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      01-06-2022, 12:04 AM   #1
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Bumper Removal and Adding Protective Mesh

So I finally got around (after 4 months haha) to pulling my front bumper and installing some mesh behind all of the lower and kidney grilles to prevent foreign objects from getting in, accumulating, and possibly damaging the radiators/coolers. I know there are already external products available, but I just don't think they look as clean. Seeing how BMW thought the M2 CS Racing needed meshes everywhere also encouraged me to get this done!

So first we'll start with the bumper removal/installation:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Index
0:00 Intro
0:38 Car up, wheels off
1:03 Removing underbody panels
2:24 Removing bumper top fastening
2:58 Removing wheel well fasteners
4:36 Bumper backside overview
5:45 Bumper installation prep
7:22 Putting bumper into place
9:15 Installing lower bumper fasteners
9:50 Installing top bumper fasteners and hood alignment
12:14 Wheel well liner installation
13:24 Underbody panels installation
14:25 Wheels on, and lowering car
And the onto the mesh I added to the grilles!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Index
0:00 Intro
1:37 Mesh selection
3:18 Adding mesh to bottom grilles
4:45 Adding mesh to the kidney grilles
6:19 Completed mesh pics/footage

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      01-06-2022, 12:29 AM   #2
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Very nice!

Also you're lucky you don't have head light washers, those make removing the bumper alot more difficult.
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      01-07-2022, 02:07 AM   #3
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Great video, agree that the mesh behind the honeycomb is a much better look & in fact you can't even see it from a few metres away, imo makes it worth the effort the remove the bumper. Just means after a trip away you have to spend 10-15min removing any trapped leaves/bugs etc.

Just wanted to add if someone doesn't want to use a drill you can use ties (I used 2.5mm) to fix the mesh directly to the honeycomb for the lower grills and for the kidneys I tied to the clips (they look the same as my OG & just means you would need to remove the mesh first if you wanted to unclip/remove the kidneys), the mesh is held firmly against the back of the kidney so leaves/debris just falls back out the front.

Aside from stopping rocks (which was my original motivation) and debris, it also saves the radiator fins from damage. Did my mesh a couple yrs ago (car then 2yrs old) and I spent probably 3+hrs repairing all the pushed-in fins over the 3 radiators. 2.4yrs & 40K km since with the mesh installed (& a lot of fast country trips) there is very little damage to the fins, assume that would be good for their cooling efficiency.
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      01-09-2022, 07:28 AM   #4
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Nice video and rundown of this process!
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      01-09-2022, 07:46 AM   #5
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Great video, and the results look amazing!
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      01-09-2022, 09:26 AM   #6
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Your posts/videos are always so well done. You're an asset to the community for sure.
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      01-09-2022, 12:41 PM   #7
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Great job! Thanks for sharing
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      01-09-2022, 04:22 PM   #8
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Thank you for sharing. I was wondering how to attach everything via zip ties and and ultimately came to the conclusion that I would need to drill. Your video confirms that so I'm glad someone else was able to take the plunge and document it.
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      01-12-2022, 11:38 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David.m View Post
Just wanted to add if someone doesn't want to use a drill you can use ties (I used 2.5mm) to fix the mesh directly to the honeycomb for the lower grills and for the kidneys I tied to the clips (they look the same as my OG & just means you would need to remove the mesh first if you wanted to unclip/remove the kidneys), the mesh is held firmly against the back of the kidney so leaves/debris just falls back out the front.

Aside from stopping rocks (which was my original motivation) and debris, it also saves the radiator fins from damage. Did my mesh a couple yrs ago (car then 2yrs old) and I spent probably 3+hrs repairing all the pushed-in fins over the 3 radiators. 2.4yrs & 40K km since with the mesh installed (& a lot of fast country trips) there is very little damage to the fins, assume that would be good for their cooling efficiency.

That's some great long-term feedback on how well these work! What size were the openings in the meshes you used?

So you just zip tied the mesh to the stock grille for the lower sections? How noticeable did that turn out in terms of the zip ties? Using the slots in the kidney clips is a clever way to not drill have to drill there. That method is probably especially useful if somebody gets a carbon version of the kidneys.
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      01-18-2022, 07:19 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FaRKle! View Post
That's some great long-term feedback on how well these work! What size were the openings in the meshes you used?

So you just zip tied the mesh to the stock grille for the lower sections? How noticeable did that turn out in terms of the zip ties? Using the slots in the kidney clips is a clever way to not drill have to drill there. That method is probably especially useful if somebody gets a carbon version of the kidneys.
The size of my mesh wasn't specified though it looks identical to what you have, was the only stuff available locally. I used the ties on the vertical parts of the honeycomb, you can't really see the ties from a metre or so away.
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Last edited by David.m; 01-18-2022 at 07:25 AM..
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      01-29-2022, 07:17 PM   #11
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Great work, definitely looks nice and less noticeable than some of the installs I've seen. I have the Zunsport setup sitting in the garage I got for Christmas I had intended to put on. I'll see how I like it and sell them and do something similar to your setup if it's not as nice as I hope it is.
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