# DIY for rear bumper removal



## angryrican66 (Apr 16, 2006)

I've done the front and the rear lower valence , but never the full rear, need advice on these or a good DIY


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

See Lens post on installing a hitch.


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## angryrican66 (Apr 16, 2006)

*Re: (yam)*


_Quote, originally posted by *yam* »_See Lens post on installing a hitch.
it doesn't show how to remove the bumper cover itself


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: (angryrican66)*


_Quote »_Tyler Durden: Just ask, man.
Narrator: What are you talking about?
Tyler Durden: [laughs] Three pitchers of beer, and you still can't ask.
Narrator: What? 

See the trailer wiring instructions for more pics.
remove the crosspanel (interior trim)

remove the nuts from the 2 bolts that are attached to the bumper cover and penetrating into the car

remove the torx screws you find in the wheel wells and along the underside of the cover

remove the taillights from the body

with the taillights removed, you will see a torx-head silver bolt on each side, oriented vertically, which will need to be completely removed (it's long)

if you *don't* have someone helping you, leave one screw in place on one side to keep it from falling on the ground while you....

'unhook' the cover from one wheel well and work your way around, releasing the cover from the body


That should be it.


_Modified by OOOO-A3 at 11:48 PM 6-30-2008_


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## angryquattrorican66 (Mar 11, 2007)

thank you~!


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

My mistake.
This might help some. Len pretty much summed it up, and may have written the procedure I'm linking.
http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=11192


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: (yam)*


_Quote, originally posted by *yam* »_
This might help some. Len pretty much summed it up, and may have written the procedure I'm linking.
 Yeah, I did, actually!


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## a3slvrchrgd (Jun 22, 2003)

*Re: (OOOO-A3)*

Len for president


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: (a3slvrchrgd)*


_Quote, originally posted by *a3slvrchrgd* »_Len for president


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## [email protected] USA (May 17, 2007)

*Re: (OOOO-A3)*

haha as soon as I saw that I thought of this pic I was sent yesterday


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

*Re: (OOOO-A3)*

Hi all,
I'm attempting to install a Curt hitch on a 2008.5 A3 and the wiring converter recommended b Len, but I'm running into a snag.

_Quote, originally posted by *OOOO-A3* »_
remove the nuts from the 2 bolts that are attached to the bumper cover and penetrating into the car


For the life of me, I cannot locate these 2 nuts. I managed to remove everything else, but these last 2 are driving me nuts (no pun intended).
I did manage to find 2 small circular plastic covers on the bottom trim on the inside of the trunk. If I remove them, I can see a nut on a long, thin bolt. However, it's small. According to the Curt hitch instructions, they should be 10mm, and they are much smaller.
The bolts connecting the cargo tie-downs are 10mm, but obviously these are not what I'm looking for.
If someone can post a simple pic with a general location for there, or can describe it in text, I'd be much appreciative.
Thanks,
Matt


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## tp. (Nov 12, 2009)

u need a deep socket 10mm to get to those nuts.


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

*Re: (tp.)*

So you think those are the nuts, just for whatever reason smaller on a 2008 model? I would be just as baffled as you if that is the case. I've been scouring for a 10mm nut for a good hr, but the one I found on the thin bolt is 7mm.


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## tp. (Nov 12, 2009)

take a pic of it and i will tell you


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

http://www.twitpic.com/12hed8/full


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## tp. (Nov 12, 2009)

yeap those are the holes. just unscrew if you lose the nut inside you can find it pretty easily


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

*Re: (tp.)*

Thanks!!


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

*Re: (MattMeyer)*

I have determined that the bolt (7mm nut, no idea why it's not 10mm) is sticking out is longer than my deep socket, so I cannot get on the nut. The bolt hits the back end of the socket. Does anyone have any ideas of an alternative to getting to these nuts? I considered cutting the end of the bolt off, but was not sure that would makes things worse. I cannot seem to find an extra deep socket that would do the trick.
Thanks again.


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## tp. (Nov 12, 2009)

get a longer deep socket should solve it


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

*Re: (MattMeyer)*

Just wanted to follow up; it was a 10mm nut after all. My socket was just never long enough to reach it. I got it off finally. Now onto the fun part.


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## tp. (Nov 12, 2009)

so u got a longer socket?


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## MattMeyer (Feb 10, 2010)

I went to the shop today to see if there were any longer than I already had. They are all the same size, and nobody had any "extra-long". The problem I was originally facing is when I had the socket extension attached to the socket, the bolt would hit the end of the extender arm and I could not get enough on the nut.
So instead I placed the socket on the bolt first, and pushed it all the way down to the nut. The bolt stuck thru the end of the socket just a bit, but I was able to then stick the extender into the socket. The extender did not fully engage, but it was just enough to get it started.
I will be trimming the bolt attached to the bumper about 1 cm before reattaching. There is no reason for it to be this long.


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *tp.* »_get a longer deep socket should solve it


That's what she said


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## motto_L (Jun 25, 2011)

terje_77 said:


> _Quote, originally posted by *tp.* »_get a longer deep socket should solve it
> 
> 
> That's what she said


Muhahaha


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## MisterJJ (Jul 28, 2005)

Holy Resurrection!


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