Advice on broken headlight
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New Member
Joined: 02-27-12
Posts: 55
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From: Ontario, Canada
Advice on broken headlight
I have a headlight housing that is missing the two plastic pieces where the screws screw in to hold the headlight housing in place while it in on the car. it seems like it could be easily fixed. I would just like some opinions on how i should go about this.
Here is two pictues of both spots.
Here is two pictures of the other headlight and what it should look like.
Here is two pictues of both spots.
Here is two pictures of the other headlight and what it should look like.
Senior Member
Joined: 04-19-09
Posts: 4,427
Likes: 361
From: Jackson, TN
Grind off the tabs to undamaged section, and use this repair putty to form a new tab, just have to drill the hole once it sets solid.
Blue Magic/QuikSteel epoxy putty (16002US) | Epoxy Compound | AutoZone.com
Stuff works great, just scuff up the plastic after you remove the smashed and damaged edges of the tab so the putty can bold to it and i personally would tape a flat section of cardboard to the underside of the remaining tab so the putty will set straight. once it sets you can file/grind it to shape or add more putty if it isnt thick enough and then just drill the hole for the screw to go through.
Easy fix just be more careful tightening the bolt. I usually judge tightness by hand but with the way our headlights are fragile i torque them to spec, never had a problem with it smashing or breaking off like that since.
The two bolts torque to 89 in-lbs or 7-8 ft-lbs
Edit: i just looked at the pics closer and i just noticed the tabs are gone completly lol Read/look<me
If you have the tabs that broke off then you can use the putty to weld them back to the headlight.
if not your gonna need to go to radio shack and get one of these project enclosures. >>>Search Result
Just measure out the size of the tab from the good headlight and see which box has a face with enough area you can cut out to shape. That is the only plastic plates i can think of that will be strong enough to work.
Blue Magic/QuikSteel epoxy putty (16002US) | Epoxy Compound | AutoZone.com
Stuff works great, just scuff up the plastic after you remove the smashed and damaged edges of the tab so the putty can bold to it and i personally would tape a flat section of cardboard to the underside of the remaining tab so the putty will set straight. once it sets you can file/grind it to shape or add more putty if it isnt thick enough and then just drill the hole for the screw to go through.
Easy fix just be more careful tightening the bolt. I usually judge tightness by hand but with the way our headlights are fragile i torque them to spec, never had a problem with it smashing or breaking off like that since.
The two bolts torque to 89 in-lbs or 7-8 ft-lbs
Edit: i just looked at the pics closer and i just noticed the tabs are gone completly lol Read/look<me
If you have the tabs that broke off then you can use the putty to weld them back to the headlight.
if not your gonna need to go to radio shack and get one of these project enclosures. >>>Search Result
Just measure out the size of the tab from the good headlight and see which box has a face with enough area you can cut out to shape. That is the only plastic plates i can think of that will be strong enough to work.
Last edited by Kolt; Mar 15, 2013 at 10:03 PM.
Thread Starter
New Member
Joined: 02-27-12
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
Do you think i could buy a strong type of plastic that comes as a sheet and cut out the shape for the tabs and use some kind of putty to hold the plastic in place? I live in canada so i don't know if i can purchase that blue magic epoxy putty around here.
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