How's best to get the flippin' side brackets undone?

They're spinnning in the bumper but bumper won't pull/side off

Trying to change it to one with parking sensors, but ripped one off of other car as it was dad's reck so didn't matter, but don't want to damage current Panda.

I've put WD40 on the nuts, but it's still spinning.

Crap design

Mole grips???.....wont it slide off the bumper mount???....Hacksaw???

I really didn't enjoy this when I did the original strip of Camel. :bang:

I jammed a piece of metal against the square head and soaked the nut in Plus+gas

Came undone eventually

wedge a screw driver in between bolt head and bumber, then undo with lots of force

I had to use angle grinder last two times :bang:. Trying to block head with screwdriver didn't help at all.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Crap design

Click to expand...

Nail on the head there. I've established that everypoint Fiat mount a bolt in plastic it ends in disaster. The head lights are another.

Anyway, all the options for removal are there. If you got it loose enough you might be able to slide the bumper off the bracket.
You might be lucky jamming a screw driver in the gap.
The best way i've found is to stick a pair of mole grips on it, clamp right over the plastic and crush the plastic on to the bolt.

In my case I have some awesome glue that builds and bonds well on plastic, 3M DP805. I used it to toughen my brackets up.


The other thing I noticed is the problem often starts once the nut reaches the exposed thread on the bolt, when you reasemble put an extra bolt on to protect the thread.

nitro_warrior said:

The best way i've found is to stick a pair of mole grips on it, clamp right over the plastic and crush the plastic on to the bolt.

Click to expand...

Thats not a bad idea. Might well give it a go.

Thanks guys

Had to get the rear bumper off our Bianca to straighten the brackets last week and had the same problem. In the end I found that a well placed kick onto the rear corner (pushing the bumper forwards) was enough to get the brackets to slide out. It helped that the Bianca's body is a bit battered, not sure I would like to try it on a better example.

Otherwise I've done it by trying to jam something in against the metal part, but it took ages and once the nut gets to the dirty part of the thread it's well nigh impossible. Good luck!

Hi all.

Got the sod off eventually. Ended up doing the mole grips job, and loosening one side until it got the the rusty bit on the thread and then stopped. So at this point the bolt loppers came out :devil:

Got the one side done, loosened the other side using the same method and then lowered the bumper under the car and pushed it up to get it off of the bracket. So only lost one bracket as other I could properly removed with mole grips and ratchet with the bumper off.

So now to put the replacement bumper on, and I've still got the origional in a good working condition

Glad to see that you managed to sort it MEP. God help anyone that has to remove / refit a front bumper. To put it nicely...they are a pain in the backside to do

It took us that long to remove the one on Beau when it did come off I didn't want it to go back on. Thought it looked pretty cool without it!

Slightly OT, but if you take the grille off and look at the car with bonnet down, think it looks like a lancia? only noticed the otherday when changing grilles

Charlotte said:

Glad to see that you managed to sort it MEP. God help anyone that has to remove / refit a front bumper. To put it nicely...they are a pain in the backside to do

It took us that long to remove the one on Beau when it did come off I didn't want it to go back on. Thought it looked pretty cool without it!

Click to expand...

What part did you struggle with? Access to front bracket bolts is easier to rear I've found, but you still have the same problem with the side mounts and have to remove the wheel arch liners before hand :bang:

My eventual site of joy

Moral of story.

At least a week before you try undoing anything on a Panda spray all the bolts and nuts with WD40 or equivalent and wirebrush the threads if at all possible.

pandamaniac said:

Moral of story.

At least a week before you try undoing anything on a Panda spray all the bolts and nuts with WD40 or equivalent and wirebrush the threads if at all possible.

Click to expand...

Lol.

I said mole grips and didn't even get a thanks for it!!!.......

Say AH!

Kev the mole grips are a great idea!!!!!!!

Howzat!

Dave

pandamaniac said:

Say AH!

Kev the mole grips are a great idea!!!!!!!

Howzat!

Dave

Click to expand...

That will do!!!!......Had the same prob last week when fitting a rear bumper!!

Shouldn't buy a wreck then.

I got both my front and rear bumpers off in 10 mins, no probs.

Just got no F...in knuckles left thats all.

Dave

Most Easterly Pandas said:

What part did you struggle with? Access to front bracket bolts is easier, but you still have the same problem with the side mounts and have to remove the wheel arch liners before hand :bang:

Click to expand...

It was the front brackets, esp the offside as it had been slightly bent. I managed in the end by taking out the headlamps and by working from below at a variety of strange and uncomfortable angles! Looked at taking off the wheelarch liners but found a way round it. Wouldn't want to do it again!

purple haze said:

I said mole grips and didn't even get a thanks for it!!!.......

Click to expand...

I've thanked you for the hacksaw idea. Worked until my arm went dead, so at that point the loppers came out

Could feel the Panda quivering.

pandamaniac said:

Shouldn't buy a wreck then.

Click to expand...

Our Selecta is no wreck!