plastic bumper repair
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 162
From: columbia city in
plastic bumper repair
I have a 2004 Pontiac grand am .the wife hit something this winter and the bumber cracked and has a quarter size hole in it .what kind of filler should I use to fix the bumper.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
The main thing with urethane bumpers is that they do not like solvents being applied to them. SO many of the cleaners and what-have-you are water based. IF a solvent is wiped on the raw urethane it can actually effect the surface and cause it to swell and prohibit good adhesion of any product applied to it.
"Side-stepping" the prescribed procedure from them will and can cause for failure...so do not be surprised on all what you will need to achieve a repair that will last.
DUB
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
DUB
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 337
Likes: 1
From: Clyde Ohio
Terry, I have repair Grand Am bumpers. SEM 68442 will work. I just repaired a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee with it also. If you want a repair that will never fail, have it plastic welded. Buy a kit or take it to a body shop and have it done. Good luck and check with your paint supplier to see if flex agent will need to be added into the paint mix.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 337
Likes: 1
From: Clyde Ohio
The 3M is great stuff. Here are some pics of my snowmobile hood. I repaired that in 2000 when a fence post ripped through it, 14 yrs and still holding. There is no original plastic under the filler, the piece was completely torn away so your looking at complete filler there. It holds up extremely well and shapes nice. There's no body filler or sandable primer either, just the 3M repair material with PPG black Concept paint shot directly over a cleaned and scuffed hood. With an adhesion promoter. That is the area the hood is held down with the latch and when I open it I just yank up on the latch, you should see it flex, a lot of pressure on it. And has held up during some extreme cold -20 rides. That hood is TPO plastic too which is a bear to work with. Even though the 3M is a great product after using the SEM I just like it a little better, but the 3M isn't going to let you down if used properly..IMG]http://forums.corvetteforum.com/members/tak82-243120-albums-http-i688-photobucket-com-albums-vv244-tak82-030-2-jpg-2545-picture-dsc00394-resize-169805.jpg[/IMG] 
Last edited by tak82; Apr 11, 2014 at 02:52 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
I agree ....3M has many great products...along with SEM and FUSOR and others.
All I can write is that what ever product you choose....do yourself a favor and CALL the tech line and talk to them and whatever steps or additional products they recommend....you would want to do what they recommend...because all you need to do is leave one step out or not use another product and possibly open yourself up for some adhesion failure or reaction.
Flexible plastic parts are FUN...and quite touchy to deal with. CASE IN POINT...when I have a raw urethane bumper and prep it with my specialized cleaner...when I am done it goes IMMEDIATELY into the paint booth where I already have my adhesion promoter or primer mixed and ready to spray.
Because prepping the raw urethane and going to lunch for an hour and THEN putting it in the booth and shooting it would have allowed 1 hour for contaminants to get INTO the pours of the urethane that I had opened up so my product would adhere. Which is NOT the way I do it.
I have been a part of and have seen many parts that have been painted by a manufacturer. And in most cases when the product is on a conveyor and has been cleaned...it is dried... and then painted. No time wasted allowing the part to be exposed to outside contaminants.
DUB
All I can write is that what ever product you choose....do yourself a favor and CALL the tech line and talk to them and whatever steps or additional products they recommend....you would want to do what they recommend...because all you need to do is leave one step out or not use another product and possibly open yourself up for some adhesion failure or reaction.
Flexible plastic parts are FUN...and quite touchy to deal with. CASE IN POINT...when I have a raw urethane bumper and prep it with my specialized cleaner...when I am done it goes IMMEDIATELY into the paint booth where I already have my adhesion promoter or primer mixed and ready to spray.
Because prepping the raw urethane and going to lunch for an hour and THEN putting it in the booth and shooting it would have allowed 1 hour for contaminants to get INTO the pours of the urethane that I had opened up so my product would adhere. Which is NOT the way I do it.
I have been a part of and have seen many parts that have been painted by a manufacturer. And in most cases when the product is on a conveyor and has been cleaned...it is dried... and then painted. No time wasted allowing the part to be exposed to outside contaminants.
DUB
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