2006 Civic Front End Damage
 

Hello All. First time poster, long time reader.

2006 Civic 2dr 117k miles

I recently hydroplaned into a cement barrier. Not hard enough to deploy airbags but hard enough for front bumper to snap off. I made contact on front passenger side. No damage to fender, only plastic bumper on first glance.

I got home just fine, took the bumper the rest of the way off. Once the bumper was off I saw the styrofoam bumper absorber was hanging on by some tape so I just took that one off too. I checked to see if anything else looked bent or damaged and didn't see much. I knew to check the radiator support from past readings and didn't see much in the way of damage to that.

I re-attached the bumper absorber with some tape, and went to re-attaching the bumper since I was only missing 2 of the bottom bumper snaps. I started on the passenger side and clipped the side on, used an allen wrench to attach the upper front of the bumper, and clipped in the bottom 8 snaps that were remaining. When I got to the driver side the bumper would not line up properly. I'm about 1 full inch short on the side where the phillips head screw holds the side panel in.

My question is: Can I get away with some sledgehammering and wooden blocks to push the bumper bar back on the driver side? I am assuming that the impact on the passenger side caused the driver side of the bumper bar to get pushed forward a bit.

I would attach some pictures but the driver side is held on right now by 6 zip ties to make sure it doesn't flap in the wind and I dont really want to clip them off until I have the time to work on it.

Thanks in advance, and if there is a thread I missed about this, please link me up to it!

Re: 2006 Civic Front End Damage
 

This sounds like what happens when one starts at the edge and works their way around.

Instead, pull the cover back off and get a helper. Hold it up, line it up in the center with the grille and headlights. NOW bang it in (by hand) under the lights first, make sure it is evenly spaced at each inner headlight corner before proceeding, then around to the fenders, both people working at roughly the same rate to keep it even. Tuck in all the edges top, bottom, and fender liners.

Now it should be easy to get the corners to line up and attach the screws.


Um....I'm assuming there wasn't any serious damage and the inner structure is still all in the right places.
HTH

Re: 2006 Civic Front End Damage
 

So I attempted to put the bumper on with some help today as suggested. My buddy and I started at the middle and worked outward but had no luck. Still had a bit of a gap on the drivers side.

I measured a few points on that bumper bar and it is indeed pushed outward a touch on the drivers side (impact was on the passenger side remember).

I'm mostly just worried that this means there might be more damage than I can see. Still drives okay, I only notice the steering wheel pull very slightly to the left.

Is my only bet to go to a collision shop? Any other ideas on how to get that front bumper cover back on would be great! Thanks all!

Re: 2006 Civic Front End Damage
 

Sounds like some part of the vehicle structure got moved. See a pro?