My bumper has never been quite right on my car, its poped off on one side and possibly not seated right on the other. are they any diagrams that show how it attaches to the car? or anyone willing to give me a little write up? edit: Front bumper
if only my camera hadn't erased all those pics. If you pop the bumper off the car (two 17mm bolts) There are about 15 or so 10mm bolts that attach the bumper to the metal support. You'd have to kinda take it from there to get it to sit right only because I don't believe it attaches any where on the ends/corners of the bumpers.
where are the 17's? Just for the record im talking about the plastic bumper, I think the actually steel strcture is fine
The 17's should be on the underside of the bumper. To get to the plastic bumper to see whats really goin on, you may have to remove the whole setup from the car. Then take a look at whats goin on.
SO im done the semester and went to tackel this project today. I got one 17mm off with some help from a tube over the wrench, the second one, well it was a battle against a mastercraft wrench and 1/2 of 20 year old steel. the wrench won. I thought the even with one bolt still stuck in there, not having its head would relieve the pressure and left me push the bumper back into its correct position. I was only able to budge one side out a bit and no lick with the broken bolt side. St165, any change u got a diagram of the bumper system that might help me understand why I cant get it to move?
Ha I was just looking in the EPC for bumper bolts but can't find them. I'm talking about the 17mm ones. If you got one off then you know its a special bolt that is threaded for about 1/3 of its length then it's smooth then it's threaded again for the last 1/3. I have checked the BGB but I don't have the body repair manual and all exterior parts are in that. The 17mm bolt's are the easy ones. I don't know about the front bumper but I think I broke every 10mm bolt I removed off the back bumper. I have a spare bumper in the garage so I'll haul it down and get some pics of it tomorrow for you. How much of the broken 17mm bolt actually came out?
none, its sheared off in the bumper support. But that should have loosened its pressure on the frame rail and allowed it to move shouldnt it? I can wiggle it up and down but no fowards or back movement. I can move the non-broken side in and out with the bolt loose but still screwed in.
I lost it in the snow.... but Id assume so. The shaft stops at the bottom of the bumper support, and dosnt stick out past the frame rail. Ill try to draw it here
Well as shown in the pic you have a smaller rectangular piece (the bumper) going into a larger rectangular piece (the frame). On the top of the frame is a nut that is welded on as indicated by the red X. The green (bumper frame) has a threaded tube that runs through the middle of it indicated by the 2 red X's. I dont know if its threaded for the whole length but it is threaded on the bottom end near where your bolt broke off. I would assume it is threaded for the whole length but mine is to rusted to really tell at the top but threads are clearly visible on the bottom part of the tube. I get you a pic in a couple minutes
the bolt is threaded at the ends, not the center. I dont know why I wont budge. I feel kinda dumb but I cant remeber trying to pull it out, just pushing it in, but Ill give it a shot tomorrow. Ive got the right side off fine, and Id assume the threaded section is on the frame rail, since the bolt broke above that I dont see why its not coming lose, its hard to explain. I guess i really need to know how the bumper attaches to the frame, is it by pressure of the bolt clamping the frame down (top and bottom)on the bumper supports?
This is looking at the bumper from the bottom and it is suposed to show the treads inside the tube but I guess the camera is too crappy for that sort of detail. Another angle. The red lines indicate the portions of the bolt that are threaded So the bolt does thread into the bumper at least on the bottom of the tube
hum, so I can only budge it one way or the otehr a tad before the bolts hit the tube. I wonder why my bumper sticks out a bit on the passanger side of the car. Could the cover not be mounted correctly on the actual metal bumper?
Looking at this image again the bumper frame in green. The tube extends between the 2 red X's and I know for sure it is treaded at the bottom of the tube.
yep, I got that all straighted out now, but Im wondering why the bumper slants in on the driver side if there is only one position to mount it in. If the frame is bent (so help me god) but i dont think it is. or if the plastic isnt install righ tont he metal bumper. Ill go back at it tomorrow, thanks for the help, i got my head on straight now
Depends what your useing as a reference. When you say out do you mean the passenger side is farther forward. Perhaps the grill is a little twisted. I would use your orange side marker lights as a reference and see how 1 side of the bumper compares to the other side.
