Homemade Headlight tab replacement kit

[CoreyRS]

anybody done it? I can't justify $50 for a piece of plastic with metal washers in it

[IVRINGS]

anybody done it? I can't justify $50 for a piece of plastic with metal washers in it

Have you looked it up on one discount website yet? I would just get it and not worry about it, but if you want just get some S4's or E-Codes and call it a day on tryin' to justify it. ;)

[CoreyRS]

whats one discount? I searched Google and didnt see anything (honestly I didn't look past the first 5 hits though). But yea I would love a set of S4 single xenons...but I don't have the money, so in the meantime I need to replace the tabs on my stockers, and the kit from ECS is way overpriced IMO. I think im just going to try to fix it myself.

[PRY4SNO]

I think 034 has a tab repair kit too, don't recall price offhand though.

[Synthetik]

Subscribed

[old guy]

I fixed two broken tabs with Pig Putty (Same thing as J.B. Weld). Drill a few small diameter holes (1/16") around the base of the broken tab to give the putty a mechanical connection beyond just the surface adhesion. Mold the putty around the base of the tab and you should be good to go. Put a little black paint on it and you won't even notice it.

[Freefall_Doug]

Are these the tabs on the top of the light assembly? Both of mine broke on my car during a hit and run two weeks ago. I was thinking that the whole headlight was going to need to be replaced, so this is (good) news to me if am reading the OP correctly.

The lense isn't cracked, only the plastic arms at the top are broke.

[IVRINGS]

Are these the tabs on the top of the light assembly? Both of mine broke on my car during a hit and run two weeks ago. I was thinking that the whole headlight was going to need to be replaced, so this is (good) news to me if am reading the OP correctly.

The lense isn't cracked, only the plastic arms at the top are broke.

Yes that is what we are talking about. It happens a lot to these that Audi made a tab kit.

[ocod]

used this to repair tab on lower half of bumper.

http://www.spadepot.com/shop/Plast-A...t-P756C57.aspx

[Allhailpoptart]

I used JB weld and some extra milk bottle plastic to "fix" my broken tabs. The way I did it:

1. Cut a few strips out of an empty gallon of milk to match the general shape of the tab(or any nice cheap flexible plastic. I used the bottom portion of the gallon jug so it already had a nice curve to it)
2. Grab a tube or two of JB weld
3. Remove the headlight from the car
4. try to put the broken tab back onto the headlight housing as best you can (just place it back where it should go with the crack lined up)
5. Mix up and slather on some JB weld (be generous as you can always wipe away excess before it dries)
6. Stick the milk jug plastic on top of the JB weld
7. Put the headlight back into the car gently and bolt the tabs back into location
8. Reposition everything if it moved out of place
9. Let it dry and reapply another small coat of JB weld to make sure it doesn't move
-When you apply the JB weld make sure that you not only cover the crack but also some of the surrounding area as well. The plastic from the milk container helps keep rigidity but it's not a bad idea to over apply just a bit.

This has worked great for me for about 15k miles now. The first time I did it I didn't include the plastic strip from the milk container and they broke again the second time I closed my hood. So far so good with the new way and JB weld is like $5 for a two tube package.

[CoreyRS]

Thanks PopTart and OldGuy...thats what I was looking for. Theres not many things JB Weld cant fix. I was originally thinking of using a piece of 1/8" aluminum rectangular bar stock as a brace between the two and dremeling notches for the screw placement. Overkill?

[Allhailpoptart]

Thanks PopTart and OldGuy...thats what I was looking for. Theres not many things JB Weld cant fix. I was originally thinking of using a piece of 1/8" aluminum rectangular bar stock as a brace between the two and dremeling notches for the screw placement. Overkill?

Probably not overkill, but I'd be careful not to take off too much with the dremel. Also keep in mind that the hood needs to close over the tabs so adding more material in there could interfere with your hood closing.

[CoreyRS]

well actually my top tabs are fine...its the lower ones that are all broken

[Allhailpoptart]

If that's the case you'll probably be fine with the aluminum. I had bottom mounting point break off on me and I just let it go. It hasn't had an impact on the lights or their pattern (that I can tell at least).