Taking off the front bumper having a few problems

[valdez]

i've almost taken it off all the torx bolts are seized/rounded so i've began drilling them out.. when ive pulled the bumper off where do i go from here?

[gooner1]

Just unclip your indicators, preferably before you pull the Bumper completely off.
Thats it iirc.

[Brianmoooore]

How far have you got with this? It's near impossible to drill them out - you'd have to drill through about 4" of the bolt before you reach the nut, and keep it centred somehow all the way!
The best technique is to pull the outer skin off by pulling it forwards. It's held on by expanding plastic rivets behind the black rubbing strips, but the lugs on the strips will break if you try to remove them at this stage - just pull hard and force the rivets.
This will leave just the bumper beam on the car, but you still can't get at the bumper bolts!
You will be able to see the large flat headed cap bolts that hold the beam to its fixing brackets, but the nuts on the end of these bolts aren't captive, and are also inaccessible.
Several choices next! You can drill out the large cap bolts, cut a small hole in the beam directly above the business end of the bolts you are trying to drill, and drill them from there, you can grip the pointed end of the screws that hold the indicators in place, unscrew them, and then you can get at the outer bolts that hold the bumper brackets to the car. Unfortunately, you still can't get at the inner ones, unless you cut away a small section of the beam on top or underneath, to get a spanner in.
Alternatively, you can destroy the beam by sawing through it either side of the mounting brackets, and then unscrew the brackets from the body.

[valdez]

thanks brian i drilled the cap bolts out. i need to replace the lower splitter aswell as the bumper, what's the easiest way to remove it? (its the one holding the fog lights etc in place)

im thinking as well what's the best way to attach the replacement bumper beam, as obviously i wont be able to access the nuts if i were to bolt it back in.. at the moment cable ties sound like the best option to me

[Messenjah]

thanks brian i drilled the cap bolts out. i need to replace the lower splitter aswell as the bumper, what's the easiest way to remove it? (its the one holding the fog lights etc in place)

im thinking as well what's the best way to attach the replacement bumper beam, as obviously i wont be able to access the nuts if i were to bolt it back in.. at the moment cable ties sound like the best option to me

replace the shock absorber mounts for the bumper and use new bumper bolts with copper slip grease on them dude.

the "bit that holds the foglights in" is the front valance to remove it you need to remove the bumper brackets that hold the valance to the wings rusted (usually) 10mm bolts much easier to get to if you remove the inner arches.

then remove the brake ducts which will reveal one 8mm bolt either side holding ont he valance and there is another one either side behind the headlight grills.

as for finding a replacement if neil at a1bmw says he has a mint silver one it is infact dented and rusty.

[magpie]

i've used a grinder on the carrier ones to the bracket.you can replace these.

then you can get at the bigger one that holds the bracket to the bumper shocks that bolt to the chassis rail.wd40 or heat and large stillsons is what i used to get one off recently.