Featured Photo: “Drift stitches” by Grant.C is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
If your car’s bumper is cracked or broken, it can not only make it difficult and dangerous to drive, but it can also be expensive to replace. Learn about the temporary zip tie bumper fix.
How much does it cost to fix a broken bumper?
Depending on the type of vehicle you have, fixing or replacing a handing bumper can be expensive.
On average, this type of repair can cost anywhere from $600 to $1,200.
Plus, you may have to wait for the shop to order the parts.
In any case, fixing a bumper can be expensive and take some time. If you want to drive your car in the meantime, you’re going to need another solution.
How can you temporarily fix a hanging bumper?
The zip tie bumper patch, or drifter’s stitch, is an easy and inexpensive way to fix a hanging bumper.
This is sometimes referred to as a drift stitch because drifters would use this method to quickly fix a broken bumper if they hit something and keep driving.
It involves drilling holes along either side of the crack and securing the broken pieces with zip ties through the holes.
Here’s what you’ll need to do it:
- Zip ties.
- Tape.
- Drill.
- Drill bit (3/16″ or the size of your zip ties).
How to Fix a Hanging Bumper with a Zip Ties
Depending on the size of the crack and the design of the bumper, you may of may not need to remove the bumper to complete this temporary repair.
To begin, you’ll need to tape along either size of the crack in the bumper, this will help you drill cleaner holes and protect the paint.
Drill holes about 1/2″ to 3/4″ away from the crack on either side along the entire length. Place your sets of holes about every 3/8″ or so.
Once you’ve drilled your holes, you can remove your tape and being to stitch it up.
The strongest method is to use a criss-cross pattern for the zip ties.
Thread each zip tie up through the bottom of the bumper and cinch them up diagonally across one another until you make it to the end of the crack.
You can trim off the excess zip ties once you’ve got everything tightened up.
If the crack in your bumper is particularly large or misshapen, it can help to start tightening the zip ties from the middle of the crack and work your way out.
When choosing zip ties for the job, you can either try to get something that will match your car’s paint or you can get a color that will contrast it.
Colored zip-ties, especially black ones, are going to stand up to UV degradation much better than a white or clear-colored zip tie.