Some mods and weekend detail session

[nra0707]

Originally Posted by PersonaNonGrata

Very nice and excellent choice of 177 wheels. They are gorgeous!

How was the process of removing the chrome trim and replacing it with Shadowline?

Trim removal isn't difficult as long as you have some panel pulling tools, but you do have to be careful not to bend any of the trim. It also helps if it's warm outside because the rubber gaskets that seat the trim in place is more maleable when working the trim back in. The most time consuming part is the front doors because you have to take the mirrors and interior door panels out.

[chile1]

Originally Posted by nra0707

Hi all. Here's my Jet Black 2004 4.4i that I've owned for about 2 years now. Inspiration for my mods came from the excellent photo JS_4.8 posted a year ago, so shoutout to him. I spent the day doing a little detailing the car after finally completing some of the exterior mods that I've been planning over the last two years. Hope you guys like it.

Mod list:
- Fender Flares and lower support trim

I love the mods you did on your truck. What a difference!!

Any pointers/tricks on how to properly installed the Lower Support Trim? I just installed the flared wheel arches on my X, but until I can figure out how to properly install these buggers it's going to look like this guy's truck (minus the pooch). I'm all ears for any helpful suggestions etc:

[X5 Meister]

Wow. Looks freaking fantastic.

[mrbmwx5]

Originally Posted by chile1

I love the mods you did on your truck. What a difference!!

Any pointers/tricks on how to properly installed the Lower Support Trim? I just installed the flared wheel arches on my X, but until I can figure out how to properly install these buggers it's going to look like this guy's truck (minus the pooch). I'm all ears for any helpful suggestions etc:

I can help you .... How to install those rear bumper supports and flairs with out any special tool

I will take some pics tomorrow to show you how to.

[nra0707]

Originally Posted by chile1

I love the mods you did on your truck. What a difference!!

Any pointers/tricks on how to properly installed the Lower Support Trim? I just installed the flared wheel arches on my X, but until I can figure out how to properly install these buggers it's going to look like this guy's truck (minus the pooch). I'm all ears for any helpful suggestions etc:

Sure, no problem. When I first looked at this installation project, I said to myself, "What the heck did I get myself into?" But after a quick breather and some thinking, I figured it out. Some on this board have recommended gluing them on, but YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT. If you really want them on as BMW intended, then follow the steps below.

[DISCLAIMER: Please do this at your own risk/cost, as I am not responsible for any damage done to your vehicle or person. This is only meant as a visual guide to help DIYers install these parts.]

Here's what you need beforehand:


Here are the tools you'll need to complete this mod: Dremel tool with cutting wheel and handheld extension, box cutter, pliers, and a flathead screw driver.


Preparation:
Remove the bumper cover and place it on a soft towel or support it so that the painted portions do not get scratched.

Step 1: The installation kit came with a template that has a stenciled set of guide holes that you can use to drill the holes in the right spot. I found that this was not useful at all because the trim piece's tabs did not line up perfectly with the template. If I remember correctly, each trim piece has 7 1/2inch tabs and two long tabs. Since the longer tabs do not secure the trim anyway, I cut them off all the way at its base. Next, I lined up the trim with the bumper cover so that it appeared flush from the top edge of the bumper cover, as well as the curved wheel well side of the bumper. It might help to have another hand to hold it in place while someone takes a permanent marker to draw lines where the top and bottom edges of the tabs lie. This will give you an approximate location where to cut/drill. To make ti more accurate, place a vertical dot where the tabs lie and then use the curved edge of the trim to draw a line connecting the dots from the top of the bumper to the bottom. See picture.


Step 2: Now that you have the relative position of each of the tabs that need to be cut/drilled, you will notice that the interior of the bumper cover has a plastic shield bonded to the outer cover. From what I can tell, this provides some structural rigidity to the bumper cover, but it also happens to block you from seeing where you will be cutting slots for the trim's tabs. Since you've marked off the relative position of each of the tabs, you now need to cut small cutouts in the plastic shield to get access to the tab slots and to eventually secure those fastener clips.

Dremel tip: The high speed of the dremel cutting wheel will cause the plastic to melt, so don't hold it in the same place for a long time. Always use safety eyewear when cutting, otherwise you will get an occasional blob of molten plastic in the eye like I did.







Use the box cutter to clean up any rough edges or to finalize cuts that the cutting wheel couldn't reach. The pliers are useful in prying out any pieces that resist. Screw driver can do the same.

Do not overcut these sections as this still needs to provide some structural rigidity to the cover, but make sure they are big enough so that you can maneuver your fingers to attach the fastener clips on the tabs protruding through the slots.

Step 3: Now that the cutouts have been made in the interior of the bumper cover, it's time for the main trim slots to be cut/drilled. Each of the slots should be slightly longer than the tabs, and approximately 1/8th-inch (or 3mm) wide. While it's okay to make them longer or slightly wider, it's good to have the tabs fit snug as it will help keep the trim on with less dependence on the fastener clips to hold it in place. Go slowly on each slot. You should testfit and drill, testfit and drill, repeat. This ensures that you get a good flush top edge and wheel wheel edge. Keep adjusting the holes as necessary until it comes out perfect. Remember that where you are cutting/drilling will be covered by the new trim, so it doesn't need to look pretty. Just keep an eye out not to let the Dremel slip on sections that will still be visible.

Once you've cut/drilled all the slots and testfit the trim, fasten them with the clips by pressing firmly until the plastic catches on them. Make sure all your trim adjustments are done before doing this because if you have to remove the fastener clips, it may not catch on the plastic tabs again. Here's what it should look like:



Final product should look like this. This picture doesn't show a flush top edge, but I did make adjustments after this photo was taken.




Now that you've done one side, go to the fridge, get yourself a cold drink, and then start on the other side. After both sides are done and the cover is re-installed, you will see a flap on the bottom of the lower suppor trim with a pre-drilled hole in it. This is another securing point so that it stays on the bumper cover. Fold the flap over so it is touching the bumper cover, drill a small pilot hole, then put a stainless steel sheet metal screw to make it completely secure.

Looks pretty fresh, huh?



Hope this helps. If you have any questions, reply here to keep the thread alive, or send me a PM. That's it folks!

[chile1]

Originally Posted by nra0707

Sure, no problem. When I first looked at this installation project, I said to myself, "What the heck did I get myself into?" But after a quick breather and some thinking, I figured it out. Some on this board have recommended gluing them on, but YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT. If you really want them on as BMW intended, then follow the steps below.

Preparation:
Remove the bumper cover and place it on a soft towel or support it so that the painted portions do not get scratched.

Step 1: The installation kit came with a template that has a stenciled set of guide holes that you can use to drill the holes in the right spot. I found that this was not useful at all because the trim piece's tabs did not line up perfectly with the template. If I remember correctly, each trim piece has 7 1/2inch tabs and two long tabs. Since the longer tabs do not secure the trim anyway, I cut them off all the way at its base.

Very nice write-up!!

I did tons of searching on this forum and came across a post from 2005 where someone had stated that removing the bumper wasn't necessary. It was suggested that you could go through the wheel well by removing some of the bolts on the inside near to where the bumper support mounts. The post also stated that you could then pry back the wheel well plastic and get the clips on through there. Any comments to this option. Seems like it would be a lot easier? On the other hand, how difficult is to remove the bumper cover? I was able to piece together the following write-up for the rear facia removal:

Removing Rear Bumper

Looks like I need to find a more maneuverable Torx driver to remove mine (4.4 chrome tips are in the way, don't want to remove those), but here's the deal:

* In the first photo of the rear wheel well, there are (2 ea.) 8mm hex bolts/screws. Remove the two on the bumper side of each rear wheel well, and sort of dis-interleave the wheel well plastic from the bumper plastic.

* If you have PDC, you'll need to disconnect the PDC cable before removing the bumper - you can see where the cable goes into the rear of the car.

* If you're lying on your back, looking directly under the bumper near the exhaust, you can see the T55 hardware that needs to be removed. There is a small cut out in the bumper to facilitate this, as shown in the second photo. You need to remove (2) *T55 Torx (head sockets you'll see located just above exhaust tips) - these hold the bumper in place
*T55 Torx is not easy to find. Check with Snap-on, Matco, Mac Tools or NAPA.

In the third photo, the T55 hardware is shown. It will be silver or bronze in color, as opposed to the other hardware which is black.

Depending on your model year, there may be a plastic piece directly below the center of the bumper attached with some small screws which may also need removal.

* Remove the bumper – remember to disconnect the 4 tabs underneath where the bumper is mounted to the lower part of the vehicle. The bumper cover can be removed by one person. I used two storage bins with padding on them. It is cumbersome but not that heavy.

* To put it back on I needed another person. You have to lower it down a bit to clear the lower part of the rear gate and get the side bits fitted into their guides. You'll see a bracket on each side, just be sure to line up the slots.

Rear Wheel Well




T55 hardware


My kit came without the template so I'm glad it's not really useful.

I'll definitely not glue them on!!

[chile1]

Originally Posted by mrbmwx5

I can help you .... How to install those rear bumper supports and flairs with out any special tool

I will take some pics tomorrow to show you how to.

Thanks. I'll take any pointers I can get.

[nra0707]

The post that you saw from 2005 doesn't seem like the best way to do this properly. It would be very awkward trying to maneuver in the wheel well of the car (presumably while the car is jacked up with the rear wheels off). To do it the way BMW's instructions state, just remove the bumper cover. You will need to lower the exhaust pipes by removing two nuts from each side of the exhaust hangers. This will give you enough room to remove the T-55 bolt. Having a helping hand to slide the cover off will make it easier.

[nra0707]

Here are the BMW install instructions. I mostly followed this.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachments/x...f?d=1154728710

[chile1]

Originally Posted by nra0707

The post that you saw from 2005 doesn't seem like the best way to do this properly. It would be very awkward trying to maneuver in the wheel well of the car (presumably while the car is jacked up with the rear wheels off). To do it the way BMW's instructions state, just remove the bumper cover. You will need to lower the exhaust pipes by removing two nuts from each side of the exhaust hangers. This will give you enough room to remove the T-55 bolt. Having a helping hand to slide the cover off will make it easier.

Do I need to disconnect the PDC cable before removing the bumper Cover? If so, any comments how this is done (i.e. disc battery or not etc.)

Also, are there 4 tabs underneath where the bumper is mounted to the lower part of the vehicle, that need to be disconnect? I've seen this reference on other posts?