[s-cars] Front Bumper Repair - BTDT?

[Fifield, Douglas]

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Thanks, mlp.

If you have a photo of your set-up, I would appreciate it.

Douglas

-----Original Message-----
From: mlp qwest [mailto:mlped at qwest.net]
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 9:33 AM
To: Fifield, Douglas
Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [s-cars] Front Bumper Repair - BTDT?


~-----Original Message-----
~On Behalf Of Fifield, Douglas
~Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 5:52 AM
~
~As I understand it, the bumper is a one-piece deal.

Yes & No.  The outer skin is glued to the inner aluminum (for want of a
better "technical" term) ram.  The two pieces can be separated, but this
probably isn't necessary for your purposes if all you are going to do is try
to effect a patch.

~
~1) How big a deal is it to remove the front bumper?
Should be a piece of cake to take off the car WITH the inner aluminum ram
installed, unless your bumper skin has shifted.  There are two (2) allen
head bolts; but you do need a long allen head to reach up to the bolts from
under the front bumper.  The bolts are located at, and pass through the 5
mph pistons located approx 15" to 16" either side of the centerline of the
hood.  You will find access holes on the under side of the front bumper
skin.  You'll need a couple of good tugs on the left & right sides to spring
the plastic clips holding the sides to the inner wheel well retainers free.
Removing the composite skin from the ram is more complicated... you have to
drill out a number of aluminum rivets and then mud wrestle the cover free
from the adhesive

~Any write-ups on that?

~2) Can it be repaired once off?  Fiberglass from the inside? Any
~BTDT's out there?

I've seen a split repaired via thin piece or pieces of sheet metal, aluminum
or steel, appropriately cut to bridge and cover the crack and at least 2" or
so on either side, then screwed together with short sheet metal screws (or
you could use small, short bolts.)  If I can find it, I can send you a
digital photo of what the bumper area looks like with the skin removed if
that would be of any help. I'll look about to see if I still have any photos
that show the sheet metal repair on the bumper skin we cut up to mock up the
front mount intercooler setups.  I can't say I personally ran the repaired
bumper on a car, but the dual sheets style looked to me like it would hold
up far better than fiberglass, which if you don't get the epoxy right,
sometimes seems to have a tough time staying adhered to some of the plastics
used.  It came off a car that had been on the road, and the dual sheets
seemed to hold up to a lot of twisting and banging about as the bumper skin
was repeatedly put on & taken off over many trial intercooler fittings etc.

HTH
mlp

~
~As always, all info appreciated.
~
~Douglas in MN
~95.5 //S6Avant - mine
~98 Mercury Mountaineer - her work sled
~98 Toyota RAV4 - for sale
~73 BMW R60/5 - lonely in the garage
~