CrAnSwIcK

iTrader: (5)

Hey fellow Ralliartists, if you're like me and at some point in your ownership you ran into a snow bank on purpose cause it was fun at the time, or a raccoon or someone's cat ran out in front of you on a dark road while you were doing 60mph, then you've likely broke some of the mounting brackets off your front lip...

Here's my solution, some may do it different, but this is how i addressed the repair, i can't promise this will last forever, or hold up to another collision, but mine's been holding up fine for the last few months, and i have gently bumped it off a curb a few times by accident obviously...

Tools/Supplies:

Exacto/Olfa or similar razor blade knife
Epoxy (the good stuff, i used Devcon 5 minute epoxy)
Fiberglass mesh tape
Vise Grips
Rough sand paper (200) and/or a bastard file
popsicle sticks/wood stir sticks
heat source (i used a typical halogen work light)
some rags

Procedure:

Hopefully you still have at least half of these (if not p/n MB908442 for bolt, nut is MS440522 you should have 15 of each, they are M6x13mm:



Hopefully you also still have some of these, cause i first bonded the clips to the bolt, then made a little pad of mesh tape as a spacer to prevent the bolt from coming away from the clip when you clamp it, normally there is a little ridge for that, but you need to rough up the plastic with the file or sand paper, so the epoxy will bond to the lip better, this will likely result in removal of the ridge... if you don't have the clips, scroll down for alternate method.





Next you want to impregnate the mesh pad with epoxy and stick it on the back of the bolt after it's inserted into the plastic clip. then using a rag or something soft to prevent damage to the finish on the lip, use vise grips to clamp the clip and bolt onto the lip...apply heat wait 10 minutes, remove vise grips and continue to the next bolt. when you're done you end up with this:





That's it, i had to do this to 9 of my clips, my lip was barely hanging on, and i drive around with black duct tape on it for quite a while, which i don't recommend, cause the adhesive bonds to the paint and it's really hard to get it off...

Alternate Method:

If you don't have the clips, you should at least have the nuts and bolts, because they stay on the bumper when the clips break off the lip...if not, see above for part numbers and order your self however many you need...I did it this way to simulate not having the clips, i did infact have enough, so i only did one bolt using this method so i could show you how it could be done.

use the same "spacer pads" as above, but obviously you won't have the clip...glue and clamp the bolt and pad to the lip...once cured, you can now cut small strips of mesh fiberglass tape and alternating strips, over lap each layer painting each layer with epoxy until it looks like it's going to hang on at highway speed, lol...once cured, carefully trim excess epoxy and tape with knife, and sand if needed, when you're done it will look like this:





If you have any suggestions, questions post up, hope this helps, i know i'm not the only one who's had this problem...those clips are flimsy and weak...

-Garrett

EDIT!

forgot to post this pic...this is the stuff i used...you can order it from acklands grainger, or similar stores