Removing Front Bumper - Definitive Guide

In searching for how to remove the front bumper on my '99 L Series, I came across various threads on here making it sound particularly trickey - particularly relating to the 'hidden bolts'. This is from the service manual (evidently):

1. Open bonnet
2. Remove 8 screws securing wheel arch liners to bumper, release liners from wheelarch for access.
3. Remove 2 screws securing bumper valance to underbelly panel brackets.
4. Remove 3 scrivets securing bumper to armature.
5. Remove 2 bolts securing rear edge of front bumper to inner front wing.
6. Remove 4 screws securing bumper to bonnet locking platform
7. Applies to NAS models - Release side repeater, disconnect multiplug and remove repeater.
8. With assistance carefully lift and pull forward each side of bumper to release bumper side mounts and clips.

Point's I'd add to this...

1) The 'bumper' is not a conventional bumper - its actually a 1 piece plastic panel that wraps around the front of the Freelander and incorporates the coloured valence underneath the bumper.

2) As its just a panel, it is not secured to the car with heavy duty bolts, it is merely fastened in various places to keep it attached.

3) In point 2 above it says "Remove 8 screws securing wheel arch liners to bumper" - on each side there's 2 around the wheel surround and 2 underneath on the back bottom edge of the bumper panel.

4) In point 2 above it says "release liners from wheelarch for access" - I'm not sure why they mention 'access', but its needed to be done to slide the bumper forward and off later - basically pull the liner edges from behind to in front of the bumper.

5) In point 3 above it mentions 'scrivets' - if, like me,you don't know what these are, they are a raw plug type fastener that push in and then tightened with a screw. It is all plastic and 2 I could not get out as the heads rounded easily - I cut the heads off with pliers to be replaced. The image below is not the actual scrivet, but similar...


6) Point 5 above states "Remove 2 bolts securing rear edge of front bumper to inner front wing" - this is the biggest cause for confusion when removing the bumper. People talk about pulling the liners back for access, loosening the wing panel etc - but in actual fact they are easily removed even though you can't see them. There is 1 on each side. The term 'inner front wing' is also wrong - its the actual wing. If you follow the line of the top of the bumper back from the indicator to about an inch before it angles down (where it meets the wheel arch trim) - the bolt is just there hidden on the other side of the bumper panel. Access is through the pull out panel on the wheel liner - the access used to change the indicator bulb. If you've never opened it before - you push it upwards, then pull it back. Once the panel is pulled out, use your hand to feel for the bolt - your finger tips will basically be on the inside of the bumper panel at the top - the bolt faces upwards. Use a long extension on your ratchet and a 10mm socket to remove it.

7) Point 6 above states "Remove 4 screws securing bumper to bonnet locking platform" - these are the screws on the top of the bumper above the grill.

8) [myotherworld] On face lift models, put some masking tape or other on the lights, on the inner vertical edge to stop the lens/plastic getting marked.

9) Point 8 above states "lift and pull forward each side of bumper to release bumper side mounts and clips." You can't see these clips, they're basically a bracket contraption next to the bolt you took out. You need to pull the bumper forward a couple of inches so that the lug that slides in behind the wheel arch trim are clear. You then may have to pull the sides of the bumper out a little to clear it from the car.

Bumper Overrider:

If you have the LR bumper overrider on the front of your Freelander, there are additional steps. This is how I removed mine...

1) Remove all the fixings for the bumper as described above - but do not remove the bumper - you wont be able to anyway!.

2) There is a plastic cover disc on the outside and inside of each overrider upright - remove all 4 - I slid a screwdriver underneath and eased them out.

3) With the cover discs removed, there is a bolt through each upright that must be removed - be careful to retain the washers on each side of the upright when the bolts are removed.

4) The other securing is a bracket that goes from the overrider through the bumper and extends down to the outer front bolts holding the undertray. It may be OK to just remove these 2 bolts - however, I removed the undertray completely to give the brackets freedom to move.

5) The bracket you have just released needs to be pulled through the bumper - but it has a few angle changes - so can not be pulled straight through. To get the overrider off therefore was the following steps.

6) Ease the overrider off of the brackets that the first bolts went through. Its is now a weight that needs to be supported to stop too much weight being put on the bumper - be careful.

7) Pull the bumper forward a couple of inches.

8) Extract the overrider brackets through the bumper - you'll need to raise and lower the overrider so that as the brackets change angle they continue to be extracted.

9) Remove the bumper.

Once removed, you Freelander will be naked and look very strange....



Refitting:

Refitting is a reversal - put the panel back on and then all the fastenings. However, those "side mounts and clips" mentioned in the original points make it a bit trickey.

1) Put the bumper back on but a couple of inches proud. The sides will be pushed out a bit by these mounts.

2) Push the side in flush over the mount.

3) Push the bumper all the way back ensuring it stays flush wit the body work and the lugs go behind the wheel arch trims.

That's a great guide! It will be useful for when I put my bumper back on.

HTR

good write up.
I would just add.
On face lift models, put some masking tape or other on the lights, on the inner vertical edge to stop the lens/plastic getting marked.

Very nice guide. Did you find that the screws in wheel arch was rusted shut? I have removed front bumpers from a few Freelanders now and i find it easier to take the engine out to remove the radiator (never tried...)

lol - I think that's a bit excesive !

Nope, they came out nice and easy. Down here in NZ there's no salt goes on the roads, so screws/bolts etc don't tend to rust up so bad. Not that it doesn't get cold, it went down to -4 here last night and much colder further inland. In other countries it may be advisable to give all the screws a good spray with WD40 a few hours before you start the job.

I did have trouble with the scrivets - but that was because they're plastic and rather pathetic, even though they appear quite common on vehicles these days by the looks of it.

Ok, maybe its just a norwegian phenomenon. We use to much salt in the wintertime here and i havent come by a front bumper that i didnt have to drill out the screws yet. There is also no support behind those screws so when drilling youre just pushing the soft plastic upwards. So here lies my frustration

Oh, i never knew there was so cold in NZ. I was under the impression there was still hot/bikini weather even in the wintertime. But then again everything i know about NZ i there is a lot of cheeps and the greatest rock band ever The Datsuns are from over there. :high5:

JRNORWAY said:

Very nice guide. Did you find that the screws in wheel arch was rusted shut? I have removed front bumpers from a few Freelanders now and i find it easier to take the engine out to remove the radiator (never tried...)

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I keep re reading that and trying to make sense of that. Surely you don't need to remove the bumper or the engine for the radiator?

I'm tired I might be confused....but I just don't get it

JRNORWAY said:

Ok, maybe its just a norwegian phenomenon. We use to much salt in the wintertime here and i havent come by a front bumper that i didnt have to drill out the screws yet. There is also no support behind those screws so when drilling youre just pushing the soft plastic upwards. So here lies my frustration

Oh, i never knew there was so cold in NZ. I was under the impression there was still hot/bikini weather even in the wintertime. But then again everything i know about NZ i there is a lot of cheeps and the greatest rock band ever The Datsuns are from over there. :high5:

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I can see how drilling those screws out would be difficult - drilling against metal held by flimsy plastic - grr.

It stays warmer up north in winter - but still frosts. This weekend is Queens Birthday bank holiday weekend and perfect winter weather - clear skies mean very cold at night and not too warm during the day - maybe 10 or 12 degrees, but brilliantly sunny and still. Perfect! Off for a round of golf in a tick and ski slopes open this week

Kizzeh said:

I keep re reading that and trying to make sense of that. Surely you don't need to remove the bumper or the engine for the radiator?

I'm tired I might be confused....but I just don't get it

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Well not any sense to what i wrote. I was trying to explain how much i hate to remove the bumper because of the screws that get rusted shut. Like it would almost be easier to drop the engine to gain access to the radiator than to remove the bumper to gain access.

English is not my native language so things gets lost in translation sometimes.

GrumpyGel said:

I can see how drilling those screws out would be difficult - drilling against metal held by flimsy plastic - grr.

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Yes, very grr

GrumpyGel said:

It stays warmer up north in winter - but still frosts. This weekend is Queens Birthday bank holiday weekend and perfect winter weather - clear skies mean very cold at night and not too warm during the day - maybe 10 or 12 degrees, but brilliantly sunny and still. Perfect! Off for a round of golf in a tick and ski slopes open this week

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Thats sounds very nice. How is in the summertime temperature wise?

JRNORWAY said:

Thats sounds very nice. How is in the summertime temperature wise?

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Temperatures all year round are very similar to London - but we get many many more hours of sunshine - especially in winter

Spring is the worst time of year here - we tend to get persistent winds. Sea temp doesn't get too high either, where we are, in the middle of the South Island, it peaks at about 17 degrees in summer. Probably because next stop south is Antarctica. At the top of the North Island sea temps get warmer and winter temps are warmer, but not summer temps.

I've only been to Norway once - for an overnight work visit. Flew with a budget airline to an airport miles from Oslo - so had a great bus ride into the city, then got a train to a town south of the city - once again a great train journey. I forget the name of the town, it wasn't far as the train was a suburban type service - but a very picturesque/nice one

That sounds very nice. Here where i live the coldest the last few year have been -38C degrees in the winter time and yet there is +25C today.

You probably landed on Gardermoen, Rygge or Torp(Sandefjord) then.

JRNORWAY said:

Well not any sense to what i wrote. I was trying to explain how much i hate to remove the bumper because of the screws that get rusted shut. Like it would almost be easier to drop the engine to gain access to the radiator than to remove the bumper to gain access.

English is not my native language so things gets lost in translation sometimes.

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I understand you perfectly now. Your English is very good I normally understand you fine

JRNORWAY said:

That sounds very nice. Here where i live the coldest the last few year have been -38C degrees in the winter time and yet there is +25C today.

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I bet you don't forget to put your antifreeze in then!

Good, sometimes it sounds perfectly clear in my head. But it isnt.

Correct grade of antifreeze all year long. Too much hazzle to be saving a few bucks in the summertime I flush and change it every second year to be on the safe side.