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Removing front license plate holder


Sahara

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As a Kansan, I have the luxury of not needing a front license plate. However for most of my car's life it has had front plates, first in California and then in Minnesota. The front plate frame will be pictured below. As you can see, there are little rubber/plastic covers on the front of the bolts that secure the plate frame to the bumper. Behind them and the bumper, there are nuts. The nuts are pretty well rusted to the bolts and the back of the bumper. I figure the whole thing was probably finger tight at some point but now it's rusted together. It's virtually impossible to get a wrench into the shell of the bumper to remove it from the rear, and I would need a wrench for sufficient leverage to break them free. 

 

My question is: are the rubber caps removable? Is there a good way to get the frame off attacking it from the front? I realize this is a dumb question but I'm not going to wing and just start prying on the covers because my bumper is in pretty good shape and I don't want to damage it.

kD8dDcO.jpg

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3 minutes ago, Sahara said:

 It's virtually impossible to get a wrench into the shell of the bumper to remove it from the rear,

 

No, it's not. That's how I removed mine and I don't remember it being challenging at all. Maybe your fog lights/brackets are in the way? If I recall correctly the bracket "bolts" that go through the bumper are studs and don't turn from the front.

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1 minute ago, Jimmy said:

 

No, it's not. That's how I removed mine and I don't remember it being challenging at all. Maybe your fog lights/brackets are in the way? If I recall correctly the bracket "bolts" that go through the bumper are studs and don't turn from the front.

Thanks, I'll take another look at it. My problem was that the nuts are too deep inside to get a traditional open end wrench in and the studs are too long to fit a socket wrench. 

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1 minute ago, Jimmy said:

I must have used a standard deep socket then. I would remember if any special tool or technique were required. I used my "trunk" tool set which is a generic "Duralast" kit from AutoZone. Nothing fancy.

Do you know what size the nut was? I might have to go buy a deep socket just for this. It’s Metric presumably. 

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5 hours ago, D Seattle said:

The more interesting question is has anyone sourced a grommet or anything to plug the big holes in the rub rubber that are left when you remove the front plate bracket.  

 

Yes - the plugs were all the rage back in the 80s.  There's probably mention of it in the BMWCCA Tech Tips book that was recently reproduced.

John in VA

'74 tii "Juanita"  '85 535i "Goldie"  '86 535i "M-POSSTR"  

'03 530i "Titan"  '06 330ci "ZHPY"

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3 hours ago, John_in_VA said:

 

Yes - the plugs were all the rage back in the 80s.  There's probably mention of it in the BMWCCA Tech Tips book that was recently reproduced.

Black electrical tape worked pretty well for me, in the absence of the those plugs. One could also get soft, tacky rubber and ball it up, stick it in, and smooth it out. 

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