Can you fix a broken plastic headlight mounting tab?
Buying a whole new headlight assembly is expensive, but relying on temporary fixes like JB Weld or bolts without the mounting tab creates uncertainty about whether the part will hold up on the road. Without proper tools and space at hand, drivers are left trying to figure out if a quick fix will last long enough to get them to a store for a proper bracket replacement.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1plastic welding the broken piece back together
- 2using a plastic staple welder
- 3using JB Weld on the eyelet
- 4buying a new or used headlight assembly from rockauto or car-part.com
- 5Driving with just the remaining bolt and no tab ("send it")
- 6Using JB Weld adhesive
- 7Securing it with a ratchet strap
- 8Getting the broken tab welded back on
- 9Sourcing a replacement bracket from a junkyard or online
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I was replacing the alternator and I was trying to push back the little bushing that holds the alternator tightly in place, but the whole tab snapped off.”source ↗
“will the bolts hold it in place without the tab? will this make it to work tomorrow? I have jb weld at my work and more tools. will jb weld hold it?”source ↗
“What would be the best way to fix this? Just buy a whole new headlight assembly?”source ↗
“You think it will make it the 20-30 miles it would take to go get a bracket and bring it to my work where there’s tools and whatnot? I’d ideally like to replace the bracket but the truck is outside my girlfriends house where I don’t have my tools or space to work on it.”source ↗
Where this came up
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