Can You Repair Plastic Bumpers

broken car bumper — broken bumper credits: Chris

Fixing the plastic bumper on your Car or Pickup

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Fixing the plastic bumper on your Car or Pickup

Repair or Replace?
How to Fix Dents on Plastic Machine Bumper
- Yous will need:
- Step Ane – Push the Dent Out
- Step Ii – Hot Water Method
- Step Three – Dry Ice Method
Conclusion

Mike with Scanner Answers here to discuss auto and truck bumpers. These are different than OBD2 scanners but notwithstanding an of import part of your car.

Most new cars and SUV's utilize plastic bumpers for lightness and rigidity. Most of you might non remember the time when mass-produced vehicles were equipped with steel bumpers from the factory (anyone remembers the Ford Crown Victoria from the 1990s?).

While plastic may not provide much protection in the event of a collision, it is important to know that plastic car bumpers serve an aesthetic purpose above anything else. This material is relatively lighter and easily repaired in the unlikely upshot of an accident.

Plastic car bumpers are designed to be flexible. With that being said, plastic bumpers should go back to their original shape when outside pressure is practical. But excessive force may cause dents, cracks, and scratches.

While minor dents can be easily repaired on any given weekend, cracks and deep scratches may require aftermarket repair products (sanding, priming, and painting) to restore the area to similar-new condition.

The following provides the steps you'll need on how to fix a plastic machine bumper. Merely beginning, yous will need to determine if information technology is worth your fourth dimension to repair the plastic bumper rather than replace it with a new one.

Repair or Replace?

If the plastic bumper was plain-featured beyond recognition, then the best remedy would be to supervene upon it. The same goes for major cracks and tears to the plastic surface. Minor scratches (along with modest cracks and tears) can exist repaired with the use of plastic repair products that can exist easily bought at the nearest hardware or auto parts store. But non all plastic bumpers are the same.

Car manufacturers utilise different kinds of plastics that are only compatible with specific repair products sold on the market.

So, how do you determine the type of plastic bumper utilized in your particular vehicle? Remove the plastic car bumper and look for specific markings inside the bumper. The kind of plastic utilized should be stamped on the backside. This could either be PP (polypropylene), TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) or PPO (polyphenylene oxide). These plastics can smear easily when machine sanded. Plastics that produce powdery residue when sanded or grounded can be classified as PUR (polyurethane plastic rigid) and TPUR (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer). dent from hail

If y'all are looking to repair severe damage to your plastic bumper, you should buy a repair production that is compatible with the type of plastic used in your vehicle. This alone can save you a lot of time and money.

How to Gear up Dents on Plastic Machine Bumper

There are a multifariousness of ways on how to remove dents on a plastic car bumper. Continue in mind that information technology would be best to remove the whole bumper cover to hands facilitate the repair process. This process might prove catchy as plastic bumpers are held on to the torso past the use of screws, nuts, bolts, and fasteners. Take your time to thoroughly map the location of these fasteners to hands remove the bumper comprehend from the body.

You volition need:

Pilus dryer or hot air gun
Manus gloves
Piece of terry textile
Pocket-sized wooden block (optional)
Pot of boiling water

Step One – Button the Dent Out

Attempt to push the dent out with your blank hands by accessing the contrary side of the paring. Some dents will pop out this way. But don't push too hard, either. Give it a slight nudge. You might be able to remove small-scale dents using only your blank hands.

If not, endeavor to use a hair dryer or hot air gun and point it direct at the dented surface. Maintain a reasonable corporeality of altitude between the hair dryer and the plastic surface. It will unremarkably take less than v minutes of heating for the bumper to exist pliable enough to get rid of the nasty dent.

Use a wet terry cloth towel (or a small wooden block) to push the dent out when the surface is thoroughly heated. Do this sparingly. Endeavor to view the bumper from various angles to encounter if the paring has been removed. Y'all may also use a gasbag gun for stubborn dents but be wary of the painted surface as excessive estrus may burn the pigment.

Step 2 – Hot Water Method

This method has been proven effective to remove minor dents or "waves" from the plastic surface. With the plastic bumper removed from the torso, cascade a nominal amount of humid hot water to the inside role of the bumper.

Motion the bumper from side to side to misemploy the hot water over the entire surface of the bumper. Place the bumper on a tabular array and utilize a folded terry cloth towel to push the dent out. It would be best to use a massaging motion while doing this procedure. Practice the same process as if removing wax or shine from the surface. Remember to use gloves while doing this. Be careful not to burn or scald yourself in the procedure. Do not cascade hot water direct to any painted surface.

Remove the hot water and let the bumper cool. View the plastic bumper from an angle to check if the dent is removed. Echo the process when necessary. Recollect to let the bumper cool before repeating the entire process.

Step Three – Dry out Water ice Method

You might have heard of this method before. The principle is quite simple, actually. Rapid heating and cooling of the plastic surface will cause most dents to pop back into shape.

All you lot need are hand gloves, a hair dryer, some dry out water ice, and a piece of aluminum foil. The first pace is to heat the damaged expanse using a hair dryer. Side by side, put on your safety gloves and grab a pocket-size block of dry ice and identify information technology on elevation of the dent. Y'all can employ a thin sheet of aluminum foil to insulate the pigment from frost damage.

It shouldn't have as well long for the paring to pop dorsum into its original shape. If the dent was only partially repaired, simply reheat the bumper and repeat the steps mentioned above. This method will work great on shallow and minor dents, and there is no need to remove the unabridged bumper from the frame.

Equally an added tip, the dry out ice method will also work on dented metal surfaces.

Decision

When coin is tight, information technology is best to set up your own plastic auto bumper. You volition non only save coin, merely you will brand yourself proud for solving a nasty trouble that you previously thought was only possible by hiring the services of a professional.