While fighting with my rear bumpers, I noticed something. I could not get the bumper to fit nicely parallel to the body.
(Note I have euro bumpers; swiss car)
After taking out some other defects ( replaced one bumper half, relocated bolt holes, reshaped rear panel) it still was 2-3 mm off: when measuring the gap just above the bumper brackets I noticed that the brackets are different. On the left side I have a gap between body and bumper of 9 mm, and right side has 7 mm. But both bumper halves and car are dead straight.
I thus measured the bumpers and see that the welded in brackets create the different offset to the body.
Having 3 bumperhalves, I measured them all three and found values being 4 mm off between min and max value.
If this is more common (what do others measure?), then i think you have to match the bumperhalves having roughly the same offset in order to get perfect gaps.
(I know my car or bumpers could have been hit/deformed, but it all looks too straight to give 4 mm of difference somewhere.)
Here's how i measured the bumperhalves:
Placed a steel.plate exactly 5.0mm thick on the bumper bracket mounting surface. Then measure the distance to the top edge of the bumper. ( see pics)
Minus the 5 mm plate, I get values from 7,7 mm - 9,6 mm- and 11,7 mm.
If you have 2 bumper halves with and a high and a low value; you'll surely struggle to get your gaps parallel.
I'm now happy with a gap of 9 mm left vs 8mm on the right bit it took me a whole weekend.
(Note I have euro bumpers; swiss car)
After taking out some other defects ( replaced one bumper half, relocated bolt holes, reshaped rear panel) it still was 2-3 mm off: when measuring the gap just above the bumper brackets I noticed that the brackets are different. On the left side I have a gap between body and bumper of 9 mm, and right side has 7 mm. But both bumper halves and car are dead straight.
I thus measured the bumpers and see that the welded in brackets create the different offset to the body.
Having 3 bumperhalves, I measured them all three and found values being 4 mm off between min and max value.
If this is more common (what do others measure?), then i think you have to match the bumperhalves having roughly the same offset in order to get perfect gaps.
(I know my car or bumpers could have been hit/deformed, but it all looks too straight to give 4 mm of difference somewhere.)
Here's how i measured the bumperhalves:
Placed a steel.plate exactly 5.0mm thick on the bumper bracket mounting surface. Then measure the distance to the top edge of the bumper. ( see pics)
Minus the 5 mm plate, I get values from 7,7 mm - 9,6 mm- and 11,7 mm.
If you have 2 bumper halves with and a high and a low value; you'll surely struggle to get your gaps parallel.
I'm now happy with a gap of 9 mm left vs 8mm on the right bit it took me a whole weekend.
