What is this for and should I replace it? - Front bumper 'Rod'

[ianmuk]

Hi all,

I followed a great post on here to get by bumper off so that I could get my headlight out to replace the balast ... this would have been a lot easier to do if the last person who did it had not used screws to put the damn thing back on rather than the poppers and also if they had not broken the plastic clips that hold the bumper in place in the process ... anyway ...

I have noticed for a while not that the 'rod' that goes accross the front of the car is black on one side and the paint appears to have come off on the other (and i can see it through the grille) (see picture).


The question is - what is this for - could this be a problem and should i replace it (I ahve found a non OEM on fleabay for £25), I am no mechanic but if its as simple as scrow off and on again i should be able to do it!!!!

I am planning on replacing the grills with matt black ones while I have the bumper off so i will see this more with contrast the the black grilles i think?

Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

Ian

 

[enuff_zed]

It is a bracing bar, but only made of light, hollow aluminium tube.
My wife's 2.5i had a similar issue with the the paint flaking off.
I removed them, rubbed them down, sprayed with etch primer then a top coat of Smooth Hammerite.
Went for bright yellow as that's what she wanted to contrast the grey paintwork, but can be done any colour you choose, either to hide them, or emphasis them.

 

[ianmuk]

thanks enuff_zed!
As I dont have any primer or hammerite then i may as well buy the £25 one off fleabay (will be similar price in the end i suspect!).

Its just a quick unscrew to get off and screw to get back on I assume (certainly looks this way!).

Ta,

Ian

 

[enuff_zed]

thanks enuff_zed!
As I dont have any primer or hammerite then i may as well buy the £25 one off fleabay (will be similar price in the end i suspect!).

Its just a quick unscrew to get off and screw to get back on I assume (certainly looks this way!).

Ta,

Ian

Just run the risk it'll still look different to the other one.

But yes, nice and easy swap.

 

[Sidewaze Samm]

thanks enuff_zed!
As I dont have any primer or hammerite then i may as well buy the £25 one off fleabay (will be similar price in the end i suspect!).

Its just a quick unscrew to get off and screw to get back on I assume (certainly looks this way!).

Ta,

Ian

But if you do it yourself, you'll have plenty of stuff left over for other surprising jobs around the house/garage - and the satisfaction of doing it. Dead simple, just four bolts.
I did it Black Sapphire to match the car and hide them.

 

[Davz]

£25........ that's nuts! Just buy a £8 tin of black smooth hammerite (no primer required), rub it down and brush paint it, they can't be seen behind the grills if black, so can't be seen that it has been brushed instead of sprayed

 

[ianmuk]

I decided to go with the painting option... On reflection 10 for the paint is less than 25 for the whole part... And this way I don't even need to remove it... (the very lazy option!)

Hopefully the hammerite will work!

Thanks everyone...

Will try to remember to post a pic once it's done... Will be a few days as I am waiting for a new matt black grill to arrive... Just need to figure out how to get the old one off!

 

[Armscarf]

[ref]ianmuk[/ref], great post. I need to replace my headlights as soon as some decent after market ones come back into stock. It didn't even occur to me to do the braces. When the time comes it's satin black for mine as I have the primer and paint already.

 

[ianmuk]

Amscarf:
I was going to replace mine but they are xenon ... and they are NOT cheap! so its a DIY repair job for the fogging/damp ... and maybe some toothpaste to get them nice and shiny on the outside!

Satin black is what i went for too, I didnt get any primer but whats the worst that can happen ...

 

[Armscarf]

[ref]ianmuk[/ref], Makes sense, I'm only about an hour from you and have mates in Chorlton (often up that way). Let me know if you want me to run the DA polisher over your lights with some compound, you'll get a much better finish with a machine.

 

[enuff_zed]

£25........ that's nuts! Just buy a £8 tin of black smooth hammerite (no primer required), rub it down and brush paint it, they can't be seen behind the grills if black, so can't be seen that it has been brushed instead of sprayed

That was my initial idea too, but someone on here advised me that hammerite may not adhere properly to the aluminium, so I invested in the etch primer as well.
Very easy to access and remove through the grilles though, so I guess you could redo them periodically if it started to lift.

 

[Mondo]

Can these be removed with the front bumper in situ? If you pop the grills off for access, for example?

 

[enuff_zed]

Can these be removed with the front bumper in situ? If you pop the grills off for access, for example?

Yes, pretty easy to access. I found a 1/4 drive ratchet was the easiest thing to unbolt them with.

 

[bearded_ed]

Can these be removed with the front bumper in situ? If you pop the grills off for access, for example?

Yes, pretty easy to access. I found a 1/4 drive ratchet was the easiest thing to unbolt them with.

This is how I did mine too, think it's a T30 if I remember correctly. Painted mine the same colour as my calipers.

 

[Jfgoldfish]

That was my initial idea too, but someone on here advised me that hammerite may not adhere properly to the aluminium, so I invested in the etch primer as well.

That might have been me
Worth buying the etch primer for the sake of five quid
Hamerite won't last long on the ally.