How-To: Rebuild Front End After Wreck (with pics)
I've been thinking about doing a How-To for a LONG time, but there was really nothing that I knew how to do that I thought people could use help with... Until I rebuilt my front end. That was a b***h and a half! So, in case anybody runs into the same problem (or person) I did, you'll know how to make it all better :-)
This is what I started with. It doesnt' look that bad, but the real damage was underneath...
Start by removing the bumper cover. There's plastic screws on the front and some metal ones underneath. Once you undo them, the cover basically pops off.
You can see what damage was really done. The bumper itself was bent back into the A/C Condenser and Radiator. Luckily, the A/C was only damaged cosmetically, but the radiator has already been replaced. See another How-To for info on that.
After removing the four bolts inside the bumper, lift up on it and it'll pop right off. Throw away or chuck off a tall cliff. Using your 10mm ratchet, remove all the remaining bolts holding the fenders on. This includes two requiring the opening of the doors and one each underneath the skirts. Toss fenders into the parts graveyard.
Crawl underneath the car and remove the bolts from the AC condenser footing. Sorry, but the space was too cramped to get a picture. Also undo the connectors on top.
Once you remove all the bolts from the radiator support, it SHOULD just lift off... but NO. There are tiny TAC welds all along the support, holding it firmly to the frame of the car. So, grab your hammer and crowbar (or torch if you have it, lazy bastards) and begin literally peeling the radiator support off the frame of the car, snapping each little weld as you go.
TAC = Tiny Annoying Cunts
Peeeel it, baby!
oh yeeeeah... NOT!
After you break off all the welds, the support will just fall to the ground, a mangled shell of it's former self... Just kick it a few times and you'll feel better... as long as you don't cut your foot. FYI: work boots R good!
Installation is the opposite of deconstruction so I don't need to waste my bandwidth showing you the same stuff again with new parts. Via the magic of the internet, we skip right to the final product!
And what of our old broken parts? Into the parts graveyard... oooooh... spooky!
I hope you found this helpful, should you need it :-) This was an exhausting stretch of work, so only do this if you have to. Plus, it's expensive. My next How-To? How To Paint Your Entire Car! Stay tuned!
Peace and Llove
Eric
I've been thinking about doing a How-To for a LONG time, but there was really nothing that I knew how to do that I thought people could use help with... Until I rebuilt my front end. That was a b***h and a half! So, in case anybody runs into the same problem (or person) I did, you'll know how to make it all better :-)
This is what I started with. It doesnt' look that bad, but the real damage was underneath...
Start by removing the bumper cover. There's plastic screws on the front and some metal ones underneath. Once you undo them, the cover basically pops off.
You can see what damage was really done. The bumper itself was bent back into the A/C Condenser and Radiator. Luckily, the A/C was only damaged cosmetically, but the radiator has already been replaced. See another How-To for info on that.
After removing the four bolts inside the bumper, lift up on it and it'll pop right off. Throw away or chuck off a tall cliff. Using your 10mm ratchet, remove all the remaining bolts holding the fenders on. This includes two requiring the opening of the doors and one each underneath the skirts. Toss fenders into the parts graveyard.
Crawl underneath the car and remove the bolts from the AC condenser footing. Sorry, but the space was too cramped to get a picture. Also undo the connectors on top.
Once you remove all the bolts from the radiator support, it SHOULD just lift off... but NO. There are tiny TAC welds all along the support, holding it firmly to the frame of the car. So, grab your hammer and crowbar (or torch if you have it, lazy bastards) and begin literally peeling the radiator support off the frame of the car, snapping each little weld as you go.
TAC = Tiny Annoying Cunts
Peeeel it, baby!
oh yeeeeah... NOT!
After you break off all the welds, the support will just fall to the ground, a mangled shell of it's former self... Just kick it a few times and you'll feel better... as long as you don't cut your foot. FYI: work boots R good!
Installation is the opposite of deconstruction so I don't need to waste my bandwidth showing you the same stuff again with new parts. Via the magic of the internet, we skip right to the final product!
And what of our old broken parts? Into the parts graveyard... oooooh... spooky!
I hope you found this helpful, should you need it :-) This was an exhausting stretch of work, so only do this if you have to. Plus, it's expensive. My next How-To? How To Paint Your Entire Car! Stay tuned!
Peace and Llove
Eric