subject: Bumper Repair [print this page] As vehicles have developed over the past century, bumpers have evolved greatly. Older vehicles had very rudimentary steel bumpers which were rigidly mounted to the vehicle's frame. When the bumper was solidly struck it would either damage the object which was struck or was damaged itself. This design remained fairly constant for several decades, even as bumpers evolved from simple pieces of steel beams into very highly-styled chrome-plated monstrosities. Approximately forty years ago, some bumpers began to be designed and manufactured from various energy-absorbing plastics and were more integrated into styling of the vehicle. Today's bumpers for cars, SUV's, mini-vans, cross-overs and even many pickup trucks have reached the point where they are barely recognizable as bumpers but appear to simply be an integrated part of the overall vehicle. The energy-absorbing steel bumper superstructures are designed to be lightweight yet meet very stringent guidelines for absorbing impacts in the case of an accident. However, those superstructures are completely hidden from view by highly styled soft plastic bumper covers which allow for the flowing front and rear treatments on modern vehicles. However, these soft plastic bumper covers are very susceptible to being damaged by fairly modest impacts which occur on a daily basis and which are simply part of typical driving. Stones, rocks and other road debris are typically hurled at them from other vehicles. They get impacted by objects such as the bumpers or swinging doors of other vehicles, shopping carts, and parking barriers. Rear bumpers are often used to rest objects which are being lifted into or out of the cargo areas. All of these daily occurrences can result in unsightly damage to bumpers. But when damage occurs, a bumper repair can be quickly and inexpensively performed by a trained technician, often done in the vehicle owner's driveway or garage. Your vehicle's bumpers are designed to absorb the bumps and bruises of everyday driving, but a bumper repair can quickly restore the vehicle's appearance and value, without a time-consuming wait or expensive repair bill.
