Rear Bumper Removal?

ghostchili · 02-28-2014, 02:17 PM

I purchased a carbon rear diffuser and the rear bumper needs to be removed to install the diffuser. The carbon diffuser doesn't curve like the OEM which sucks. So to keep the tabs from popping out you have to drill and screw the in from behind, hence the bumper must come off.
I was wondering if anyone has removed the rear bumper. I see the screws along the bottom that need to be removed but are there any screws / tabs in the rear wheel well? What's holding it in place by the trunk?
Thanks!

ƒ° · 03-02-2014, 03:11 AM

Start by watching this video.

The F30 rear bumper is a little bit easier to remove than that E92, but the steps are very similar.

One note though... be sure to tape some microfiber towels to where the quarter panel meets the bumper. This way when you're handling the bumper, you won't accidentally scratch the quarter panel.

casualDIYer · 03-02-2014, 08:07 AM

Does the F30 still have the bumper tabs mentioned in the video? Those are a real challenge to get out without breaking them.

ghostchili · 03-02-2014, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menncars

Does the F30 still have the bumper tabs mentioned in the video? Those are a real challenge to get out without breaking them.

^^This, although I thought I read somewhere it doesn't. I'm guessing I wont need to take the tail lights out.

ghostchili · 03-03-2014, 06:13 PM

Does anyone know if it has clips? Or is it just screws holding it in place?

ƒ° · 03-04-2014, 04:17 PM

It does indeed have them. The trick is to slide the bumper out. Do not pull on it.

ghostchili · 03-05-2014, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Number

It does indeed have them. The trick is to slide the bumper out. Do not pull on it.

Thanks, Ill take pics and give instruction if I can figure it out without breaking my new car

ZaheerUK · 03-05-2014, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostchili

Thanks, Ill take pics and give instruction if I can figure it out without breaking my new car

Hey I'd really appreciate you giving us a full write up with pics. I am looking forward to replacing my damaged bumper this weekend with a new one. Would love to know how to do it. Watching this place anxiously - good luck!!

ghostchili · 03-05-2014, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZaheerUK

Hey I'd really appreciate you giving us a full write up with pics. I am looking forward to replacing my damaged bumper this weekend with a new one. Would love to know how to do it. Watching this place anxiously - good luck!!

Since your bumper is busted you should go first! I'm going to do mine next Monday due to weather here.

ghostchili · 03-18-2014, 03:15 PM

So I still haven't taken the bumper off..anyone else have some pointers?

ZaheerUK · 03-24-2014, 05:24 AM

Finally changed my bumper - damn weather and rain was on and off so took me a little longer! All in all should take about 1-2 hours if done carefully!

ghostchili · 03-24-2014, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZaheerUK

Finally changed my bumper - damn weather and rain was on and off so took me a little longer! All in all should take about 1-2 hours if done carefully!

I got it done a few days ago. Our headlights are very easy to take out, no need to remove any of the interior trunk lining.

teaston · 04-13-2014, 05:20 PM

Does the bumper really need to come off to fit the diffuser?

I've ordered a diffuser and thought i could fit it with the bumper on the car!

Meds · 04-15-2014, 10:32 AM

Man, that better NOT be the case!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

Does the bumper really need to come off to fit the diffuser?

I've ordered a diffuser and thought i could fit it with the bumper on the car!

teaston · 04-15-2014, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meds

Man, that better NOT be the case!!

@2blu has confirmed he did not take the bumper off to fit his! Phew!!

Meds · 04-15-2014, 10:46 AM

Yay!

But then, can you really trust a Canuck? And one from Quebec? @2blu

And, has it arrived yet? @teaston

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

@2blu has confirmed he did not take the bumper off to fit his! Phew!!

teaston · 04-15-2014, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meds

Yay!

But then, can you really trust a Canuck? And one from Quebec? @2blu

And, has it arrived yet? @teaston

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

@2blu has confirmed he did not take the bumper off to fit his! Phew!!

Nope i'll let you know when it does!

2blu · 04-15-2014, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meds

Yay!

But then, can you really trust a Canuck? And one from Quebec? @2blu

And, has it arrived yet? @teaston

Canadians are the most trustworthy people come on now ! Also a Giants fan so judging by your avatar that should win me a few extra trust points as well

!

I can confirm that I fitted my diffuser without removing the rear bumper ! It does take some work to get it on, but it's absolutely possible. The OEM diffuser came out quite easily, but the aftermarket one took some work to get in. Some of the clips went right in, others would go in and then pop out. What I did was get as many clips in as I could, and then attached some of the bolts, got a few more clips in and secured, and then attached the remaining bolts.

Some of the clips are only holding in place because of the bolts are there securing the diffuser... Now fitment is great and nothing appears to be "popping out" but I'm fairly certain that if I remove the bolts, some of the clips will come undone... Or maybe they won't since the diffuser has been in place for a couple of weeks now it has probably has taken to the shape of the bumper.

The tricky part is that you have to push the clips into place, but the bumper itself has a lot of flex, it isn't solid. So when you're trying to push the clips in, the bumper is too soft, it bends and doesn't provide enough resistance for the clips to go into place. I had to reach around the bumper a few times, pushing it out with one hand while pushing the diffuser in with the other.

I would have made a DIY but it's really as simple as:

1- Remove 7 bolts (3 are hex and 4 are 8mm I think)
2- Pull the OEM diffuser out/up gently, it took me 10 seconds and no clips were broken
3- Install new diffuser with some patience, sweat, more patience and some ingenuity.

teaston · 04-15-2014, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2blu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meds

Yay!

But then, can you really trust a Canuck? And one from Quebec? @2blu

And, has it arrived yet? @teaston

Canadians are the most trustworthy people come on now ! Also a Giants fan so judging by your avatar that should win me a few extra trust points as well

!

I can confirm that I fitted my diffuser without removing the rear bumper ! It does take some work to get it on, but it's absolutely possible. The OEM diffuser came out quite easily, but the aftermarket one took some work to get in. Some of the clips went right in, others would go in and then pop out. What I did was get as many clips in as I could, and then attached some of the bolts, got a few more clips in and secured, and then attached the remaining bolts.

Some of the clips are only holding in place because of the bolts are there securing the diffuser... Now fitment is great and nothing appears to be "popping out" but I'm fairly certain that if I remove the bolts, some of the clips will come undone... Or maybe they won't since the diffuser has been in place for a couple of weeks now it has probably has taken to the shape of the bumper.

The tricky part is that you have to push the clips into place, but the bumper itself has a lot of flex, it isn't solid. So when you're trying to push the clips in, the bumper is too soft, it bends and doesn't provide enough resistance for the clips to go into place. I had to reach around the bumper a few times, pushing it out with one hand while pushing the diffuser in with the other.

I would have made a DIY but it's really as simple as:

1- Remove 7 bolts (3 are hex and 4 are 8mm I think)
2- Pull the OEM diffuser out/up gently, it took me 10 seconds and no clips were broken
3- Install new diffuser with some patience, sweat, more patience and some ingenuity.

Awesome, sounds like my sorta challenge!

I found installing the grilles easy where others really struggled, so hopefully i am capable of this!

2blu · 04-15-2014, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

Awesome, sounds like my sorta challenge!

I found installing the grilles easy where others really struggled, so hopefully i am capable of this!

I'd rate grills as a 1/10 on difficulty and diffuser as a 2/10. No special tools or skills are needed just patience and a little attention. I had to sand a little part to allow it to slide in a little better, applied soapy water to help the clips go in with more ease...

I had never installed a diffuser before and there was no DIY so I didn't really know what to expect. I got a little flustered when I saw that it wasn't going in as easily as the OEM one had come out, but then I accepted that fact and I should have expected it since it wasn't an OEM piece. I took a step back to analyse why it wasn't fitting perfectly proceeded with corrections here and there. After that it was smooth sailing !

Meds · 04-15-2014, 03:28 PM

@2blu A Big Blue supporter? We're friends for life then.

Come down to London in the fall. We'll catch some proper football at Wembley.

automods bmw · 12-05-2016, 06:40 AM

Hi Guys for those that have had some truoble with these cheap diffuser's here is a tip.
If you get some body filler( fiberglass type is good) & apply some triangle shaped blobs to the taps ..(try to copy the tabs on the OEM diffuser) As the taps on the cheap copy's are fiberglass but body filler sticks well to this if you rough it up a bit with sandpaper like 120grit.
If they break off cut some new ones from metal sheet And rivet them onto the return also the lip gluing them with appropriate glue or body filler then grind the head of the rivets off later with a 1mm cutting disc or dremel.

02-28-2014, 02:17 PM	#1
ghostchili Private First Class 20 Rep 166 Posts Drives: 2014 335i xdrive Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Milwaukee iTrader: (0)	Rear Bumper Removal? I purchased a carbon rear diffuser and the rear bumper needs to be removed to install the diffuser. The carbon diffuser doesn't curve like the OEM which sucks. So to keep the tabs from popping out you have to drill and screw the in from behind, hence the bumper must come off. I was wondering if anyone has removed the rear bumper. I see the screws along the bottom that need to be removed but are there any screws / tabs in the rear wheel well? What's holding it in place by the trunk? Thanks!
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03-02-2014, 03:11 AM	#2
ƒ° ✚ 101 Rep 1,237 Posts Drives: ✚ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: ✚ ✚ iTrader: (1)	Start by watching this video. The F30 rear bumper is a little bit easier to remove than that E92, but the steps are very similar. One note though... be sure to tape some microfiber towels to where the quarter panel meets the bumper. This way when you're handling the bumper, you won't accidentally scratch the quarter panel.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-02-2014, 08:07 AM	#3
casualDIYer Major 446 Rep 1,369 Posts Drives: 340i xDrive M Sport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	Does the F30 still have the bumper tabs mentioned in the video? Those are a real challenge to get out without breaking them.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-03-2014, 06:13 PM	#5
ghostchili Private First Class 20 Rep 166 Posts Drives: 2014 335i xdrive Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Milwaukee iTrader: (0)	Does anyone know if it has clips? Or is it just screws holding it in place?
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03-04-2014, 04:17 PM	#6
ƒ° ✚ 101 Rep 1,237 Posts Drives: ✚ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: ✚ ✚ iTrader: (1)	It does indeed have them. The trick is to slide the bumper out. Do not pull on it.
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03-18-2014, 03:15 PM	#10
ghostchili Private First Class 20 Rep 166 Posts Drives: 2014 335i xdrive Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Milwaukee iTrader: (0)	So I still haven't taken the bumper off..anyone else have some pointers?
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03-24-2014, 05:24 AM	#11
ZaheerUK New Member 3 Rep 12 Posts Drives: BMW 320D ED (F30) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: West Yorkshire iTrader: (0)	Finally changed my bumper - damn weather and rain was on and off so took me a little longer! All in all should take about 1-2 hours if done carefully!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-13-2014, 05:20 PM	#13
teaston Banned 10995 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	Does the bumper really need to come off to fit the diffuser? I've ordered a diffuser and thought i could fit it with the bumper on the car!
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04-15-2014, 03:28 PM	#21
Meds Lieutenant 73 Rep 564 Posts Drives: F30 328i M Sport + Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Watford (displaced Yank!) iTrader: (0)	@2blu A Big Blue supporter? We're friends for life then. Come down to London in the fall. We'll catch some proper football at Wembley.
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12-05-2016, 06:40 AM	#22
automods bmw New Member 0 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 335i E92 Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Australia iTrader: (0)	Diffuser fitting Hi Guys for those that have had some truoble with these cheap diffuser's here is a tip. If you get some body filler( fiberglass type is good) & apply some triangle shaped blobs to the taps ..(try to copy the tabs on the OEM diffuser) As the taps on the cheap copy's are fiberglass but body filler sticks well to this if you rough it up a bit with sandpaper like 120grit. If they break off cut some new ones from metal sheet And rivet them onto the return also the lip gluing them with appropriate glue or body filler then grind the head of the rivets off later with a 1mm cutting disc or dremel.
	Appreciate 0 Quote