Front Bumper Panel Gaps

Deepseaskateboard

Deepseaskateboard

Senior member
Hello all, I recently had by front bumper removed, but when it was put back, the panel gaps to the front wings are huge.

I have seen on here people saying brackets can be adjusted.

Could someone take a picture of what I need to adjust to get a better fit?

Bumper removal story coming soon... need to get some pics together!

Thanks!
 
(Should be an interesting thread.
When I bought my E89, I was surprised how wide the gaps are 'normally'. When I ran into the rear bumper of a driver who'd set off onto a roundabout and then decided to stop immediately, I was surprised how 'well' the Z bumper pops out at each side to allow it to absorb impact and how neatly it pops back in. As for adjustment, however, I have no idea, so ... )
 
I don't have any pictures, but if I remember correctly you have to pull the wheel liner away a little (don't need to remove completely) and there's one of these:

https://www.mlperformance.co.uk/products/genuine-bmw-51117192158-e89-mount-bumper-right-inc-z4?variant=43904258670813&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oLOwYhnUc_U6YAimlE1wWjPOzEQ0YSx3wQpPGDHUIUmoKCUJtZa7CRoCZgMQAvD_BwE

You can loosen it slightly and adjust. I found it very fiddly, but not really difficult.

I'm not sure it adjusts the panel gaps themselves, it's more for lining up the bumper with the wings and having them flush rather than the corners of the bumper panel sticking out after a gentle impact.
 
I find there just isn't enough adjustment to get the gaps closed up.
I even tried bending the brackets, made situation worse.
Also large gaps around head lights.
If pushed back a gap appears at the bottom.
Seems lens is about 5-8mm all around smaller than the hole they fit in.

They use a black plastic bracket to hold bumper, so that sits in gap, about 2-3mm thick.
On top of that the bonnet has to move slightly to latch, so the gap will always be 4mm upwards.
So can settle with 6mm gap.
I spent 2 hours plus adjusting and still not happy.
I cussed BMW for not having more adjustment directions.

I was trying to make gaps same as gap between wing and bonnet.
 
I had some issues with the alignment when i bought mine. BMW installed new brackets for the sides, but was not hugely better.

I also had about a 10mm gap along the front where the bumper meets the bonnet. Under the bonnet there is a large rubber trim where it meets the bumper with about 6x screws - loosen these & give a little push.

This closed up the bonnet gap to about 5mm, and the sides dropped into proper alignment.

Might be worth a look.
 
I’ve never tried to pull mine in a little further after a full removal respray - which looks awesome - so will also follow this. I’d previously looked at the hanging brackets but doesn’t appear much adjustment. I’d planned to maybe pack them out to move the final fixing back and hence close the gap a little. Looking at others - yes, I’m that nosey - there appears big differences in the fit. I do like the idea of loosening a few fixings along the bonnet line and ‘push’ the nose up a bit. Will likely give that a go…
 
Marcoose said:
Deepseaskateboard said:
I recently had by front bumper removed
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Fess up, what did you crash into ? Drunk again ?
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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My story is far better.

BMW did a full corrosion inspection 11 years 11 months into the 12 year corrosion guarantee and fixed / resprayed a bunch of things. Was very kind of them!
 
When you say a bunch of things do you mind me what specifically you mean?

I've previously benefitted from the roof top panel replacement under warranty due to the all to common worm trail problem but never thought to turn the tables and ask the local dealer to inspect the car to highlight other areas that need attention :thumbsup:
 
They did an inspection of the bonnet area and an investigation of the wings. They found corrosion and then fixed / resprayed the chassis legs and engine bay.

They checked the car over for any more, but they found corrosion inside the front wings.

That 12 year guarantee is amazing and well worth getting them to have a look. Keeps the Zeds fresh!
 
Deepseaskateboard said:
They did an inspection of the bonnet area and an investigation of the wings. They found corrosion and then fixed / resprayed the chassis legs and engine bay.

They checked the car over for any more, but they found corrosion inside the front wings.

That 12 year guarantee is amazing and well worth getting them to have a look. Keeps the Zeds fresh!
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Totally agree and think that's a great idea.

When I took my previous E89 to the local Sytner garage for them to inspect the roof panel - the paint shop manager told me they love doing the warranty work for customers knowing BMW will foot the bill.

So I guess it makes sense for them to do a thorough investigation in order to increase the extent of the work they complete :thumbsup:
 
Gwest44 said:
Deepseaskateboard said:
They did an inspection of the bonnet area and an investigation of the wings. They found corrosion and then fixed / resprayed the chassis legs and engine bay.

They checked the car over for any more, but they found corrosion inside the front wings.

That 12 year guarantee is amazing and well worth getting them to have a look. Keeps the Zeds fresh!
Click to expand...
Totally agree and think that's a great idea.

When I took my previous E89 to the local Sytner garage for them to inspect the roof panel - the paint shop manager told me they love doing the warranty work for customers knowing BMW will foot the bill.

So I guess it makes sense for them to do a thorough investigation in order to increase the extent of the work they complete :thumbsup:
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Yeah, they were really great and did a quality job. Apart from re-fitting the bumper of course!
 
I’ve had another look at mine today…
it’s already adjusted as far up across the front as far as it will go.
The option of packing out behind the side hanging brackets would seemingly open the gap (against the wing) due to the angle of it, so that’s a non-starter.
Can’t see how that bracket can be raised (looking for 5mm), so now considering a bit of ‘readjustment’ by the local Bodyshop, unless someone comes up with a better plan…
Or, just live with it; no-one else would notice it tbh
 
I'm very interested in this thread. I bought my 2012 from auction as a damaged cat N. Just needed a headlight and a bumper (really annoying as that only had a tiny bit of damaged. Stupid this car was written off for that. Anyway, got a new bumper in colour but still looking for a headlight (ridiculously expensive) but I have an issue now with the gap on one side. The bonnet fits perfectly one side, but the other is a massive gap from the bonnet to the bumper. No idea how to approach it. I was thinking maybe the bonnet hinge needs replacing but the bonnet and wing where untouched?
 
BMWPAUL1971 said:
I'm very interested in this thread. I bought my 2012 from auction as a damaged cat N. Just needed a headlight and a bumper (really annoying as that only had a tiny bit of damaged. Stupid this car was written off for that. Anyway, got a new bumper in colour but still looking for a headlight (ridiculously expensive) but I have an issue now with the gap on one side. The bonnet fits perfectly one side, but the other is a massive gap from the bonnet to the bumper. No idea how to approach it. I was thinking maybe the bonnet hinge needs replacing but the bonnet and wing where untouched?
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If the bonnet was untouched then I doubt you need to change the bonnet hinge more likely the problem could be the bumper bracket which that corner of the bumper sits in.
 
Silverstar said:
BMWPAUL1971 said:
I'm very interested in this thread. I bought my 2012 from auction as a damaged cat N. Just needed a headlight and a bumper (really annoying as that only had a tiny bit of damaged. Stupid this car was written off for that. Anyway, got a new bumper in colour but still looking for a headlight (ridiculously expensive) but I have an issue now with the gap on one side. The bonnet fits perfectly one side, but the other is a massive gap from the bonnet to the bumper. No idea how to approach it. I was thinking maybe the bonnet hinge needs replacing but the bonnet and wing where untouched?
Click to expand...

If the bonnet was untouched then I doubt you need to change the bonnet hinge more likely the problem could be the bumper bracket which that corner of the bumper sits in.
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Hi buddy. Yes you would think that, but the bracket is not broken and fully intact. The impact was on the headlight and the part of the bumper it sits in, no other damage. The bonnet to front bumper is a great fit. But the bonnet to wing on one side is miles out. Abd there was no damage on these parts. :roll: I do these Cat N's as a hobby and really wanted a Z4 for a long time. Just weird and I haven't come across this before. It's always a nightmare lining up panel gaps etc after replacing a part but this is a strange one. I can't see anything obvious
 
Micheljohns said:
Front bumper panel gaps refer to the spaces or misalignments between the front bumper and adjacent body panels of a vehicle wheel alignment centre near me These gaps can occur due to manufacturing tolerances, improper installation, or wear over time. While minor gaps are common and may not affect functionality, significant discrepancies can detract from the vehicle's aesthetic appeal and may indicate underlying issues that require attention.
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Where the flock do these sodding bots come from?
 
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