Why Automotive Grade Mounting Tape is a Must for Your Body Shop

Using the very best products within your body shop is one of the best ways to make sure your customers are consistently receiving excellent service. But while you might think this only applies to vehicle parts and paints, it’s also equally as important to use the best tools for the job. This includes the automotive tapes you choose for different jobs.

When it comes to mounting substrates like car trims and mirrors, automotive grade tape is your secret weapon. Not only can this help ensure your customers’ vehicles have a strong and secure fixing, but you can also reassure them their new car trims, emblems, side skirts and anything else attached to their car can withstand any conditions. From the uses of automotive grade mounting tape to our top tips for achieving the strongest bond, this guide is here to help you understand why this higher quality tape type is a must-have for any body shop.

What does ‘Automotive Grade’ mean?

When something is described as ‘automotive grade’, this simply means it offers the best reliability and boosted protection for use in a wider temperature range. To be able to claim that a product is automotive grade, it must meet stricter manufacturing controls which are closely linked to customers’ needs within the automotive industry. In most cases, this will mean stronger, more reliable and sturdy products and tools.

What is Automotive Grade Mounting Tape?

So, now that you know what automotive grade is, we can delve into what this means when it’s used to describe mounting tape. Automotive grade mounting tape is usually a double-sided adhesive which features high-tack, high-strength bonding properties, alongside being highly effective at extreme temperature lows and highs. This makes it reliable in all conditions and means that your customers can trust that whatever is fixed to their car’s interior or exterior will remain in place for as long as they need it to be.

Mounting Tape Uses in Automotive

Ready to find out what mounting tape can be used for in your body shop? From attaching car trims to installing side skirts and spoilers, we’ll go through some of the main uses of different types of mounting tapes below.

Reattaching Car Trim

Using mounting tape to attach car trims is easy, straightforward and efficient. A thin double-sided mounting tape is recommended for this use because trims are usually on the thinner side and this will allow you to apply the adhesive without it being visible after installation.

Attaching Emblems, Badges & Decals

Emblems, badges and decals can all be attached using double-sided mounting tapes. Again, depending on the size of the fixing, a thin mounting tape is usually best for this use since the dimensions of the fixing are smaller. The biggest benefit of this is that you can apply small pieces of tape to cover the majority of the back surface and achieve a strong bond that won’t lift from any corners or edges.

Attaching Number Plates

Reattaching an old number plate that’s been loosened? Fixing a new plate to the front or rear of a customer’s car? Automotive grade double-sided mounting tape is the perfect solution. Not only does it feature a high tack and strong bond, but it also offers excellent weather and temperature resistance which makes it ideal for an exterior fixture. Number plate mounting can be quick, easy and effective when you have these high-quality adhesives to hand.

Mirror Fixing

Mounting tape can also be used to provide a reliable fixing for interior and exterior car mirror glass. The tape used for this must be UV, weather and temperature resistant, alongside being strong and durable no matter what. This is why automotive grade mounting tapes are the ideal solution for mirror fixing since they can offer all of this.

Installing Side Skirts & Spoilers

Side skirts and spoilers require high-strength double-sided mounting tapes to fix them to the exterior of vehicles without screws, nails or other fasteners. Automotive grade mounting tapes are best for this task since side skirts and spoilers can be large and heavy, meaning you need to guarantee that they’re securely attached.

Choosing an Automotive Mounting Tape

When choosing an automotive mounting tape, you’ll need to think carefully about which properties and qualities are required for the job. Here are a few of the qualities to consider when making your decision.

Strength: Strength is a quality you’re likely to want from any mounting tape regardless of the task at hand. However, it’s usually a bigger requirement for heavier or bigger substrates such as mirrors and spoilers since the bond needs to be trustworthy.

Temperature & weather resistance: Mounting tapes used to attach or mount external fixings should offer good temperature and weather resistance. Without this, they might become less secure over time and need to be replaced sooner.

Tape width: Width is also an important factor which is usually determined by the dimensions of the substrate being attached. A smaller width of tape is best for substrates such as trims and decals, while a thicker width is recommended for mounting larger fixings such as spoilers and number plates.

How Automotive Mounting Tape Saves Time

With automotive grade mounting tapes available for all the jobs above and more, it’s easier than ever to save time in your body shop. Your team can say goodbye to drills, screwdrivers, screws and other types of fasteners, and instead just use simple-but-effective tapes in their place. These can increase the efficiency of your body shop, while still maintaining a high-quality output for your customers.

JTAPE Automotive Grade Mounting Tapes

At JTAPE, we’re proud to offer a complete range of automotive grade mounting tapes suitable for a variety of fixings. From thin double-sided mounting tapes to double-sided acrylic tapes, all our automotive grade options are high quality, strong, reliable and built to last. So whether you’re attaching a spoiler, fixing a mirror or installing car trims, you’re sure to find a suitable adhesive in our mounting tapes section.

We trust that this guide has provided everything you need to know about automotive grade mounting tapes, their uses and how to choose the right ones for certain tasks.

For more insight into JTAPE and our range of specialist automotive adhesives, be sure to check out our website.