Rubber Bumper Trim

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DavidPorter

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The riveted-on metal strips holding the rubber trim piece on the rear bumper finally rusted away. I have new metal strips and the rubber is in fine shape.

The new strips come with only one end hole drilled (under license plate). The rest of the holes need to be drilled to line up with the existing holes in the bumper. The holes are just about 5/32, and I am planning to use aluminum pop rivets (originals were brass).

A couple of questions:

1. Is it possible/reasonable to do this (drilling and installation) with the bumper on the car?

2. What is the proper orientation of the metal strips? Sorry I don't have a photo, but one way would have the rubber strip held slightly further away from the bumper, i.e. the curved surface where the holes are drilled in the strips would be concave when viewed from the rear. The other way, the curved surface where the holes are drilled in the strips would match the convex curve of the bumper. That seems right to me, but I don't remember what the old strips looked like.

3. Is there any particular trick to getting the rubber trim in place once the metal strips are riveted to the bumper?

Many thanks in advance.
 
David,

i took my rear bumper completely off when i did mine, but i was taking the whole bumper apart to recondition it anyway. I don't see why you couldn't leave it on, although it makes it a lot easier/quicker if you drill from behind, with the steel strip clamped to your bumper, using the existing holes in the bumper as guides.

I also fitted my metal strips the other way round, which is the same way the previous ones where fitted. This is still a very tight fit as the 'thick bit' in the diagram is exactly that and helps pull the rubber up tight against the bumper. If you put it on the other way round i think you'd have problems getting the rubber to fit on securely as there wouldn't be enough room for the 'thick bit' to fit behind.

With the rear bumper i fitted the rubber back on from the middle, attaching one half at a time. A few people suggested using washing up detergent to help with the process, but i had no problem putting it on dry. All you need to do is bend the rubber into a U shape (groove side on the outside), which forces the groove in the rubber apart and then just roll it onto the steel strip on the bumper. The steel strip should finish a little way from the end hole, so you just tuck it in, then put a little pressure on the rubber to get the last bit to pop on.

I also used aluminium rivets and they need to be longer than normal because of the thickness of the bumper and the strip.

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Agree with James about mounting as the system is basically the same as my 2002Tii
Hint use some soapy water to lubricate the rubber rather than trying to put it on dry. use ordinary soap, not dish washing liquid as the latter contains a lot of salt.
Malc
 
Thanks, just the information I needed. I may make the holes in the brackets slightly oval (except for the one pre-drilled hole) to allow for minor operator errors in drilling, since I'm hoping not to take the bumper off.
 
David,

I did this recently and placed a space heater underneath the bumper to warm up the rubber strip (ie, to make it more pliable). Good luck.
 
bumper inner metal strip

Need to do same with mine; where did you get the strip, and apprx how much $ ? Much thanks, Dave V. in NC USA
 
I reused the rubber part. You can get it a Walloth & Nesch, ~70+ euros.
 
I bought my brackets (what BMW calls them) at Maximillian Importing Company in Maryland for around $35 each, p/n 51121811045.

I used some Windex to lubricate the rubber and then bent it backwards to open up the lower slot in the rubber. After I got a foot or so of the lower rubber tucked under the underside of the bracket on the bumper, I just pushed the rubber strip up with both hands and hooked it over the top of the bracket. You could probably do top and bottom at the same time, bit I found this easier.

One tricky part is getting the bottom of the rubber strip installed in the area of the bumper overriders, which have their own rubber inserts. It gets crowded and I had to pry the rubber under the bracket with a screwdriver (more Windex).

There were also two areas about an inch long on my rubber strip where the rubber mounting flange was deformed from improper installation years ago (factory?), so I just trimmed those places with a razor, maybe 1/8 inch.

If you had the bumper off everything would be easier, but I was in a hurry to get ready for Watkins Glen. As it happened the exhaust fell apart around Harrisburg and I turned around and drove home, transferred all my stuff to the Subaru, but it wasn't the same. I did get to see two M1s on the track, two CSLs in the paddock.
 
Thanks for the info Sven and David. Sorry about the exhaust, David. You did get to go, however, while some of us were pulling chickweed, etc...
Jellously, Dave V. in NC USA
 
David,

I recommend that you use pop rivets of a different material than aluminum .

The metal strips that retain the rubber are galvanized and the aluminum will not last . . I suggest SS pop rivets . . available from any good quality hardware store or marine supply.
 
Add to that from Mario--

SUGGESTION:
Coat the galvanized strips with POR-15 or Zero rust--and you will likely never have to replace it again during your or the Coupes useful life
 
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