Ok guys there is an issue that bothers me everyday I walk out to my car. My IS lip is sagging and really has nothing to keep it secured to the valance, bumper, frame, etc. Except for strategically placed zipties....so today I decided to fix it...
In the first attached picture you can see the gap circled with red, (sorry for the picture it was the only front shot I had and I didn't take pictures prior to starting this)
TOOLS NEEDED
*Drill & Various Bits
*45m -2.5hrs
*5x 13mm nuts & bolts
*Tape measure
*1x Friend (Not necessary but very helpful)
*I suggest disconnecting the battery and you'll be required to remove the connections for the fog lights, bumper directionals, and side markers
1. Remove IS LIP, This will be different depending on how your lip is 'ghetto attached' to the car....for me I had zipties around the front and 8mm bolts to link the side tabs
2. Remove bumper....there are two 13mm bolts on each shock and there are two shocks holding the bumper
Your front should look like this
3. After you have the bumper off, then remove the lip bracket (Its useless and gets in the way)
there are 5 or 6 10mm nuts attaching it to the frame along the front and you'll see them with the bumper and lip removed
3.5. I would recommend taking off the front bumper wraps, it helps with alignment. You'll understand further down (I have another project where I am painting a set so I am using that set that's why there are no pictures of its removal)
Take a look at it be happy you're not dealing with it anymore!
4. With everything removed, take the front bumper wraps and fit them together on the ground
5. While you have the front bumper wraps on the ground, place the bumper on top of the wraps and align it to the lips on the underside of the wraps. You'll know what I am talking about when you do it.
6. With this done, place the lip upside down on top of the bumper. (upside down because you'll need to drill holes to bolt up the lip) In my case I have tucked diving boards so I wanted the lip flush with the bumper.
6.5. With the lip on the bumper you want to eye and then mark the spots that you want to drill to add bolts **make sure the distance from the edge of the bumper to the first hole you drill is the same distance on BOTH sides of the bumper or it may be flush at the face but not centered. I used a tape measure and was 4in from the edge on both sides (It may be hard to see in the picture but holes were drilled into the bumper that will incorporate a bolt that will slide into the slots made on the lip)
7. For the lip, I created slots from the edge so that I move the lip back and forth during the alignment process. I tightened once it was set.
***Front Bumper Wrap Explanation***
The front bumper wraps are essential to this because the end of the tab on the lip rests at the edge of wraps on both sides. It's important line up the bumper and lip to the front wraps before drilling or when you go to mount it, it may be off. Trust me this saves a few hours of trial an error and unecessary drilling. With the wraps lined up you can fashion a mock-up of how it'll look once mounted.
7.5 I used 5x 8mm nuts and bolts to fasten everything up
8. Once everything aligned and bolted up, take a break...grab a beer and be happy with your efforts!
9. Take a look at that bracket again and curse it then THROW IT AWAY! NLA is NOT my favorite acronym!
10. Installation should be easier than removal, It's easy and if you've gotten to this point and you can't reinstall by now then give me call and I'll buy your car from you because you don't deserve it!
**Tucked bumper people...to install make sure your shocks depressed when you reinstall the bumper or you wont have enough clearance to tighten the 4 13mm bumper shock bolts. Press in the shocks after everything is tightened!
**Untucked bumper people...you should have enough clearance to tighten the bolts
In the first attached picture you can see the gap circled with red, (sorry for the picture it was the only front shot I had and I didn't take pictures prior to starting this)
TOOLS NEEDED
*Drill & Various Bits
*45m -2.5hrs
*5x 13mm nuts & bolts
*Tape measure
*1x Friend (Not necessary but very helpful)
*I suggest disconnecting the battery and you'll be required to remove the connections for the fog lights, bumper directionals, and side markers
1. Remove IS LIP, This will be different depending on how your lip is 'ghetto attached' to the car....for me I had zipties around the front and 8mm bolts to link the side tabs
2. Remove bumper....there are two 13mm bolts on each shock and there are two shocks holding the bumper
Your front should look like this
3. After you have the bumper off, then remove the lip bracket (Its useless and gets in the way)
there are 5 or 6 10mm nuts attaching it to the frame along the front and you'll see them with the bumper and lip removed
3.5. I would recommend taking off the front bumper wraps, it helps with alignment. You'll understand further down (I have another project where I am painting a set so I am using that set that's why there are no pictures of its removal)
Take a look at it be happy you're not dealing with it anymore!
4. With everything removed, take the front bumper wraps and fit them together on the ground
5. While you have the front bumper wraps on the ground, place the bumper on top of the wraps and align it to the lips on the underside of the wraps. You'll know what I am talking about when you do it.
6. With this done, place the lip upside down on top of the bumper. (upside down because you'll need to drill holes to bolt up the lip) In my case I have tucked diving boards so I wanted the lip flush with the bumper.
6.5. With the lip on the bumper you want to eye and then mark the spots that you want to drill to add bolts **make sure the distance from the edge of the bumper to the first hole you drill is the same distance on BOTH sides of the bumper or it may be flush at the face but not centered. I used a tape measure and was 4in from the edge on both sides (It may be hard to see in the picture but holes were drilled into the bumper that will incorporate a bolt that will slide into the slots made on the lip)
7. For the lip, I created slots from the edge so that I move the lip back and forth during the alignment process. I tightened once it was set.
***Front Bumper Wrap Explanation***
The front bumper wraps are essential to this because the end of the tab on the lip rests at the edge of wraps on both sides. It's important line up the bumper and lip to the front wraps before drilling or when you go to mount it, it may be off. Trust me this saves a few hours of trial an error and unecessary drilling. With the wraps lined up you can fashion a mock-up of how it'll look once mounted.
7.5 I used 5x 8mm nuts and bolts to fasten everything up
8. Once everything aligned and bolted up, take a break...grab a beer and be happy with your efforts!
9. Take a look at that bracket again and curse it then THROW IT AWAY! NLA is NOT my favorite acronym!
10. Installation should be easier than removal, It's easy and if you've gotten to this point and you can't reinstall by now then give me call and I'll buy your car from you because you don't deserve it!
**Tucked bumper people...to install make sure your shocks depressed when you reinstall the bumper or you wont have enough clearance to tighten the 4 13mm bumper shock bolts. Press in the shocks after everything is tightened!
**Untucked bumper people...you should have enough clearance to tighten the bolts
