness of the surface under the lamp. There should be no small pores or marks left. The surface at this stage should be perfectly flat.

Now the bumper is completely ready for painting. We advise you to paint everything as soon as possible.

Repair of plastic bumpers made of thermosetting plastics and fiberglass

On the one hand, this method does not require great skills and abilities from you, but on the other hand, you must strictly follow all the instructions. Only in this case can you achieve a good result.

Procedure for carrying out repairs:

we combine the cracked parts, fix them with any quick-drying glue;

prepare the epoxy resin for further use;

take a brush and coat the area of the crack ranging from 5 cm wide from the inside of the bumper;

We impregnate the fiberglass mat with epoxy resin and lay it on the prepared area. If such material is not available, the mesh used to seal plasterboard joints may be suitable. In the latter case, you will have to apply another layer of epoxy.

It should be noted that during this procedure it is necessary to repeatedly apply fiberglass layer by layer so that the approximate thickness of the glued patch corresponds to the thickness of the bumper in this area. Front side the product remains unglued. The putty used to hide solder marks and other irregularities must be designed specifically for plastic in any case. Next, you should paint the finished bumper and screw it into place. If you believe the statistics and try the method in practice, then in subsequent operation, if cracks appear on it, then in some other place, but definitely not in the place of the seam we sealed.

In any case, you should not forget that the bumper is, first of all, the face of the car and requires proper care and timely repairs. Whether it will be an independent repair or a bumper repair at a car service center is up to you.