Best Glue for Automotive Plastic

Buyers Guide – Best Glue for Automotive Plastic

If you search for glues and adhesives for car parts, you will get a ton of results. It can get confusing to know which glue is best suited for your needs. This simple list will help you narrow down your search to what is best for you. 

How much glue do you need? 

When considering the amount of glue, you will need, take into account the size of the car part of plastic that you wish to bond. Most adhesives come in small tin containers of bottles, so purchase at least two if you are trying to bond a sizable amount of automotive plastic. Two packets of glue will suffice for most bonding purposes. Even if you think it is not necessary to buy extra, do so for future needs. 

Shelf life: 

Ensure that you check the package of the adhesive for its shelf-life information. When buying glue, you will want it to last for a long time as you will not use an entire pack at once. However, most glues have a good shelf life and if there is no information on the packaging of the glue, refrigerate it so that it can last longer. Most adhesives also come with caps so that they will not dry out quickly. If you are looking for long-lasting glues, buy glues that come as two separate chemicals. These glues last longer than regular ones as they need to be mixed for the adhesive to work. 

Materials: 

Before purchasing adhesives, know what kind of materials you want to bond together. Plastic is a general term for different kinds of plastic that are available, so make sure that the glue you buy will be able to affix different materials together. It is therefore advisable to read the specifications provided by the manufacturer.  

Drilling and sanding: 

Your glue should be able to withstand drilling or sanding as sometimes glues can be used as fillers for car parts instead of sticking together the parts. If you are planning to drill or sand the parts, purchase a glue that will be compatible with the process. 

Consistency: 

There are glues that are runny but you should avoid these runny glues as they do not work well for car parts. If you are unable to find a glue that is not runny, use a double-sided adhesive or tape that will be better suited for vertical car parts, especially. If you are unsure about the consistency, check the manufacturer’s specification or the product description. 

Durability: 

When you are using glue on a car, the glue needs to be extremely durable. It also needs to be resistant to water and weather conditions like extreme sunlight on exterior car parts. A car will also vibrate constantly so it needs to be able to hold the surfaces together despite this. 

Color: 

The surface where you apply glue matters when you choose which color glue you want. If you want to bond outer surfaces or even interiors where the glue might be visible, use clear ones. Transparent bumper glue is excellent for this purpose. Other glue colors are tan or black, which you might need to paint over. 

The time needed to set: 

While fast-drying glue is the most feasible and non-time-consuming option, especially when you need to sand the car parts, too. Most fast-drying glues will set within a few minutes and sanding can be done immediately after. The flip side to this is that slow-drying glue allows you to position the parts together well before the glue sets. Once the glue dries you cannot shift its position, especially if it is placed wrong. Slow-drying glue gives you this option and once you finalize how you want to place the parts; you can use accelerating spray to speed up the drying process. 

Strength: 

All glues are advertised and marketed as “strong”. We cannot possibly know which glue is the strongest out there but it is better to know the value of specific weight that the glue can hold. This will narrow down your choices while shopping for the best glue. 

Additional tips: 

• Cover your hands with gloves so that the adhesives do not get on your hands. Glues are not usually toxic but it is best to prevent it from getting on your skin. 
• Before you buy a glue, also assess the size of your damage or the material you are working with. While most glues are effective in small amounts, it is better to buy a bigger glue that can be applied to a larger surface area, such as the Gluesmith Plastic Repair Glue System.
•  Additionally, keep in mind the temperature before starting to repair. Glues dry quite easily but if you live in a cold area, you will need to dry your materials for a longer time.

How to glue automotive plastics

Before you begin the process of applying glue to your automotive plastic, you will need to double-check if the glue you have is the right one for the materials you will need to bond. Next, ensure that you have read the instructions on the packaging carefully. After you have the glue and the materials, wipe down the surfaces so that there is no oil, acids, remnants of old glue or dirt on the surface. If the surface has debris on it, it can affect the way the materials bond. 

Depending on your type of glue, you will either need to mix chemicals to form an adhesive or you can directly apply to one or both of the surfaces. Again, check the specifications on the manufacturer’s instructions if you want to know the thickness required for firm bonding. Different glues have different drying times so if your glue sets slowly, use accelerant spray to speed up the process. 

Holding the car parts in place is also an option but if you want to save time, use a tape or clamp to hold it together because some glues can take up to half-an-hour or more to set. Use the tape or clamp with care as it might leave a dent on the surface of your plastic. 

Type of Adhesives for Cars

The two options for car adhesives are permanent or semi-permanent adhesives, 

For car trims or any external work, use a permanent glue that is strong and durable as it should be able to withstand weather conditions such as extreme cold or sunlight. However, if you are fixing a spoiler that you may remove at a later time, using a permanent glue can be more harmful than good as it is difficult to remove. The effort to remove the glue is tremendous and it might cause damage to your vehicle as well. 

Therefore, for temporary jobs, use a semi-permanent automotive glue. The perfect solution is using double sided tape adhesives as they are durable and flexible. It will also not take lots of effort to remove and can easily withstand harsh weather conditions. 

Plastic epoxy epoxy adhesives and anaerobic adhesives are the two types of plastics that are used in the automobile industry. If you have two materials that are very different from each other, for example, metal and glass, epoxy adhesives is your best option as this adhesive can bond two different materials very well. This is due to the fact that the adhesive contains a material called Epichlorohydrin. This material forms a sturdy layer and is resistant to water, heat and cold. 

On the other hand, anaerobic adhesives contain monomers which are best suited to bond metals. These are also useful for bonding electrical parts as anaerobic adhesives are resistant to chemicals, fuels and oils. 

Other common materials that are a part of glues are acrylics, urethane, elastomer and silicone. You might find these when you read the product description of the glues. 

Removing Adhesive Residue 

The versatility of glue makes it easy for minor mishaps to take place while bonding materials. If this happens to you, do not fret. Take off the old adhesive first before applying new ones as it can result is low bond strength. Here are some tips you can use if you want to take off old adhesives: 

First take into account the amount of adhesive that needs to be removed and what kind of material you are using and what kind of tools you are using. If you want to use a chemical to remove the adhesive, try it on a small patch of the plastic first so that you will know if any changes occur as it can change the color or texture of the material you are using it on. 

Using a knife: Using a blunt or craft knife is ideal when you want to scrape off the adhesive from the surface. if not a knife, you can use a spatula or an old credit card to scrape off the glue. However, do so carefully so as to not scratch the surface underneath. 

Spirit: Methylated or white spirit can be used on glass surfaces but it can be detrimental to plastic so you should use it sparingly and with care. 

Upholstery cleaner: If you want to remove adhesive off carpets or other car parts, you can use an upholstery cleanser to remove it without hassle. 

Cleaning fluid: Using a cleaning fluid especially ones formulated to remove harsh stains can be used to remove adhesives

Oil or cold creams: Swabbing the old adhesive with oil or body lotions and leaving it on it for time can help loosen the adhesive. Once it is loosened up, use a cloth to wipe it off the surface. 

Make-up remover: If the glue is weak and easy to remove, do not pull it off as it can still leave some on the surface. Instead use makeup remover pads or tissues to wipe it off. If you do not have this, put micellar water on a cotton pad to wipe it off gently. 

Vinegar: If the adhesive is stubborn and tough to remove, dab it with some vinegar so that it becomes easier to remove. 

General Prices of Automotive Plastic Glues: 

Most glues are within the $15 price range and are quite affordable. There are single-part adhesives that are used commonly for household repair purposes. Just because the price of these glues is low does not mean the quality is compromised. In fact, a lot of good quality glues fall within this price range itself. 

If you are looking for a brand name, then price is going to be more than $15, around the $25-$30 price range. Do not go for high-priced glues if you are buying for a single purpose.