I tried to remove the rear bumper this morning but one of the bolts holding it on is spinning. Anyone had this and overcome the problem?

 

It might help to see what the bracket looks like:



Be thankful our UK bumpers are less complicated than the US energy absorbing variety!

The problem is that the hexagon bolt (item 5) which goes up through the bracket (item 3) from the bottom screws into a brass nut (item 6). This nut is in the bumper plastic beam (item 1) and often breaks away and just spins round as the nut is turned.



It should be possible to remove the bracket fixing nuts and take the bumper and brackets off together.

Graham

 

Thanks, the top one looks trickey to access, Ill go and have a look.

 

The last bracket I purchased was in October 2008 when it was £31.45 + VAT from Stratstone Jaguar.

If it comes to the worst and you have to break anything to get the bumper off, the bracket will be the lowest cost item by a long way.

Good luck.

Graham

 

I tried to get to the three bolts, too tricky, so I will order up a new tower/bracket and the try to slice throgh the old one, it seems like they are made of plastic so should be possible.

 

They certainly break very easily if you reverse into one of those stupid little circular twelve inch bollards in Monte Carlo.



Note where this one sheared. This is the best place to attack them.

Graham

 

I am not going to get all pedantic here but item 6 is a spacer bush, the brass ferrule is pressed into item 1 and is not sold seperate from the beam...

I normally turn up a new brass ferrule about .5mm larger, this can be drawn into the beam when you do it up

 

I ordered up a new bracket from Jag today £39+ VAT.

 

Here we go.

Reversing aid harness off.



Next I used this to cut through most of the bumper pillar.



Access was limited so I was only able to cut about 3/4 of the way around.



A hack saw blade did the rest.



I could then tap the bumper off leaving this.



I was worried these would shear off but the came out easily.



Next, how to get the bolt out.



Drilled a couple of holes.



And put in a couple of self tappers.



The bolt then came out easily, the bracket was in a mess.



Now on to the actual job of trying to unserseal the problem areas above the bumper.

 

Great pic sequence. Especially like the industrial version of the Dentist's Drill!

Remember to give the bolts and spacers a good coating of Coppaslip on re-assembly.

Graham

 

Had the same problem ! Ended up being able to pull the bumper off the car once the fastenings behind the wheels were undone - the chassis mounts had pretty much disintegrated, the bumper was practically resting on the exhausts.

Replaced the mounts with new ones on the chassis, but on the bumper, I just used Araldite type 'liquid metal'putty to keep the brass ferrule in place. Slathered lots of copper-grease onto it of course.