Everything You Need To Know About Car Front Bumper
What Is Front Bumper?
A structure which is attached to or is integrated with the front and
rear ends of a motor vehicle is known as the bumper. If there is any sort of
minor collision, then it would absorb its impact and then it would minimize the
repair costs. It was in the year 1904 when the stiff metal bumpers started
appearing in the vehicles and then they have an ornamental function. There were
a lot of developments, improvements in materials as well as technologies which
would protect the automobile components and then also its safety features which
have changed the bumpers over the years. The height mismatches between vehicles
are minimized by the bumpers and at the same time they protect the pedestrians
from getting injured. There are some regulatory measures which have been
enacted so that the automobile repair costs can be reduced and also its impact
on pedestrians.
Where Is Front Bumper Located?
The front bumper is situated at the front of the
automobile. It is generally made up of heavy sheet metal and then it can be pressed
as well as bent into the particular shapes to fit the profile of the front of
the car, and it also absorbs the momentum in the event of an impact with
another automobile or a stationary object.
Types of Front Bumper
Are you searching
for the different types of front bumper? Then don’t worry! All you
have to do is to have a look below and then all your doubts regarding its types
would be cleared.
- Deep Drop Bumper
(also known as a Cowboy Bumper) - This bumper is generally found on
older trucks and it is generally chrome plated. There is a heavy-duty towing
capacity of the deep drop bumpers and the ball height would be lower than a
step bumper. The drop which would be from the bottom of the frame would be
generally 10 or 12 inches.
- Roll Pan Bumper - The roll pan
bumpers are generally found on custom compact trucks. The trailer hitches which
are generally available would sit in the middle, as well as behind the bumper.
- Step Bumper - This type of bumper
is generally found on trucks, vans and SUVs. The small cut out which would be
there is the center would look like a step. There are holes for hitch balls in
this bumper and they can be utilized to two lightweight trailers.
- Tube Bumper - The tube bumper is
generally found on jeeps.
Purpose of The Front Bumper
It is directly in the name “bumper”. The front
as well as rear ends of the automobile is most prone to damages. When a vehicle
would bump into another, then the damage which would be caused to the
automobile would be repairable very easily and at the same time it would be
very cheap to replace it. If there would be an integrated bumper with the body,
then there would be a lot of costly rework to repair the damage and then there
might be a need to replace the entire body. It is the bumpers which would avoid
that. It is the bumpers which take all the bumpers or shunts before the rest of
the automobile takes the damage. They are generally made up of plastic or fibre
reinforced plastic.
Features of Front Bumper?
Do you want to know the essential features
of front bumper? Then you have arrived at the right place. Have
a look below to know the important features of front bumper:
- It is the front as well as rear plastic bumpers
which protect and save our lives. With the passage of time, they have evolved
into complex, beautiful, engineered constituents. The freedom of design is
increased by the latest plastic auto bumpers and fascia (front) systems. It is
the plastic engineers which can mold the elegant “look” of the automobile.
- The main resins which are utilized are thermoplastic olefins (TPOs), polycarbonates, polyesters, polypropylene, polyurethanes, polyamides. The plastics are styled by engineers for functional purposes in a lot of ways. There are reinforcements in the plastic bumpers which would allow them to be as impact-resistant as possible.
- There are some of these plastic products which are recyclable. It would enable the manufacturer to not only reduce their environmental footprint but at the same time reuse scrap material in a cost-effective manner. These days the post-industrial recycled TPO would perform like the virgin resins in many respects. Millions of pounds of plastics can be rescued from landfills and it would also reduce the material costs during production.
Tools Needed for Front Bumper
If you want to repair your Front Bumper all by yourself, then let’s face it that you will need some auto body tools. You can always start by building your own tool chest. Searching for some tools needed to repair your Front Bumper Don’t Worry! We are here to help you out. Here are some common tools that you will probably end up needing while repairing your Front Bumper.
- Jack
- Jack stands
- Lug wrench
- Screwdrivers
- Towel
- Pliers
- Sandpaper
- Basecoat, paint and clear coat
- Razor blade
- Spray bottle and soapy water
Top Brand in Front Bumper
When it comes to vehicle owner’s choice, the brands really matter a lot. You might pay a premium for a specific car part brand, over time, as it has created a perception of quality, stability as well as trust. There are some leading car parts brands which are more than just products or services as they give rise to memories and emotions related with the quality. So have a look at some of the top brands for Front Bumper.
Total Costs & Repair Times, Effort of Front Bumper
Failure in the Front Bumper comes in a lot of forms. But take note that
it is not an inexpensive repair. Sometimes in the end you might find out that
there is a need of complete Front Bumper replacement. There is no fast and hard
number as to how much would a Front Bumper replacement would cost as it depends
upon a lot of factors like the brand, make, model as well as the mechanic who
is going to repair/replace it. It totally depends upon your make, model as well
as the severity of your collision, replacing a front bumper would range between
$500 to $1500.
How to Change Front Bumper?
Do you want to change your front bumper on your own? Then have a look at
the steps of changing the front bumper below:
Step 1
The front of your car should be placed up on the jack so that the old
bumper cover can be removed. Now before the jacks have been utilized, it is
essential to remove the lug nuts on your tires with the lug wrench. Then jack
should be utilized to raise up the front of the automobile and then it should
be lowered onto the jack stands. Both of the front tires should be pulled off
and if there are any signal wires, then they should be disconnected. It can be
done very easily by pulling them out of the sides of the bumper so that they
can no longer in the turn signal socket.
Step 2
There would be a requirement of a screwdriver so that you can unhook any
rivets which would be holding the wheel well in place. The rivets are generally
situated in the wheel well. The wheel covers should be pulled off and then they
should be set to the side. The bolts which would attach the bumper to the wheel
well should then be removed. A wrench should be used to do this. There might be
a need to get under the car to locate the bolts. The bolts can be generally
located if you are underneath the automobile and then looking up at the
radiator. Now once the side bolts have been removed, then the bolts should be
removed which would secure the front of the bumper onto the frame of the car.
The plastic hooks should then be unhooked and then carefully remove the bumper
cover.
Step 3
Then the next step would be to paint the bumper cover before it is being
applied. Now if the cover would not be already primed, then it would be a great
idea to apply the e-coat. Just be sure that the bumper cover should be free
from all the dirt as well as debris so that the paint can be applied and the
coat is cleared in a lot of layers. Wet sandpaper can be utilized to sand off
any imperfections, lumps or dirt. Now if you want to keep the sandpaper wet,
then slightly soapy water should be squirted where you are sanding. The
detailed instructions which are there on painting your car would also apply to
the painting of the bumper cover.
Step 4
Then it is essential to inspect the new bumper cover which would have
the plastic clips which would secure it to the car. Just keep in mind that they
should be included when the cover would be purchased. You can always start from
one side of the car and then the clips should be lined up with the holes in
your car. It should be in the similar spots where the old bumper cover was
detached. Now once they have been lined up, then the clips should be pressed
into the place. You can hear the clips snapping into place. You can take help
from your friend as one person can hold the bumper and then the other one can
secure the clips properly.
Step 5
If there would be some small holes in the new cover, then there would be
a requirement to screw in the bolts in the front of the car and then along the
wheel wells. Now once the bumper would be on securely, then the wheel wells as
well as tires should be reattached and then the car should be taken off the
jack stands.