TurboMike
03-31-2011, 08:42 AM
Bumper removal is very very easy and can literally be done in minutes. I found some posts here about it but was confused where things were and how to get the bumper off the fenders. I even have the shop manuals and it was pretty vague there too "pull off fender", um ok. This is written for the people that need easy-peasy steps all spelled out (like me).
UNDER THE BUMPER:
You have the black diffuser (the black trim at the bottom of the bumper between the exhaust tips), which is held onto the bumper with 4 push trim pins. Further past these are three push pins that hold the body colored bumper to the bottom of the car (the spare tire well to be exact). A "push trim pin" looks like a round black plug with a smaller round center. Its a black plug that goes into the plastic parts, then a center pin that goes inside the plug and makes it expand to hold the plastics together.
This is sorta what it looks like (image stolen from another car board):
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9DRPY7_kU_uYxWC2I7yYDEh1N6LJ1A 2UschAN_o8QBs8X30d4Aw
Remove the three push pins holding the bottom of the bumper to the car. How do you remove them? You need to get the center "pin" out, and then the plug itself is easily pulled out of the hole. If you look at the center pin, there are two flat areas on opposite sides. Those are there for you to get under the pin so you can pull it out. I use two small flat screwdrivers on either flat area, get them under the pin, and pull the pin out. Once the pin is more than 50% out of the plig (or totally removed from the plug) the plug easily comes out. Pic:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5052/5541690566_242bb91cc2.jpg
EACH FENDER WHEEL WELL:
Go to one of the rear tires and look at the black plastic wheel well near the back bumper. You will see two push pins, one at the bottom of the well/bumper, and one halfway up the well. Remove that one too. Pics:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5574859553_84b46a5033.jpg
The bottom of the bumper and well should now be loose and flapping. Now look at the top of the wheel well where it meets the edge of the bumper. There is a small black phillips screw, facing down. Remove it. Pics:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5575446038_bdcde5fd5d.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5541111373_fbbe6d4e14.jpg
FENDERS and TAIL LIGHTS:
Nothing is holding the bumper on right now except for push/pop on clips that surround the fender where the bumper meets it. The lip of the bumper is full of holes and each hole has a clip popped onto it. You literally pull the bumper off at this point, and push it back on when you re-install. The trick which I couldnt figure out was how it pulls off. If you do it wrong, you can rip the holes open. Here is the trick: now that the ends of the bumper are free to flap out away from the car, thats the direction you pull them. You pull the edges of the bumper out to the sides away from the car CAREFULLY so that each clip lets go of each hole one at a time like large bumper velcro. Pics to visualize:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5541692004_c076dd2f59.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5541112303_d3a7f5ca90.jpg
The trick is to pull OUT away from the car and now DOWN, but at a slightly down angle to help the holes get out of the clips. As you pull the bumper away, you follow the holes/clips under the tailights and keep pulling. Pics:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5541692378_477c75d06d.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/5541692508_b7f68df4d5.jpg
Once you get the last clip under the tailights (on both sides) the bumper is totally free. There is a metal lip under the trunk opening, but the bumper itself is just resting on this. Get in the middle of the trunk opening, try to grab the bumper on both sides under the taillight, and step back. The bumper should come with you.
BUMPER INSTALLATION:
Do everything above in the opposite order, but I have one trick that I wish I knew before I did mine. Put the pins and screw in the wheel well in first, and pop the holes back into the fender clips last. In the fender well is a screw at the top, a push pin in the middle and one at the bottom.... When I put my bumper on, I couldnt get the damn holes to get into the clips around the fender and tailights without being loose and not grabbing, it looked HORRIBLE. I got one side on, and went to the other wheel well and found something: the MIDDLE PUSH PIN actually goes through three things, not just the fender and the wheel well. Theres a metal bracket under there with a hole in it and the pin goes through all three things: the bumper, the wheel well, and the hole in the bracket. GET THAT MIDDLE PUSH PIN ON FIRST, before the bottom pin and top screw. Once that middle pin is on and lined up perfect with the metal bracket, all the clips around the fender and taillight area line up perfect with the holes in the bumper and then all pop on nice and easy. If you dont have that metal bracket at that middle push pin, nothing lines up, or pops in the right way, and looks like crap.
Enjoy, and PLEASE reply if I missed anything.
UNDER THE BUMPER:
You have the black diffuser (the black trim at the bottom of the bumper between the exhaust tips), which is held onto the bumper with 4 push trim pins. Further past these are three push pins that hold the body colored bumper to the bottom of the car (the spare tire well to be exact). A "push trim pin" looks like a round black plug with a smaller round center. Its a black plug that goes into the plastic parts, then a center pin that goes inside the plug and makes it expand to hold the plastics together.
This is sorta what it looks like (image stolen from another car board):
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9DRPY7_kU_uYxWC2I7yYDEh1N6LJ1A 2UschAN_o8QBs8X30d4Aw
Remove the three push pins holding the bottom of the bumper to the car. How do you remove them? You need to get the center "pin" out, and then the plug itself is easily pulled out of the hole. If you look at the center pin, there are two flat areas on opposite sides. Those are there for you to get under the pin so you can pull it out. I use two small flat screwdrivers on either flat area, get them under the pin, and pull the pin out. Once the pin is more than 50% out of the plig (or totally removed from the plug) the plug easily comes out. Pic:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5052/5541690566_242bb91cc2.jpg
EACH FENDER WHEEL WELL:
Go to one of the rear tires and look at the black plastic wheel well near the back bumper. You will see two push pins, one at the bottom of the well/bumper, and one halfway up the well. Remove that one too. Pics:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5574859553_84b46a5033.jpg
The bottom of the bumper and well should now be loose and flapping. Now look at the top of the wheel well where it meets the edge of the bumper. There is a small black phillips screw, facing down. Remove it. Pics:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5575446038_bdcde5fd5d.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5541111373_fbbe6d4e14.jpg
FENDERS and TAIL LIGHTS:
Nothing is holding the bumper on right now except for push/pop on clips that surround the fender where the bumper meets it. The lip of the bumper is full of holes and each hole has a clip popped onto it. You literally pull the bumper off at this point, and push it back on when you re-install. The trick which I couldnt figure out was how it pulls off. If you do it wrong, you can rip the holes open. Here is the trick: now that the ends of the bumper are free to flap out away from the car, thats the direction you pull them. You pull the edges of the bumper out to the sides away from the car CAREFULLY so that each clip lets go of each hole one at a time like large bumper velcro. Pics to visualize:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5541692004_c076dd2f59.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5541112303_d3a7f5ca90.jpg
The trick is to pull OUT away from the car and now DOWN, but at a slightly down angle to help the holes get out of the clips. As you pull the bumper away, you follow the holes/clips under the tailights and keep pulling. Pics:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5541692378_477c75d06d.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/5541692508_b7f68df4d5.jpg
Once you get the last clip under the tailights (on both sides) the bumper is totally free. There is a metal lip under the trunk opening, but the bumper itself is just resting on this. Get in the middle of the trunk opening, try to grab the bumper on both sides under the taillight, and step back. The bumper should come with you.
BUMPER INSTALLATION:
Do everything above in the opposite order, but I have one trick that I wish I knew before I did mine. Put the pins and screw in the wheel well in first, and pop the holes back into the fender clips last. In the fender well is a screw at the top, a push pin in the middle and one at the bottom.... When I put my bumper on, I couldnt get the damn holes to get into the clips around the fender and tailights without being loose and not grabbing, it looked HORRIBLE. I got one side on, and went to the other wheel well and found something: the MIDDLE PUSH PIN actually goes through three things, not just the fender and the wheel well. Theres a metal bracket under there with a hole in it and the pin goes through all three things: the bumper, the wheel well, and the hole in the bracket. GET THAT MIDDLE PUSH PIN ON FIRST, before the bottom pin and top screw. Once that middle pin is on and lined up perfect with the metal bracket, all the clips around the fender and taillight area line up perfect with the holes in the bumper and then all pop on nice and easy. If you dont have that metal bracket at that middle push pin, nothing lines up, or pops in the right way, and looks like crap.
Enjoy, and PLEASE reply if I missed anything.