Everything You Want to Know About Auto Bumper Repair

Bumpers are sometimes overlooked, yet they are pretty important. Underestimating their importance can cause some people to postpone collision repair when they shouldn't. The following will tell you what you need to know about your bumper and why you need to repair it.

What is the Importance of the Bumper?

Addressing a damaged bumper with the help of a trustworthy auto body shop is important because bumpers offer drivers certain benefits. The following are some functions:

• It can reduce front and end structural damage at slow speeds. Believe it or not, slow-speed accidents generally happen when you're parking, or others are parking.
• It can save you money by protecting the grill, coolant, fuel system, exhaust system, or the cooling system, just to name a few.
• It absorbs shocks, which helps reduce the jolting feeling after a crash that could be important for those inside.
• Making sure your bumper is fixed so that you can regain the integrity of your vehicle is just part of it. There are other perks not really associated with its function, like how a specialist can also help deal with other issues, such as dent repair if you were in a bad collision or how fixing your bumper can improve its value.

Sure, not everyone is thinking of selling their vehicle, but if you are planning on doing so at some point, then it may be a good idea to maintain your vehicle. A vehicle in serious need of bumper or dent repair won't sell for much or won't sale for a long time. It's best to deal with the issue as soon as you can rather than wait.

Closer Look into the Repair Process

You obviously need collision repair, and as the owner, you probably want to learn what you should expect from the process. The following is meant to help you understand everything your auto body shop is going to be doing to help restore the bumper to its former glory.

The Meeting

The first thing you want to pay attention to when addressing your bumper is how you are treated by the experienced technician. Figuring out if you will get along with a specific shop deals with how you get along with the technician.

Try to pay attention to how the technician explains what he or she is going to be doing to fix your bumper. You want clarity, so make sure you are willing to ask questions, and see if the technician is willing to answer without talking over your head. He or she should try to make things as easy as possible and confirm that you understood.

It may be a good idea to discuss estimates at this time and do your best to get estimates in writing so that you aren't surprised by a bigger bill afterwards. Yes, the evaluation may still expose other issues, but a written estimate can at least help you anticipate potential repair costs.

The Evaluation

The next thing that is going to happen is a thorough evaluation of the damage to your bumper. Your technician is probably going to explain that the damage you see may be much worse than it appears. Even bumper damage that seems insignificant may be hiding larger problems underneath the bumper.

The collision could have damaged the underlying framework, and if that is the problem, that means the integrity of your vehicle's structure is in jeopardy. This is going to mean an even more extensive repair job, but the right specialist should be able to help ensure your vehicle is repaired correctly.

Your technician is going to let you know if problems are found underneath the bumper and should help you address them. Some repair shops skip this step and just provide a cosmetic fix to the bumper, leaving the framework compromised, so it is important to ask if the framework is going to be evaluated at this time.

The Process

The next thing that is going to happen is the actual repair. Should the bumper not be too damaged, the specialist is going to repair the bumper right there without removing the bumper completely. This would be a good idea because the repairs don't take too long, and labor costs are going to be kept at a minimum.

Most of the time, if the bumper damage wasn't too bad, the technician is going to use the heat and pop method. He or she is going to use specialized tools to heat up the damage until it can be manipulated and fixed. This is the preferred method because it means the paint on your vehicle won't need to be retouched, which may end up costing more.

If the bumper needs to be replaced because there is framework damage, then this will take longer. The framework will be taken care of, and the paint will likely have to be retouched after some precise sanding to ensure that the paint looks as good as it should.

Protecting Your Bumper After the Repair

You've just experienced how costly it might be to repair the bumper. Your body shop specialist will probably be anxious to talk to you about how to care for your vehicle's overall structure and the bumper now that you are done fixing it. There is actually a number of things you can do to keep your bumper as safe as possible.

Perhaps the most obvious step is to take defensive driving classes if you were in an accident. Doing this should help you be better prepared to avoid a potential accident. It may also be a good idea to install collision avoidance systems that can be installed even if your vehicle is not modern. These systems help you avoid accidents and help guide you more effectively when parking.

Bumper damage can happen while parked, but it may not be because of your parking skills. Because of this, it may be a good idea to park further away from cars when parking on the street or in parking lots. You'll reduce the chances of people trying to park by you. It may be a little inconvenient, but you are going to be keeping your bumper and vehicle a bit safer.

While you are driving, you are going to have to do your best to stay away from others. This is something you might learn during defensive driving school if you decide to take this class, but if you don't, at least do your best to keep your distance from other vehicles. Distance gives you time to stop if you need to and allows you to get out of the way if you see trouble approaching.

You should also consider asking your auto body specialist to help you install bumper lips around your vehicle. These are usually aftermarket modifications that can make your vehicle look more aesthetically pleasing, but their main function is to keep your bumpers safe and the integrity of your vehicle intact.

Hopefully, this information helps you understand how important your bumpers are, how your body shop specialist will take care of you, and why you shouldn't wait too long to get your bumper repaired.