Anyone Have Instructions To Remove The Rear Centre Bumper Piece?
- Thread starter TegoXR
- Start date
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TheeMikeB
New member
Open the tailgate, pull the plastic top piece off first (it snaps onto the bumper), there are two bolts on both inner sides of the tailgate you will see once the plastic is removed. Then the Y brackets underneath. Pretty quick and easy, took me about 10 minutes to take my entire rear bumper off.
TheDurk
Elite Member
You do have to take the laterals off to get the center off. Start in each wheel well (there is a bolt there) and work towards the rear.
You may have to destroy some bolts, so get extra.
Biggest pain was pulling the plastic step molding to get at those bolts in the corner. They are held on by plastic split-tongues that stick into square holes in the bumper. Best way (I think) is one person underneath squeezing those split tongues together while someone else pulls up on the molding. Or it may never go back on tight again. Like mine.
You may have to destroy some bolts, so get extra.
Biggest pain was pulling the plastic step molding to get at those bolts in the corner. They are held on by plastic split-tongues that stick into square holes in the bumper. Best way (I think) is one person underneath squeezing those split tongues together while someone else pulls up on the molding. Or it may never go back on tight again. Like mine.
Nervo19
Member
You do have to take the laterals off to get the center off. Start in each wheel well (there is a bolt there) and work towards the rear.
You may have to destroy some bolts, so get extra.
Biggest pain was pulling the plastic step molding to get at those bolts in the corner. They are held on by plastic split-tongues that stick into square holes in the bumper. Best way (I think) is one person underneath squeezing those split tongues together while someone else pulls up on the molding. Or it may never go back on tight again. Like mine.[/QUOT
You DO NOT have to pull off the side pieces. I replaced mine several months ago. You can kind of push the plastic split tongues from beneath the bumper to get the plastic piece off. I used a plastic trim tool - like what you use to take door panels off- to get it off. Once off I used Dupli Color black bumper coat on the piece and it still looks great. The four captured bumper bolts are 8 x 1.25. You can buy the nuts at Home Depot or Advance Auto ahead of time. Even with using Kroil ,the four bolts that go in the Y shaped body mounts had to be cut off with a grinder. Mine were very rusted.
I hope this FSM diagram shows up:
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TheDurk
Elite Member
OK. I had to do the sides anyway and I had read elsewhere it was necessary. Did you have a hitch on yours? That might make a difference.
Nervo19
Member
I do have a factory tow hitch. The side pieces are attached to the center piece in only a few places. You can see in the diagram. I was going to take the side pieces off and paint the insides with under coat, but it seemed to get complicated around the SR5 flares so I cancelled that idea.
