Front bumper removal

[Coops]

Hi,
can anyone tell me,do you have to get under the car to remove the 2 front nuts or is it just a case of opening the bonnet to gain access,I don't have my Haynes to hand at present.
Thanks

[ducky1]

Inside the front wings there is 1 bolt either side and on the 2 front legs there is 2 bolts either side as well. Its the Way i found the fastest.

[e21paddy]

Hey all, instead of opening a new thread I decided to revive this one. I’m having issues where the previous owner has installed a bbs front splitter, which blocks access to the towing eye.

Would anyone be so kind as to post an image of the bolts to remove the front bumper? It’s a UK ‘81 model!

Thank you !

[joe14]

Hi,

I also have a BBS bumper on mine.
No pictures to hand but the bumper mounts to brackets that extend into the front wheel arch area on each side.
Put the car on full lock and you'll see the 2 bolts (13mm), If I remember correctly there might be a plastic cover to be removed.

Undo these on each side and you should be able to pull the bumper off with the mounting bracket still attached

[e21paddy]

Hey joe,

I remember undoing one of those bolts before, but it just ended up rattling around in its hole? It was as if the bolt was in the chassis box section and un-captivated?

Is this normal?

[Jeroen]

The brackets bolt onto the chassis with 2 bolts on either side, if you're able to undo them a bit you can slide the bumper out complete with the brackets... after you've undon the two bolts, one each side, on the corners on the inside of the wing.

If the nuts that slide into the chassis slots are rusted or damaged, replace, or indeed you will have the spinning freely in their slots next time. Already have this? Undo the bumper over at the other side, where the brackets bolt onto the bumper, or use an angle grinder

[e21paddy]

So when I undid one bolt, it gets to a certain stage where it’s just turning and turning without coming out.

Are the nuts captive in the chassis leg or where? Finding it hard to visualize

[shadyracer01]

What you have slackened are only the nuts, the heads of both bolts each side behind bumper flat bars are held in slotted guides in outer skin of chassis legs, spaced about 3 or 4 inches apart,if you cant get the nuts off without bolt also turning just grind them off like Jeroen suggested, as the bolts are easy to find new replacements.
When you get both flat bars undone from chassis legs, pull up and out with bumper as you remove it, assuming you have the wing to bumper corner bolts removed already.
Hope this of use to you, most of it already covered before
Are you planning to cut bbs spoiler to show towing eye/s?

[e21paddy]

This is perfect. I searched and found a picture of the slots your referring to, but before the explanation the penny didn’t drop!

This will remove the bbs attach to the front bumper and the chrome bumpers?

Not sure what to do with the bbs, cutting a slot would look terrible, I might investigate securing studs so if it needs towing it can be done pretty easily

Anyone else have this issue?

[shadyracer01]

I have Bbs spoiler on mine but hope never to need towed so happy not to have to cut into it.
The spoiler isnt fixed to the chrome bumper, when you have bumper removed it will be clearer for you, a series of screws and a couple of bolts similar to those in the tops of outer wings for the spoiler fixings.

[uwbuurman]

There is an original bbs tool (sames as for the BMW Motorsport spoiler) for towing the car with a bbs spoiler. It is a towhook that goes into the towhook on the car and lowers it, so you wont hit the bumper. Came with the original kit.

[uwbuurman]

[e21paddy]

That is brilliant, to be honest I thought of making my own.

Where can I get one of these? None on W&N

[gerrit323]

I orders mine some years ago at the BMW dealership..

[e21paddy]

316 51 338 is that the part number gerrit ? Or is that wishful thinking on my behalf !