Front bumper removal

[AndyBaur]

Is this technical???

I'm trying to get the front bumper off but the o/s bolt is just turning in the bumper. I tried to unbolt the bracket from inside the wheel arch but I could only get the front bolt off, the rear bolt is just turning. They seem to be in a box section & I can't find any way to get at the bolt head. The front one is just a normal bolt & I assume the other is too.

How do you get at them?

[johne21]

Hi,
cut off old bolts with angle grinder or oxy/acet and replace with coach bolts.

[dannyboy]

Hi your talking about the bumper bracket bolts that mount from inside the box section?.. ahh there is a nut on the outside but a square headed bolt on the on the inside that sits in a captive housing.. if its able to move push it all the way back in and place a touch of pressure as if pulling the bolt towards you as try to undo the bolt... if not next route is as above...

[nas80]

take the bumper off its held on by one 13mm bolt on each side. you can wedge a screw driver or press the rubber on the outside of the bumper to hold the bolt in.

if your trying to remove the mounting legs from inside the wheel arch - angle grinder.

[AndyBaur]

Pretty much as I expected then.

The bolt behind the rubber trim is just turning (as they always do). That will be the easiest to cut off & i can replace with a galvanised roofing bolt as I did on my 635.

The bracket into the wheel arch is more problematic. I've got the forward nut off & the bolt is now loose in the box section. With luck I can fish it out far enough to get the nut back on but tightening it up will be tricky. I guess it would be possible to drill through the bolt hole & out the other side of the box section & then use a long coach or roofing bolt to go all the way through.

I guess I'm going to have the same sort of fun getting the bumper off the parts car

[AndyBaur]

Well I ended up cutting the chrome coachbolt head off in pieces.

However, that still leaves me with the bracket half off.

there is a nut on the outside but a square headed bolt on the on the inside that sits in a captive housing

Given that it's a sealed box section, how do you know that? Have you cut open the box section? I have the nut off the forward bolt which won't push back into the box because it's too long & I can't pull it out to get the nut back on. I suppose I could try pulling it out as far as possible with needle nose pliers & use a Dremel to cut off as much of the bolt as possible. Then the head would drop back into the box & I could drill through the other side of the box section & use a long bolt through the whole box. I'm surprised BMW didn't do that in the first place.

I'm sure bodyshops must have got around this problem before.

[nas80]

It will slide out of where it lives. you need to loosen it as much as possible. Then pull the whole arm forwards.

I went out and took this pic especially for you as its hard to explain.

[nas80]

Or just get your angle grinder out. Cut them off. You can get new coach bolts.

If you don't have an angle grinder then buy one. Last tool you will need.

[AndyBaur]

Thanks Nas, the photo explains it perfectly.

I just used a hammer to belt the assembly forward & out.

I will see about using some galvanised roofing bolts instead, possibly acorn nuts too so as to protect the end threads. Think I'll get some waxoyl into the box too.

[nas80]

no worries mate - when i did this the first time round i thought there was studs welded to the inner wing as well - luckily it was on a car i was breaking so i didnt care but the relief when i realised i could replace the studs.

I also used glavanised coach bolts that i had cut down, i coated them with copper grease afterwards and did the nuts up.