Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_August_2020 - 74

TOOL REVIEW
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Polyvance

6076 Bumper Stabilizer
This technician says the unit speeds up the process
and helps prevent damage during the repair.
by Sara Scullin, Editor

The Polyvance 6076 Bumper
Stabilizer attaches to a common
scissor stand and is designed to
support the bumper from above
using included bungee cords
and adjustable anchor points. Six
adjustable overhead anchor points
support the included six adjustable
bungee cords. The bungee cords
are used to hold the bumper and
trim components in their relative
positions, eliminating the fear of
accidentally dropping and damaging
a freshly painted fascia. The bungee
cords can also be used to hold
a bumper in a position for better
technician ergonomics and to hold a
cracked bumper together, taking the
tension off the plastic so the damage
can be properly repaired.

THE REVIEW:

S

heridan Bailey,
a body technician at Honda
World in Westminster,
California, has been
doing bumper work for
close to 25 years. He
knows the job is not
always straightforward;
additional care must
be taken to avoid damage to these
often-unwieldly pieces during the
repair process.
"I used to work at a Dodge dealership
years ago, and a lot of [those] two-piece
bumpers are very difficult to put together," Bailey says. "Some of these pieces are
five, six feet long, and they are very thin
and flexible. It's difficult - especially
when they've been painted - to put them
back together on your own. You might
struggle to do it yourself and it can result
in scratching the bumper, or if it's a textured piece you're trying to put together,
[one might] damage the texture."
Recently, Bailey has reached
for Polyvance's Bumper Stabilizer
to assist with disassembling and

14 I Collision Repair I August 2020

reassembling bumpers.
At Honda
World, Bailey
still encounters
two-piece and
three-piece
bumpers. He
says the Polyvance unit acts as
"another pair of hands" as it holds
parts in place and in a certain position
while he works to put pieces together,
disassemble, or do the repair.
"It's great for doing front or rear bumpers," he says.
"Some of those bumpers, once you
take them apart, are very awkward. It's
great just to be able to support them, get
in there with a heat gun ... do the repair,
and not have to worry about [bumper
parts] moving around. This holds them
in a very sturdy position so you're able to
do the repairs and attach the two pieces
together very simply," Bailey says.
The bumper stabilizer comes with
a frame, clamps, bungee straps, and a
manual. Bailey reports the stabilizer is

very easy to use and setup is minimal,
adding a lot of it comes down to personal
preference - from the length of the elastic
straps to the way the straps hang.
Because the unit helps keep large
bumper sections stationary, Bailey says it
cuts down on bumper damage after being
painted, damage to textured pieces, and
accidents to the bumper.
"Quite often [with] a conventional
bumper stand, the bumper will get heavy
on one side and roll off and you can end
up scratching or damaging it. This just
holds it in place and you don't have to
worry about any of that. All the straps
are adjustable, so you can adjust it to
fit different, multiple styles and kinds
of bumpers.
"Any body technician working on a
multipiece bumper would benefit from
this 100 percent; it just makes the job so
much easier," he says.
"With the way the industry is going
right now, it's coming down to getting the
job done quicker, and to do quality work,
and still making money at it," Bailey concludes. "Anything that can help make the
job faster is definitely a bonus."
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