Originally Posted by bhennrich

Remove the 4 screws in the inner rear fender well plastic. Then open the rear hatch of the X5 and remove the spare tire cover and the two removable side panels. Get the spare out of the way. Use a 10mm to take the plastic covers off the bottom on either side of where the spare goes. Disconnect your pdc sensors under passenger side tail light. Look under where the plastic covers were and you will see 3 nuts on each side on the very back wall of the X. Look under your X and where the center of the bumper attaches by the rear diff, and remove the screws I think there are 3. Take those 6 total nuts off and the entire rear bumper with the shocks will slide right out. The little plastic trims on the top edge of the bumper will have to bend out of the way so you will feel some tension. Make sure you have a buddy with you to help you not scratch the bumper on its way out or back in. I have done this on mine and two other friends. NO REMOVAL OF EXHAUST AT ALL! 20 min once you know where all the fasteners are. These instructions are for rear bumper without OEM hitch. If you have an OEM genuine BMW hitch you only need to remove the two outward and inward nuts in the back. But follow all other steps I have said...