Bumper drop

[padge]

Ever since i got my bianca, the bumper under the passenger side headlight has always had a gap, it starts about half way across the bumper, both 10mm nuts are on both sides too, any ideas?

[Toms306]

306 bumpers are pain to line up. But for that gap I reckon the tabs underneath have snapped off, they're the usual culprit for a saggy front lol.

[padge]

Tabs? Im not too familiar with the body side of things, simialr idea to the tabs on the hockey sticks that slide into the headlights underneath?

[Toms306]

Not really like the hockey sticks. If you look under the front of the bumper, there should be three tabs that bolt onto the chassis. They snap off as soon as you come off a kerb or anything like that though.

For reference, this one has been bodged back together, and you can see the one on the right has snapped clean off -

[RetroPug]

There are nuts on the backs of the slam panel which hold it on as well I think, if it is sagging under a headlight it could be that it's not done up on these?
I'd have thought those tabs provide rigidity to the bottom rather than stop the bumper sagging.

[darrenjlobb]

The nuts behind the bumper go into big holes on the slam panel, what you need to do, is loosen them, LIFT the bumper up into position, hold it there and tighten the nuts..if you just slot the bumper on and tighten the nuts, it will always sag

If its really slogged out you might even want to grind the holes up a bit more to give you more lift.

I see this all the time and its so easy to fix

[padge]

ahh I understand tom, I don't think my bumper has any of those on, and the nuts are on and tight retro, wonder if I could make something to lift it up?

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thanks Darren, bumper has to come off again anyway to finish the rest of my fmic off, so will get someone to lift it, while I tighten them up, weird how its only the one side though?

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crap picture really, but you can see where it starts to drop.

[darrenjlobb]

Just the way the bumpers sag over time...

If its up tight on each side (under lights) but it still sags in the middle which also happens, mostly on ph3 bumper from what ive noticed, then the bumper is just slogged out really, but ive fixed this before also by driling holes in the back of the bumper behind the number plate, and cable tieing it up to the slam panel behind the grill. Not a perfect fix, but does the job and makes the car look alot cleaner.

[padge]

check my pic

[Grant]

It could also be the eccentric white locating 'noggin' on the side of the chassis leg. The bumper slides over this to go on. Try rotating it a few degrees to lift it

[padge]

ahh the white wheel kinda thing?

[Grant]

Thats it. They are offset and can be adjusted to adjust the gap it sounds like you are describing I haven't had tabs on the bottom of my bumper of years and had no issues

[padge]

I will try that aswell then when I next remove the bumper, thanks grant!

[tigerstyle]

great advice here, I'm sagging at the front

[Mattcheese31]

great advice here, I'm sagging at the front

will any of the above techniques work on my aging wife? . . . .

[Dum-Dum]

The eccentric wheel type mount has an arrow on it to show where it gives most lift

[tigerstyle]

great advice here, I'm sagging at the front

will any of the above techniques work on my aging wife? . . . .

It was a little bit 'thats what she said'....

[rd070707]

Just to revive this. Since fitting my newly painted ph3 bumper I cant get it to sit up tight to the grill in the middle. After having it off the only problem I can see is that the studs that come out of the bumper, the top two are loose but the bottom two are rigid ie no up down/left right movement.

Anyone any ideas how I could sturdy them up?

I think what's happening is I am tightening the nuts but the play is in the stud :/

[attachment=13900]

[rd070707]

Bump anyone able to help with this, the two fixing studs at the top of the bumper sit loose in the bumper and I think that is what's causing the drop because the nuts are done up tight as they go

[attachment=14161]