How to: Front Bumper Removal

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,631
Front Bumper:
EST time: 6-8hrs due to corroded fixing and terrible access

1. Jack up the front of the car and remove the wheels

2. Remove both arch liners

archliner.jpg

3. Remove bumper under tray

4. Remove the front grill and the fixings on the top of the bumper where the bonnet shut is, making sure you make a note of the shims.

FRONTGRILL.jpg

5. From underneath, with a long extension, undo the sidelight retaining bolts, use a suction cup and extract both sidelights out the front.

SIDELIGHT copy copy.jpg

6. Remove the front headlight retaining bolt by putting a small socket through the sidelight hole and up

HEDLINGT FRONT BOLT.jpg

7. Remove the headlight rear bolts from the L brackets and the lower mounting and remove the brackets as this aids removal

HEADLIGHT01 copy.jpg

8. Right headlight - Remove the headlight to inner wing mounts with a 10mm spanner, the nut facing the engine (See above pic)

8a. Left headlight - You cannot gain access to the inner wing mount from behind, you need to remove the left hand engine cover and access it from the engine bay.

IMG_2045 copy.jpg

9. Unhook the rubber gaskets and pull to give more space, remove the headlight out the front of the car, watching not to drag the underside over the bumper as it will scratch it

HEADLIGHT OUT.jpg

10. undo the 3 fixings down the inner wing to bumper, NOTE, the furthest forward on the right side is a LEFT HAND THREAD

HEADLIGHT01 copy.jpg

11. Undo the 2 bolts on the underside of where the top the wing meets the top of the bumper.

WING RETAIN.jpg

12. Undo the main bumper mounting bolts

BUMPER MAIN BOLTS.jpg

13. Remove the washer jet supply pipes if you have washer jets

HEADLIGHT01 copy.jpg

14. Mask up the front wings where the bumper meets it with thick bodyshop tape (you will thank me later)

MASKING.jpg

15. Remove the bumper from the car, collapse on the floor and recover with your hand bleeding all over the place.

BUMPER OFF.jpg
 

2b1ask1

Special case
Messages
20,270
All good Matt; No.10 wing bolts, the front one is a captive nut (on an extending bracket from the middle bolt) and the bolt is highly likely to shear, get some penetrating oil on it if you can...
 

miket

Member
Messages
647
I tend to remove my lights rear wards into the wheel arch, but it means having to remove the L bracket, on the plus side it removes the possibility of scratching any paint on the bumper.
Either way the job is not too bad to do but the lights for me are awkward to refit correctly, very fiddly in there!
Good write up, job well done....
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,631
I tend to remove my lights rear wards into the wheel arch, but it means having to remove the L bracket, on the plus side it removes the possibility of scratching any paint on the bumper.
Either way the job is not too bad to do but the lights for me are awkward to refit correctly, very fiddly in there!
Good write up, job well done....

I had to take the lights out again and although it possible with the right headlight, its not with the left one as it has the secondary air pump in the way. I strongly recommend taking the headlights out the front, just make sure you mask up and wiggle and rotate the light and they will come. Its an idea to pull the gasket off the headlight and remove it first as it gives you a bit more room, I have updated this info to.

I have added 8a to show how to remove the left hand light as the secondary air pump again makes this impossible to access...based on a GS's layout.
 

miket

Member
Messages
647
I had to take the lights out again and although it possible with the right headlight, its not with the left one as it has the secondary air pump in the way. I strongly recommend taking the headlights out the front, just make sure you mask up and wiggle and rotate the light and they will come. Its an idea to pull the gasket off the headlight and remove it first as it gives you a bit more room, I have updated this info to.

I have added 8a to show how to remove the left hand light as the secondary air pump again makes this impossible to access...based on a GS's layout.

I understand your comment regarding the secondary air pump but again I find it better to undo the fixings that hold it in place to give me enough room to remove the light rear wards into the arch.,
If your way works for you that's excellent, At least you recorded your efforts for everyone else's benefit, I merely put my spin on a minor part of the process.
Getting the lights back is where patience is required, especially with the front fixing.....
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,631
...Getting the lights back is where patience is required, especially with the front fixing.....

I find leaving the wing to bumper and main bumper hangers loose helps, you can pull the bumper forward a little to get it back in easier.

Just make sure you tape up the wings when refitting, it will scratch them.
 

SpecBC

New Member
Messages
1
Thank you for doing this write up, I just struggled for hours trying to see if I could reason my way to knowing where things are and order of removal...as you can guess that didn't go well. Finally found this and it will help me tackle this on the way to pull my engine out.

Thanks again, I may be back with questions lol.
Ben
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,432
Welcome Ben.
Interesting first post.
Why are you pulling the engine out and what model do you have exactly ?
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
Front Bumper:
EST time: 6-8hrs due to corroded fixing and terrible access

1. Jack up the front of the car and remove the wheels

2. Remove both arch liners

View attachment 35371

3. Remove bumper under tray

4. Remove the front grill and the fixings on the top of the bumper where the bonnet shut is, making sure you make a note of the shims.

View attachment 35370

5. From underneath, with a long extension, undo the sidelight retaining bolts, use a suction cup and extract both sidelights out the front.

View attachment 35439

6. Remove the front headlight retaining bolt by putting a small socket through the sidelight hole and up

View attachment 35368

7. Remove the headlight rear bolts from the L brackets and the lower mounting and remove the brackets as this aids removal

View attachment 35372

8. Right headlight - Remove the headlight to inner wing mounts with a 10mm spanner, the nut facing the engine (See above pic)

8a. Left headlight - You cannot gain access to the inner wing mount from behind, you need to remove the left hand engine cover and access it from the engine bay.

View attachment 35438

9. Unhook the rubber gaskets and pull to give more space, remove the headlight out the front of the car, watching not to drag the underside over the bumper as it will scratch it

View attachment 35367

10. undo the 3 fixings down the inner wing to bumper, NOTE, the furthest forward on the right side is a LEFT HAND THREAD

View attachment 35372

11. Undo the 2 bolts on the underside of where the top the wing meets the top of the bumper.

View attachment 35363

12. Undo the main bumper mounting bolts

View attachment 35366

13. Remove the washer jet supply pipes if you have washer jets

View attachment 35372

14. Mask up the front wings where the bumper meets it with thick bodyshop tape (you will thank me later)

View attachment 35364

15. Remove the bumper from the car, collapse on the floor and recover with your hand bleeding all over the place.

View attachment 35365
How did you remove the grill? bumper bolts can not be accessed unless grill is removed, there are 4 screws underside top of chrome grill, I removed them the grill and trident stay and not coming out, searched
all internet and nothing can be found about removing 4200 grill and all bumper removals show the grill already out.
 

tulit

Member
Messages
110
You just need a torx screwdriver. You should be able to reach all the screws through the mesh opening in the grill.

Sent from my SM-A515W using Tapatalk
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
Torx screw driver is no problem, no torx screw heads can be seen thru the mesh

78039

78040

78041
 

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Last edited:

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,631
Screws under the top (look upwards from the front of the car) then pull it off the bayonet spring fixings.
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
The screws under the top are out, thru the mesh I see no torx screw heads.
So are you suggesting that I yank the the grill out?
I tried but the whole bumper cover came out and the grill is still in it. apparently this one does not have
the 2 big bolts that should be taken out from thru the grill opening
 
Last edited:

safrane

Member
Messages
16,854
There are 4 torpedo clips at the bottom of the classic grill.

You need to remove the screws in the underside of the grill at the top and then pull the whole grill and frame directly towards you... they will be stiff and you may need to use some force to get them to budge.

Take a look at the 'eurospares' exploded diagrams to give you a better idea of their location.