Dent Repair on Chrome Bumpers

I believe that there are two types of bumpers in this world: ones that have been bumped and ones that will eventually be bumped. It seems to be unavoidable. It is fantastic that they are there because they protect the car from greater and more costly damage, but the damage can be an eyesore and a reminder of bad parking lot experiences.

Fortunately, there is a solution that is both affordable and effective. It uses the same principles as Paintless Dent Repair, but with a different approach. This is actually a project that you can attempt on your own if you like. If you are mechanically inclined and enjoy taking on projects, you may be able to repair your own bumper with a simple investment of about 2-4 hours (depending on the vehicle).

I am finding that chrome is pretty resilient; it can stand up to pretty extreme temperatures which are great because the metal moves so much easier when it is warm.

The first step in repairing a bumper is to be remove it from the vehicle. This is where you can run into difficulty, especially on trucks with sensors and lights in the bumpers. Once removed, the damage should be relatively easy to access. Heat the metal, making sure to keep an eye on the chrome so that you do not damage or discolor it, and then gently pound out the dent. It sounds fairly easy, but can actually be more challenging than you would think.

Like I said, if you are mechanically inclined this may be something you want to try yourself. However, as with almost all things on your car or truck, there is a risk of damaging parts when you do the work yourself. Ultimately, I'd recommend you bring it by The Car Bar for this repair. The results will be professional and you do not run the risk of smacking your knuckles on the frame - this hurts a lot, trust me!

I priced out new bumpers for a 2005 Chevy 1500 and a 2005 Ford F150 just to see what an average bumper would cost. Both trucks ran just shy of $400 for the rear bumper and the front bumpers were around $350. And these were just simple bumpers - if you were to add sensors and lights the price goes up quite a bit. Our prices for bumper repairs range from $150-$250, depending on the damage and how difficult the bumper is to remove. As you can see, this is a great alternative to replacement and, as always, your satisfaction is guaranteed!

I Can Fix That Dent Myself...

There you are, looking at your car and the dent you just found in it. Maybe it is a large soft looking dent or just a small door ding that some random malicious shopping cart, put in your door. You start thinking “I can fix that dent myself. I saw a video on YouTube where some guy used dry ice or an upside down can of air and the dent just popped out.” Well, here is where you should be hearing the scratching record sound, followed by little red flags popping up all around you: Not all dents are created equal! Hopefully we can clear the air when it comes to using these homegrown methods.

Let us talk about the dry ice method first. This fix is supposed to remove minor dents; the small ones you get from shopping carts or other doors opening into yours. It supposedly works on all metals and panels. The idea is that the metal is cooled so much that it shrinks the metal and it is returned to the original spot. Sounds logical right? This is a method that I have tried time and time again and never got any positive results. I even left the ice on the dent for 30 minutes to see if that would make a change. Nothing! Here is why it does not work. The dry ice only cools the metal and paint there is no real drastic change in temperature. There is another method with a more drastic change that we will highlight in a moment. Simply cooling the metal does nothing except make it cold. The metal still needs to be pushed back into place.

The next method, which seems to be gaining popularity involves a hair dryer and a can of air. I have seen the videos of this method and honestly the results were very promising. First thing you do is borrow a hair dryer. The paint on your car is made to withstand some pretty extreme heat, a hair dryer will not damage it. (If the paint is new, ie. Less than six months old, do not attempt any sort of repair on your own, you will damage the paint permanently). Once the metal is hot a can of air duster is turned upside down and spray on the hot metal. The compressing agent is the only thing that comes out and that stuff is cold. The heating and then rapid cooling results in the dent popping out. I have tried this method without success. Although I do believe this method may work in certain situations, the dent has to be large, soft and relatively new. I have tried this method on small dents with zero luck. However, this method is an easy and cheap fix for some dents (again, those that are large, soft, and new). In fact, I even suggest trying it before you visit The Car Bar. It may save you some time and a little money!

The real message is this: The majority of these quick “do it yourself” fixes do not work reliably and on the occasions that they do, the conditions have to be just right and even then there is often more work that needs to be done. There is no one-size-fits-all dent repair. Be very cautious if you do try these methods on your own - you run the risk of damaging your paint and spending an arm and a leg on a new paint job!

Do you have a question you'd like us to answer on our blog? We'd love to hear from you! Leave us a comment here or send an e-mail to jason@thecarbar.net with your question (help us out by including FAQ in the subject)! Whether we can help you online through our tips and tricks or whether you come by The Car Bar, our ultimate goal is to see your car fixed correctly!

Oh, and for those of you who've seen other interesting dent removal techniques online, fear not - we'll talk about those too! In fact, we will be addressing the ever popular "Toilet Plunger" method in a later post, so be sure to check back!