Quick advice for dented bumper? (Fairly Urgent)

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Sunder92

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My friend dented her bumper while parking in her garage. There is a pretty big dent and paint transfer. I haven't looked at it in person though, but I told her to bring it by tomorrow and I'll try to fix it.

I'm thinking my approach would be to heat up the area with either some boiling water or hair dryer and then push it out from the back. (Would a suction cup work?)

**I never really needed a heat gun for anything, so that's why I don't have one. And I can't really justify buying one just because of this one thing

Then I'll use some of Meguiar's Ultimate compound to fix the paint transfer.


 
There is likely a foam insert and its been crushed also ... you might want to consider a professional.
 
My wife had a dent in her plastic fender very similar. I dissembled her bumper (which did not have a foam core) just enough to reach in with my arm and a couple of tools to gently convince the dent out, clayed and used lacquer thinner to remove some of the transfer, and polished it as normal.

I do have to admit that your project is a little worst than mine and it looks like you have a nice crease at the top of the damage where the paint is GONE!
 
Dr_Pain said:
My wife had a dent in her plastic fender very similar. I dissembled her bumper (which did not have a foam core) just enough to reach in with my arm and a couple of tools to gently convince the dent out, clayed and used lacquer thinner to remove some of the transfer, and polished it as normal.

I do have to admit that your project is a little worst than mine and it looks like you have a nice crease at the top of the damage where the paint is GONE!
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Did you have to heat it up? Do you think a hair dryer would work?
 
Sunder92 said:
Did you have to heat it up? Do you think a hair dryer would work?
Click to expand...

I did not but was working on it in 90 degree weather.

I strongly suspect that heating the bumper (or I should say overheating) may alter the "memory" of the plastic and may give you more issues.

The trick I used is the same trick they do in PDR, which is to gently finesse the damage from the outside in. Starting in the center of the dent may crease the bumper. Plastic is unforgiving with creases :nomore:
 
Dr_Pain said:
I did not but was working on it in 90 degree weather.

I strongly suspect that heating the bumper (or I should say overheating) may alter the "memory" of the plastic and may give you more issues.

The trick I used is the same trick they do in PDR, which is to gently finesse the damage from the outside in. Starting in the center of the dent may crease the bumper. Plastic is unforgiving with creases :nomore:
Click to expand...

If you don't heat it, won't the paint crack?
 
Sunder92 said:
If you don't heat it, won't the paint crack?
Click to expand...

You run a chance.... but personally I would not want to apply heat to it. I would stick the car outside in the sun and let nature raise the temperature.
 
Dr_Pain said:
You run a chance.... but personally I would not want to apply heat to it. I would stick the car outside in the sun and let nature raise the temperature.
Click to expand...

It's gonna be around 60 degrees on the day I do it so I don't know how hot it will get.

Maybe I should have told her to bring it today while it was 95 out haha.
 
Call a professional. If it pops the paint will crack. I do PDR, you do not go out to in. The general rule is first in, first out. you want to bring the deepest portion out first using hundreds of small pushes with a sharp tipped tool in order to shrink the metal. If you work out to in it will trap the metel and leave a crease that will never come out. This being a plastic bumper you may only be left with a replacement option.
 
You could always go to HF and get a heat gun and an IR surface temp gun and research optimal temp for the paint and the bumper. :dunno:
 
i did well once heating with a heat gun and slowly poppin it out .. was worse that that and came 100% out
 
That will likely pop out, although it'll not be back to normal. Maybe you might get 90% correction, maybe not.

As deep as it is I've a feeling the foam on that corner is crushed. Not saying the bumper won't hold, but in the event of another crash, and someone with a litigious mindset, you could be opening a whole other can of worms by not having a proper repair done there. Jus' sayin'. ;)
 
Remove the bumper and see I there is damage to the foam. From that angle I doubt it. But double check. I fixed my aunts rear bumper on her murano that was about that size with a heat gun and me massaging it out slow. You don't want the bumper super hot. Just warm enough to manipulate it. Just take your time. Harbor freight sells a heat gun for about $9 that works well.
 
You guys are telling me that the foam is probably crushed, but do all cars have foam inserts?
I don't think my Mazda 6 did. This is a 2009 Camry, I think.
 
Just did it today. There was no foam, so that was good. However, there were some creases from the dent that I couldn't get out. But all in all, I think it turned out decently.



It needs some touch up for the deep scratches, but unfortunately I did not have any. Will purchase some and finish it up next week.
 
Looks much better. Good job on getting it out.
 
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