Date:         Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:30:54 -0600
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Chrome Rear Bumper Needed - (regular chrome w/rubber strip...
Comments: To: JordanVw@aol.com
In-Reply-To:  <bf0.435ea83c.36a65a86@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I agree with Chris. When I got my bumper, it was badly mangled. Since
then, it's been hit and bent but never so badly twisted. All three
times, though (different kinds of dents from sharp creases to broad
twists) I used a workmate, a three foot section of four by four, a
sledge hammer, various pieces of two-by-fours, and--this is very
important--a big crescent wrench.

I have also used C-clamps (I have some really big one) to clamp a dent
between two pieces of wood and apply great force.

The crescent wrench (or big pair of pliers) can be used to at least
head everything back in the right direction by setting the wrench to
barely fit over the metal and gently bend the edges up or down every
few inches. Don't try to do much at once.

A whack with a block of wood to spread the hammer blow also works
well. Get the top and bottom of the bumper surfaces as parallel as
possible before going after any dents.

If a part is dented in, turn the bumper fac down on a board and tap
the dent out with the end of a two by four.

If it's dented the other way, work from the outside.

It takes a surprisingly short time to do this, maybe 15 to 20 minutes
after all the tools and wood are gathered.

Well worth the effort.

Jim

On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 4:36 PM,  <JordanVw@aol.com> wrote:
> In a message dated 1/18/09 10:36:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> dskarloken@GMAIL.COM writes:
>
>
>> I managed to smash in my rear bumper yesterday!  Not good.
>
> get out a steel mallet and a few blocks of wood, small 2x4 scraps.
>
> remove your bumper.
>
> lay it on a piece of plywood.
>
> take the blocks of wood, place them behind the bumper and start whacking on
> them with the steel mallet.
>
> if your bumper is not horrifically bent, you can actually straighten it.   i
> have and with amazing results.
>
> a straightened OEM german chrome bumper is worth more than a repop brazillian
> crap chrome bumper..  the OEM german chrome bumpers are actually thicker
> steel and have triple chrome plating wheras the brazillian ones many new parts
> vendors are selling are much thinner steel and only have one layer of chrome
> which generally starts rusting in less than a year if not clearcoated or kept out
> of the elements..
>
> if you do decide to go w. a new bumper , make sure you clearcoat it...as the
> chrome does not last on the repro ones..
>
>
> chris
>
>
> **************
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