I want "works" good, not looks good :)


  #1  
Old 09-19-18, 12:47 PM
B
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 68
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
I want "works" good, not looks good :)

2005 Honda Accord, silver. The front bumper has gotten caught on curbs and been partially pulled off over the past 13 years. It is not "hanging by a thread" but is loose and I don't want it to fall completely off.

I can see a screw on each side I was able to fiddle with and readjust, tighten, somewhat. I cleaned the area and put duct tape over where the bumper attaches to the car.

Is there other suggestions if, when, the duct tape starts to come off?
 
  #2  
Old 09-19-18, 12:55 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,814
Received 3,922 Upvotes on 3,518 Posts
Welcome to the forums.

Are you talking about the plastic front bumper cover ?
Lots of closeup pics.... ebay/2005-Honda-Accord-Front-Bumper-Cover-Factory-OE-Style/1822204953
 
  #3  
Old 09-19-18, 12:56 PM
M
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: USA - N.E.Tn
Posts: 45,643
Received 832 Upvotes on 729 Posts
Are there screw/bolt holes that are wallowed out? if so can you use fender washers to get them tight again?
 
  #4  
Old 09-19-18, 01:08 PM
S
Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 447
Received 32 Upvotes on 23 Posts
This video details pretty well how the bumper is attached: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNBrRvy_-os Use it to help figure out where you're having connection problems.

Honda loves their plastic push rivet fasteners. If some of them are missing, you could have fitment issues. If it has been struck on curbs, though, there's a bigger chance that one of the bolt or rivet holes Marksr is referring to has cracked or even broken clean through/off. Also, in the video, there are areas where he just pushes or tugs on the bumper to install or remove it, especially on the sides and underneath the headlights. Those are more or less friction fit areas with little clips/tabs. It's possible that enough of an impact either cracked the tabs on the bumper, or tweaked the clips on the car just out of spec so they don't hold well.
 
  #5  
Old 09-21-18, 04:51 PM
B
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 68
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
WOW.....that video shows exactly what I am dealing with.....I will look at my bumper more closely...but I am afraid my little "friction...areas with little clips/tabs" are cracked and won't hold well.

So If that is the case....how about duct tape???? Or what else simple, easy, don't care how it looks?
 
  #6  
Old 09-21-18, 08:29 PM
S
Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 447
Received 32 Upvotes on 23 Posts
If the tab on the plastic bumper is broken, they sell tab repair kits like this one: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_JM/collisio...r-and-rebuild/ Or you could try using a plastic welder to fix the damage.

If the part that "grabs" the tabs is damaged, you may be able to replace that as well.

I dealt with a very similar problem on my wife's Accord after a deer incident. One tab was completely broken off, where it bolted on. And the "grabby" part that held the other tabs was bent, so it didn't hold firmly anymore and the bumper kept popping out. Honestly, I just wound up using zip ties through the good tabs, and zipping it to whatever decent anchor points I could find. It wasn't pretty, but it held the bumper cover on and pretty snug for about 4 years, until we got rid of the car.
 
  #7  
Old 09-22-18, 06:10 AM
F
Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Canada
Posts: 216
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Plastic repair

https://www.amazon.ca/3M-04247-Super.../dp/B002INUIVS


This stuff is urethane, rather than epoxy or cyan based super glues, and tends to work best on plastics that still need a bit of give to provide their function.
 
  #8  
Old 09-22-18, 06:46 AM
ukrbyk's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: USA/ Pacific NW
Posts: 3,664
Received 61 Upvotes on 52 Posts
No glues or welding will hold long term on plastics.
If you really want to fix it, remove bumper cover, as that's what you will be working with.
Go buy some fiberglass fabric from anywhere.
Two part resin from Home Depot, for example.
Rough sand paper. Rougher the better.
Wash cover inside. Dry it and degrease it.
Roughen thoroughly all areas of concern, overlapping them by few inches.
Blow with air to rid of shards and dust and any other debris.
Cut several suitable fiberglass patches. 3 will be about right.
Mix two part resin or inject it onto those areas if it comes in two part mixing injector. So you have it puddled there.
Place patches, stacked, over resin and work it down into the resin so it starts soaking through. When patch gets "stuck", inject some more resin onto it and smear all over fiberglass, overlapping edge onto rough plastic. Of course, gloves and a spatula.
Let it cure. Now you can drill holes in it and it will hold. To make it bulletproof, instead of clips, use bolts with wide washers on the inside.
Also works very well to repair cracks in bumper cover.
Cyanioacrylates, aka super glues, do NOT work as they are very hard after they cure and crack easily at slightest bending. Welds let go in short time.
 
  #9  
Old 09-24-18, 07:31 AM
B
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 68
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Thanks to all, the replies are helpful.....but lazy me....I'm just waiting, watching, to see if or how long the duct tape holds. But when it fails I will revisit this post.
 
  #10  
Old 09-24-18, 10:01 AM
ukrbyk's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: USA/ Pacific NW
Posts: 3,664
Received 61 Upvotes on 52 Posts
Yeah, sure. Should have used Gorilla tape. My prediction is 6 months. I had son's Eclipse taped once. Bad idea. That's how I learned about what I previously posted.
You know, ot be honest, black unfinished bumper cover is about $200 or less at Certifit. That's better than having it fly off your car and damage someone else on FWY.
 
  #11  
Old 09-24-18, 10:20 AM
A
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 1,902
Received 73 Upvotes on 66 Posts
I agree with ukrbyk. Now I'll admit to riding the fence on this one because I know people who simply cannot afford the necessary repairs and have to do what they have to do in order to get back and forth to work. and can accept that. But for mere laziness or the "thrill" of seeing how long a patch can last, it is incomprehensible, to me, how some people will jeopardize the health and well being of others. Ha ha ha, you should have seen that bumper scoot across the freeway when it finally fell off. Yeah, well what about my wife watching it come off as she approaches you, makes a quick move to avoid hitting it, and ends up getting clobbered. If you want to experiment with how long tape holds up in the environment test it in the backyard, not on a public road. And to everyone else, best wishes if this rant gets me kicked out, but that's my opinion on the matter.
 
  #12  
Old 10-01-18, 07:49 AM
B
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 68
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
I appreciate your reply. I honestly hadn't thought about that. It doesn't "seem" to be that loose? But who knows...I will try a better fix. Thanks
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: