Greetings. The bumper cover on my 2013 MB E350 was pulled out about 1/2' on the passenger side. It was caused by getting caught on a rock while backing up. Does anyone know if this is a difficult repair? I'd like to do it myself, but don't have a lot of experience with body work, mostly basic auto repair knowledge. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Bumper Cover pulled
- Thread starter zephyr424
- Start date
'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
You will need to pull the wheel and remove the protective cover to see how it's attached.
Did you try just pushing on it with your hand?
Did you try just pushing on it with your hand?
The problem is everything is now plastic. There is not anything to straighten. I had this happen on my 2014 Jag and a plastic bumper support got cracked. I replaced that and yes I got the gap much closer but the damage had spread some of the other plastic parts.
Does your bumper cover have an alignment pin right at the edge?
This pin got bent/distorted on my car. So compared to the other side of the car there is still a bigger gap than the factory ones. Not bad but I can see it! The cost to replace the bumper cover was not worth it for me. My damage was in EXACTLY the same spot as yours. I also got the front bumper cover caught when backing the car down from my ramps.
Remove the cover completely and check all the plastic support pieces behind it. My bet is there is some damage in there.
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Does your bumper cover have an alignment pin right at the edge?
This pin got bent/distorted on my car. So compared to the other side of the car there is still a bigger gap than the factory ones. Not bad but I can see it! The cost to replace the bumper cover was not worth it for me. My damage was in EXACTLY the same spot as yours. I also got the front bumper cover caught when backing the car down from my ramps.
Remove the cover completely and check all the plastic support pieces behind it. My bet is there is some damage in there.
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Thanks to everyone for your replies and suggestions. I ended up removing the fender liner and clips, and noticed that where the sheet metal meets the plastic bumper cover, the lip on the metal was pulled forward. The alignment pin on the bottom edge of the cover, as well as on the top, were in place. So, I took a shop towel and folded it a few times and held it onto the lip. I then swung a 3lb hammer and started to bang the edge back in. The sheet metal was much stronger than one would think, so I had to swing pretty hard. Probably a good 25 swings. It did improve the overall appearance of the fender/cover joint. Not factory perfect like the other side, but that's alright. The only thing is, on one of the harder swings it glanced off the edge and put a not too deep scratch in the paint, even through the shop towel. There was also a crack in the paint where I was hitting it, which is hard to see. I'd probably use a denser material to protect the fender if having to do it again, though. Overall, the job was worth it. If I can ask, what would a pro have done in a similar situation? Would he hit it with a similar type hammer or is there another way/method to use to do the job professionally? Also, if anyone can recommend a fastener kit for this particular vehicle, 2013 E350, I'd appreciate it. Thanks again.
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'68 Coronet R/T
Oldtimer
I'm not a professional but I would have used a clamp with rubber pads.
That way you are applying just enough pressure to move the pieces into position and not risking hammer damage.
That way you are applying just enough pressure to move the pieces into position and not risking hammer damage.