[s-cars] Bumper ripoff

[Vincent Frégeac]

First, I'd checked what exactly was ripped off. The bumper cover is attached
to the metal beam with rivets and, if you're lucky, all you need is new
rivets, but I'd not count on this.

The main problem is the profiles on the side of the bumper cover that slide
on the same kind of profiles on the fenders. I've not find yet a better
lasting fix, when these are ripped of the bumper cover, than long wood
screws screwed from the outside, but you have to respray your bumper to
cover the screw heads. Respraying the bumper is not that expensive though,
and color matching is not that critival too soi ut can be a DIY with
standard color matching. AFAIK, nobody have noticed yet that my bumper is S4
silver, while the car is S6 silver (definetly not the same color).

Then, if the bumper is cracked, you can repair it using bumper cement (I
wouldn't go with regular ABS cement as it may not be flexible enough) and
fiberglass grid fabric. The fiberglass grid is mandatory in any stress area.
Bumper cement alone may be strong enough as long as the bumper cover stay on
the car but when you'll start playing with the bumper, it will crack.

To make the repair, clean the inside of the bumper and the crack with water
and soap, then alcohol. Apply a 1-2mm thick layer of bumper cement, then
press a 2-3 inch wide fiberglass grid fabric into it. Cover with another 1mm
layer of bumper cement and let dry for 24h (at least 12h).

Make sure you use the grid type of fiberglass fabric, not the regular full
coverage fiberglass fabric used for body. You can find it in any part shop
in rolls, most common here is 3 inch wide.

My bumper was split at the bottom (along other smaller cracks) and repaired
that way 2 years ago. It still holds, after 4 or 5 bumper removals plus the
exact same mishap you had. I was almost sure it cracked again but... no, the
repair was apparently stronger than the original bumper.


Note to myself: Could you please stop breaking bumpers into pieces, it's
time to learn other repair tricks!




Vincent.

-----Message d'origine-----
De : s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] De la part de Sam Clarkson
Envoyé : 28 septembre 2007 21:54
À : s-car-list at audifans.com
Objet : [s-cars] Bumper ripoff

93 S4 Avant
Errr Ummm
I just hooked my front bumper on a rock going backwards and ripped it  
right off!
What's left behind is the metal bar with broken plastic behind it.  
Any BTDT's on my options to repair this crisis in my life.


Sam Clarkson
Edge to Edge
P.O. Box 27
National Park 3948
Ph 0800 800 SKI (754)
http://www.edgetoedge.co.nz

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