Issues with removing front bumper/fascia?

[TheBrightSide]

Originally Posted by Aqua Blue RS/SS

Yep that’s been my suspicion all along and why I asked if he got the three fender bolts on each side.

Yep, my issue is with the bumper snagging on the mounting brackets, even after the two main edges of the bumper have been popped out (common clip areas by the front side markers). Idk how I’m even gonna reinstall it, but I’m not looking forward to undoing it again…

EDIT: WAIT. I’m an idiot I think. I’m probably supposed to remove that extra bolt that undoes the bumper mounting brackets, while the bumper is still clipped into them (obviously)….. No wonder my ass broke everything. I tried ripping off the entire bumper with the 10mm bolts still intact to the bumper mounting brackets!!

As a result, that crap pretty much ripped out of my bumper (not too much damage, minus broken dowel alignment pins) and stayed under the front head lamps, making me THINK they were something that was to STAY on the car WHILE removing the bumper...

[pyroguy]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

Yep, my issue is with the bumper snagging on the mounting brackets, even after the two main edges of the bumper have been popped out (common clip areas by the front side markers). Idk how I’m even gonna reinstall it, but I’m not looking forward to undoing it again…

EDIT: WAIT. I’m an idiot I think. I’m probably supposed to remove that extra bolt that undoes the bumper mounting brackets, while the bumper is still clipped into them (obviously)….. No wonder my ass broke everything. I tried ripping off the entire bumper with the 10mm bolts still intact to the bumper mounting brackets!!

As a result, that crap pretty much ripped out of my bumper (not too much damage, minus broken dowel alignment pins) and stayed under the front head lamps, making me THINK they were something that was to STAY on the car WHILE removing the bumper...

So you’re saying you missed the small bolts connecting the side marker brackets to the car? That one is sneaky as well.

[TheBrightSide]

Originally Posted by pyroguy

So you’re saying you missed the small bolts connecting the side marker brackets to the car? That one is sneaky as well.

Yes, I ended up breaking off the tabs to the removable brackets. Then, I also cracked the riveted bracket that’s also houses the plastic aligning dowel pins. I ended up JB welding back the removable brackets and a tab or two, and then snapped them back onto the bumper.

The cracked alignment housing on the bumper needed some “wiggling”, but everything went back together fine. I’m assuming the dowel pins will break off when removing again, but that’s fine; both sides will still have 2 each.

Looks like the prior owner had gotten into an accident that also required re-alignment of the front end bolts to the bumper, even after installing it back onto the front end/fenders/head lamps. The only one thing that I couldn’t manage to save, was one of the two bolts underneath the front bumper (you will have a factory splitter if OEM GFX kit is installed). One of them somehow stripped out during removal; so I’ll probably end up using an M6-1.0 tap if possible.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

Yes, I ended up breaking off the tabs to the removable brackets. Then, I also cracked the riveted bracket that’s also houses the plastic aligning dowel pins. I ended up JB welding back the removable brackets and a tab or two, and then snapped them back onto the bumper.

The cracked alignment housing on the bumper needed some “wiggling”, but everything went back together fine. I’m assuming the dowel pins will break off when removing again, but that’s fine; both sides will still have 2 each.

Looks like the prior owner had gotten into an accident that also required re-alignment of the front end bolts to the bumper, even after installing it back onto the front end/fenders/head lamps. The only one thing that I couldn’t manage to save, was one of the two bolts underneath the front bumper (you will have a factory splitter if OEM GFX kit is installed). One of them somehow stripped out during removal; so I’ll probably end up using an M6-1.0 tap if possible.

I am pretty sure you can find both of those brackets as inexpensive Chinese/aftermarket clones online, Amazon to be precise. I would have no qualms about using those to get proper fitment back on the bumper cover.

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

You can still buy the upper and lowers from GM. The passenger side bracket with the dowels is discontinued on the normal dealer sites like gmpartsdirect but scoggin dickey still has it in stock. I went thru all this 2 months ago when sourcing parts to put my car back together after it got hit. Even from GM they are all inexpensive.