Removing Bumper Inserts

[KDS]

Hey all,

So, what's the best way to remove the black plastic inserts from post-facelift bumpers without destroying them? I've pulled both bumpers off the car and was amazed to see how complicated things are on the back side. Do the bumper guts have to be entirely disassembled, or is there some clever way to just pry/prise them out from the outside?

Thanks again.

[kevin316i]

The clips on the back of the bumper strips are very prone to breaking, so if you are prising them off it needs to be done very carefully, and even then there is no guarantee that they won't break.

Ideally, if you could get access to them from the inside of the bumper then you could push them out rather than pulling form the front and this would minimise damage. However, I don't know if this is possible.

[Templ8e30]

The insert clips can be accessed from the inside of the bumper through the small holes in the bumper carrier.

Use a small screwdriver and prise them whilst pulling from the other side.

Cheers,

Iain T

[Brianmoooore]

They still break though. Getting the bumper nice and warm might make the plastic a little less brittle. (Theory only - not tried)

[KDS]

So, do you guys think that instead of disassembling a perfectly good bumper for painting, it'd be better to just keep it assembled and do a good masking job?

[Brianmoooore]

Definitely.

[Templ8e30]

Well, I've had the capping off mine 3 times to fit a custom made removable towbar and all the clips are unbroken.

Maybe I'm just delicate

Cheers,

Iain T