Bumper Repair

jonjon · Post by **jonjon** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:43 pm

I have a Honda civic and thanks to some nice person who bumped my car whilst in a local car park I now have a 3inch split in the rear corner of the bumper. I have managed to refix it to the body by virtue of the mudguard and for the moment it appears fine. When we have a spell of sunny weather I would like to attempt a more permanent repair. Is there a special glue that is used for these plastic bumpers?

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 11:58 pm

No they are welded using some chemical mix. Have a look http://www.lvvservices.com/plasticwelding.htm

DWD

jonjon · Post by **jonjon** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 6:33 pm

Thanks
dewaltdisney for that info and the link, as you say looks like it is welded.
Had a closer look at mine and when I marry up the two pieces you can just see the split, more like a hair line crack. So think I will take the bumper off and rub down the surrounding (on the inside) area brace the two pieces and spread some fibre glass and if that holds will try a little touch up paint and then a little going over with some rubbing compound.
So thanks once again much appreciated.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:02 pm

Yes, that will work I think. The reason they are welded is because they are designed to bend a little in low impact collisions. Obviously the way you intend to repair it will be weaker but I do not suppose that you make a habit of colliding with things

My only thought is whether fibre glass resin will bond to the plastic??????

Good luck

DWD

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:33 am

Certain plastics are very difficult to bond, polethylene being one of them, it would be marked >PE<
Not sure what bumpers are made from. probably ABS or something along thoose lines....
Sometimes just melting back together with an old soldering iron on the back where you cant see it does the job, be carefull you dont damage the front face any more if you try this method.
If you can get a bit of the same plastic to melt into it that makes it a bit stronger.

Bit of a bodge job, but does work.

jonjon · Post by **jonjon** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 2:56 pm

dewaltdisney wrote:Yes, that will work I think. The reason they are welded is because they are designed to bend a little in low impact collisions. Obviously the way you intend to repair it will be weaker but I do not suppose that you make a habit of colliding with things

My only thought is whether fibre glass resin will bond to the plastic??????

Good luck

DWD

I suppose the only way to find out will be to give it a try and see how it goes.
As for colliding, the only time I do that is when I question my partner and usually I come of worse, so no change there.

Thsanks for the tips.

jonjon · Post by **jonjon** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:01 pm

Hitch wrote:Certain plastics are very difficult to bond, polethylene being one of them, it would be marked >PE<
Not sure what bumpers are made from. probably ABS or something along thoose lines....
Sometimes just melting back together with an old soldering iron on the back where you cant see it does the job, be carefull you dont damage the front face any more if you try this method.
If you can get a bit of the same plastic to melt into it that makes it a bit stronger.

Bit of a bodge job, but does work.

Cheers Hitch, did not think about the soldering iron trick, so if I use a low heat type and can find a bit of identical material, I can do that and incorporate it with the fibre glass part. Between the two actions I see no reason why it should not work.

Thanks

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:05 pm

Is it a basic bumper, or a foam filled type? The soldering iron thing wont work on the foam filled type, beceause you cant acess the back.
The 'welding rod' might be able to slice off a slither a few mm wide from a stiffening rib somewhere..?

jonjon · Post by **jonjon** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:27 pm

Hi,
Luckily it's a basic type, just a moulded shape fixed all around the boot with plastic rivets and joined at the wheel arch by 2 screws. Had visons of rusty bolts on brackets and the way it was under stress was prepared for the brackets to have been slightly bent. Mind you could have done without the mystery driver's visit in the first place. Maybe they thought I had nothing better to do!

So looks as if I can go ahead with the combo repair?
Thanks Hicks once again.

P.S. just like to say how very helpful people are and it was a find coming across this site.