What is the best way install the new fillers. I was told I could do it without removing the bumper and on the passenger side I am able to snake it in pretty easy but the driver side hangs up on the grill. I am practicing before I paint them btw. I thought about taking the grill out. I had the springs out already, but I fear I'd have problems scratching the paint putting it back too . So should I just pull the bumper? I pulled the back off already for the rears. What is the common procedure on these things?
Front fiberglass bumper filler install help
- Thread starter BOP4ever
- Start date
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x2 take the front bumper off
87we410877
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,634
X3 just did it today. Cracked the first one trying to do it with it on. Plus if you have paint on it already, you WILL fu*k it up.
Remove the headlight trims, remove the directional trims in the bumper.(t5 torqs I think)
Undo the front bolting on the air splitters doing so will help in bumper removal.(13mm wrench) Remove the bumper 13mm wrench.
The fillers them selves are held on with 10mm bolting on the verticals where the filler meets the front fender, and I think 5mm or 7mm for the horizontals below the headlight trim.
Suggestion if removing the bumper by yourself do a few things before you remove it. Firstly the nuts holding it on outline them with a sharpie or a paint stick. Secondly the shims on each side make sure to keep them and make note how many each side so you dont mix them up. Marking the outline of the nuts will help in getting the bumper placement and fitment when your going back together.
When removing the bumper by yourself put something soft on the end of a floor jack bring the floor jack up just enough to support the bumper and once loose just roll it out slowly and far enough from the car you can pick it up.
Suggestion on fitting the front fillers. Get a second person to help out. Start from the inside by having someone hold them on the inside and then line them up on the outside looking down the front fender. To mark the holes I found it was easy to put some dykem blue over the holes in the fenders for the vertical bolting. If you dont have dykem some RTV or similar should work. Put a small blob on each bolt hole and it should leave a mark on the filler once you lined it up. You may notice some of the hole indents on the fillers line up perfectly while others maybe off a little. Just drill them where the RTV/dykem makes a mark.
Once you have your verticals drilled. Put the bolting in and make them up you should only need to tighten up the top and bottom bolting on the vertical joint the centers can be left loose only to guide the filler. Now re-line up your fller and time to mark the horizontal holes under the headlamps. I used a small scribe to etch these ones for drilling of the holes.
Remove the filler drill the vertical holes and you get the idea. To drill the holes match them up with the thread diameter from the bolting to get the size you need to drill I forget the sizes off hand just go with something slightly larger than the bolting thread diameter. Have fun and take your time..
Undo the front bolting on the air splitters doing so will help in bumper removal.(13mm wrench) Remove the bumper 13mm wrench.
The fillers them selves are held on with 10mm bolting on the verticals where the filler meets the front fender, and I think 5mm or 7mm for the horizontals below the headlight trim.
Suggestion if removing the bumper by yourself do a few things before you remove it. Firstly the nuts holding it on outline them with a sharpie or a paint stick. Secondly the shims on each side make sure to keep them and make note how many each side so you dont mix them up. Marking the outline of the nuts will help in getting the bumper placement and fitment when your going back together.
When removing the bumper by yourself put something soft on the end of a floor jack bring the floor jack up just enough to support the bumper and once loose just roll it out slowly and far enough from the car you can pick it up.
Suggestion on fitting the front fillers. Get a second person to help out. Start from the inside by having someone hold them on the inside and then line them up on the outside looking down the front fender. To mark the holes I found it was easy to put some dykem blue over the holes in the fenders for the vertical bolting. If you dont have dykem some RTV or similar should work. Put a small blob on each bolt hole and it should leave a mark on the filler once you lined it up. You may notice some of the hole indents on the fillers line up perfectly while others maybe off a little. Just drill them where the RTV/dykem makes a mark.
Once you have your verticals drilled. Put the bolting in and make them up you should only need to tighten up the top and bottom bolting on the vertical joint the centers can be left loose only to guide the filler. Now re-line up your fller and time to mark the horizontal holes under the headlamps. I used a small scribe to etch these ones for drilling of the holes.
Remove the filler drill the vertical holes and you get the idea. To drill the holes match them up with the thread diameter from the bolting to get the size you need to drill I forget the sizes off hand just go with something slightly larger than the bolting thread diameter. Have fun and take your time..
Thanks for the detailed instructions. I have all the holes marked and the fillers scuffed for primer now. I'll pull the front bumper tomorrow and get things ready to spray I hope by next weekend. I just un plugged the turn signals why do I need to remove the trim ?
Thanks again .
Thanks again .
