Made the mistake of taking my front bumper off to see if I could trim a few lbs like I did on my c3. Well maybe trimmed two lbs and now I'm having tons of fun trying to get it to fix right again.

1st time I got almost all the way done and wondered why the sides seemed tighter and the gap was less. Yup forgot shims!!!

2nd time used the shims and one side has a larger gap than the other, but still both sides have too much gap on the top.

3rd time started to play with washers to try and get the gap better on the top. I'll finish it up and see how it is tomorrow.

I measured the shims and both are the same thickness top and bottom, so idk bout that. I am pulling the top lip over(I read about that before I even took it off), wish I read how much fun it was to realign. Who the hecks idea was it to have the four studs float, that made my marks around the nuts worthless. Stupid freaking front marker lights, took me a sec to figure out to leave the side bolts out.

 

I have the front bumper alignment to look forward to this year. I am trying to get a step by step guide so I can do it at home with a friend or two OR take it too a body shop and have them do it with my guide to provide them info. My problems are the gaps left and right of center are not equal.

I figure that is a shim issue. But also the cover is not flush with the bumper as it is a few millimeters low, again left and right of center.

The driver side gap by the side marker light is not parallel the length of the gap, but narrows closer to the front. Need to make that gap consistent

Would any of the experienced guys be willing to do a write up on front bumper adjustment, alignment and removal procedures? Would really help a newbie like me.

Art

 

I hope some one chimes in. Mine is off by 1/2inch on one side.

 

I got it too look pretty good or close to the pics I had of it before, but it has too come off AGAIN! As a powerful carwash sprayer took off a bumper sticker size spot of clearcoat, so I'm gonna get it repainted this spring prob or just put on a bumper sticker till I fix it LOL. I don't rem exactly how I got it all good and hope it comes back to me as I do it AGAIN.

Deff tape the hood with the blue or green painters tape and I even taped up the wrench(so glad I bought a ratcheting 7mm since I gotta do it AGAIN)

(shimming only if you take the inner crash bumper off)I pretty much shimmed it until the side inner fender part lined up and the bolts matched the marks left(And the air dam bolt holes), maybe trace your bolts with a crayon before you remove. I ended up with not the same amount of washers on any of the four post.

You pretty much gotta push or pull the top and then tighten stuff down and check. Some spots you can't tighten too much, they pretty much set the gap by how much they are threaded/tightened. You can go back and loosen up a spot move it, tighten down and check until it's good.

The top sides you can bend the curved bracket to get it where you want, I ended up with better fitment on the one side than the picture showed.

The marker lights have a spring mount on one end, you can push them in and move them to where they look good. I never got the bolts back in so you may want to just start those or enlarge the holes, maybe even just cut out n use a large washer or make a bracket or something.

Can't think of anything else atm, but hope that helps.


edit: I have a friend who works at a body shop and when I told him about taking my c4 bumper off the look he gave me LOL

edit2: The metal bracket behind the top lip I think I had to pull it toward the hood in some spots.

Also I didn't talk about removal but other threads cover that part well.

 

Unfortunately, good fit and finish just takes time and a lot of trial and error.. Good luck you'll get it.

 

The whole procedure is mysterious to me. I saw a thread where someone referred to a "how to" write up. But the links are no longer working. Does anyone have a write up? Step by step with photos?