Crash: Front bumper removal problem. help me plz

[etxxz]

*keep in mind for technical. 1988 325is bumper w/ valence and brake ducts + fogs + diving board style bumper*

Story: (not so important may skip to prob)
So i left my car partked outside overnight friday for no reason...go to miami and when i come back at 5ish in the morning i find that my E30 is blocking my driveway....So i go to it and check if it was locked, it was, then to check if i had forgotten to put it in gear/e-brake, i did but then i instantly i see notice glass/plastic infront of my car i say OMG MY CAR!!!

i walk to the front and see that the glass wanst mine so:

PROBLEM:
i concluded that some idiot hit my car pretty damn hard to have moved it that far back. my front lower valence is bent, my front rubs it when i turn the wheel! the diving board bumper is pushed all the way in on driver's side, my foglight and bumper amber light were broken. everything else is okay though, all lights works and car drives straight still. sorry for the bastard who hit me, i better not find out who it was or God/Allah/(your worshiped here) help him.

I'm trying to remove the front bumper and IDK how the hell it was put together in the first place. i can't just remove the metal bumper by removing the nuts/screws in the two holes under this bumper piece. The reason is that there is a screw and a nut there, but the screw is put through the top so i can't get it out or slide the bumper out. I'm guessing it was put on the shock/bumper assembly prior to it was mounted to the bumper.

The driver's side where it was hit, the bumper is all the way back and don't have any space to do anything OR even get to the 13mm bumper shocks bolts

I managed to unscrew the shock, shock-to-bumper and remove nut from passenger's side...(basically everything on pass side, nothing on dirver's side. look at pics)







See this hole here, i can't remove that nut becuase there's a bolt that goes through, and a nut at the bottom so i have to keep the top from spinning...and suppose i do, the screw wont come out (happened in pass side) beucase the screw was put in through the top.




Question/Solution?!
Is there a way to remove the shock through the back, or inside engine bay, how is this done, what can i do?? what do you suggest??, i'm near the point of cutting the damn aluminum part, maybe/completely mess up the valence. and just obtain both at a closeby junkyard invaded with e30s (RIP btw)....but i would rather avoid spending money. I want to atleast have the aluminum bumper part for this weekend's drift event

***edit: just hit me, i could drill the top of the bumper to keep the bolt from spinning and get it out along with the bumper. but before i do something stupid i would like to hear some thoughts. ****

Thanks for your help,
etxx

[86espowa]

Have you tried pulling it really hard to try to get some room in the back?

[etxxz]

good tip. me + brother = nothing. i could actually hook it up to mom's jeep liberty and pull but i'm concerned with causing more dammage.

[browntown]

Just a wild guess, but if you can drill the shock, draining the fluid (big mess I'm sure), maybe it will be easier to un-compress the shock. Just a theory.

Suggestion #2: Sawzall.

[etxxz]

that would solve problems. Yes. But, i can't get directly to the shock, maybe going through the bottom of the aluminum bumper i could tap into it, even then, will drilling the tube uncompress the shock?. as in the part of the tube that sticks out?

...i'm trying to avoid the sawzall, i am very tempted and knowing myself i will enjoy very much cutting even through the valence which may need to get replaced anyhows.

[misterlance]

Looks like you have access to at least the passenger side. Pull that side and twist!

[etxxz]

Looks like you have access to at least the passenger side. Pull that side and twist!

that is like having a lever with the short/more force end digging into my valence and car. not an option.

edit: just tried it with brother, while i kept the bumper from digging into the valence with no result. need suggestions on removing shock from behing maybe. Drilling the top of the bumper will get complicated, i might have to move the headlights so that i dont dammage them.

Just a wild guess, but if you can drill the shock, draining the fluid (big mess I'm sure), maybe it will be easier to un-compress the shock. Just a theory.

Suggestion #2: Sawzall.

I drilled through the shock, no go. no oil spill though. I still couon't pull it out so I drilled pass shock just to make sure and same result, air decompress, easy compression of shock, but couln't pull shock out. I can't sawzall the tube either, there's no space i would cut through my entire car man.

how was this bumper put together in the first place?!! Suggestions please i'm getting owned here

**edit: figured that this diving board is held by 2x two 13mm nuts in the back. so i will just hook this bad boy to the jeep and pull on it and make space for my 13mm's. i'll then post an update**

comments/tips short of total destruction still welcomed :D

[ddavidv]

The shock is probably bent, which is why it won't come out easily. I think it may take a forced pull back to get you enough access to remove it. I don't have an easy solution for you though. If it were in the shop, they'd probably just attach a floor mounted frame puller to the bumper and pull it with hydraulics. For home use, it's probably the old chain/tree combo but you have to do this very carefully so you don't make things worse/damage additional parts.

[Jparkr]

umm if the shock isnt bent its obviously compressed. so wouldnt drilling into it be dangerous, i mean, they make quite a mess when they are not under "impact" pressure

[etxxz]

^^ not dangerous. i drilled through the hole, through the metal bracket that holds the bumper and has the nut and into the shock untill i started seing smoke. stopped and then i heard an air leak which stopped, finished the hole and tried to pull out with no results. it wansnt dangerous i wore glasses, how hard can oil/air hit you?

The shock is probably bent, which is why it won't come out easily. I think it may take a forced pull back to get you enough access to remove it. I don't have an easy solution for you though. If it were in the shop, they'd probably just attach a floor mounted frame puller to the bumper and pull it with hydraulics. For home use, it's probably the old chain/tree combo but you have to do this very carefully so you don't make things worse/damage additional parts.

thats a good observation on the bent tube. i'm going to tie the bumper to the back of our jeep and tug it out.
:hitler:

[etxxz]

OMFG now it really gets ugly. i thought i could just replace the shocks and remount everything but i'm far from the truth. here are some pics. I need repair info, i'm gonna get all that out of there and maybe straighten up the hole.



i have cutting, welding and other capabilities so don't be afraid to give me good tips....i better not find who did this. Please help fast i would like a bumper for this weekend, but i'll drift bumper o no bumper if i must.

i appreciate your help

[etxxz]

here's a pic of how the dammage looks now. I am thinking of simply designing a piece of steel to weld infront of all this dammage (previously having hammered to flatten and taking measurements for exactness) and mount the shock directly to it using the welded nuts on the part where the shock bolts onto (now removed, has two nuts braced to back of it)

What do you guys think about this? any other suggestions?


there is no other damage so i'm happy ex the valence is getting replaced and possibly doing a plastic bumper conversion while i'm here. have a junkyard filled with e30s. i would like to hear your thoughts. ty

[redhatpat]

If you prefer the plastic bumpers (and who doesn't) then this is a perfect chance to do this upgrade.

Turn your lemons into lemonade, etc. etc. :)

[etxxz]

If you prefer the plastic bumpers (and who doesn't) then this is a perfect chance to do this upgrade.

Turn your lemons into lemonade, etc. etc. :)

i just came from the junkyard and the only car with plastic bumpers there was a 318 and the valence was messed up so i decided to simply get new shocks, weld a new bracket and call it a day. i might just bend back my valence since its not too far off i see exactly where its bent.

i just need suggestions on wether welding a new steel bracked infront of all that rubish is a good idea...i really see no other option.

[ddavidv]

Eeewwww.
There's two ways to do this, the right way...and the other way.
That mess you are looking at is the unibody rail. It's made of high strength, low alloy steel. Welding/heating those has temperature parameters, and I'm not sure how generic MIG welding equipment will take to that stuff. May work, may not.
If you want it right, and plan on keeping the car, I'd have a real, live, trained body guy fix that rail and get your shock mount to fit correctly.
OTOH, if this is just some turd beater that you probably won't own in 2 years and don't care if the bumper fit is off, go 4 it.