So I’m having a hard time putting my front bumper back on my 91’ Integra after installing my JDM one pieces. It fit perfectly fine with no gaps at all before I took the bumper off and now no matter what I do now I have about a 1/4" to 1/2" gap on both sides by the fenders. It also will not seal with the bottom of my headlights like it used too. So what’s the deal? How come I can’t get it back on properly after taking it off? If I would of known taking it off would off gave me a gap like that I would of stuck with my USDM lights.
I also have a gap problem on my rear bumper too. The rear has always been like that since I owned the car though. I tried loosening all the bolts and pulling up on the bumper and tightening it again but it didnt do anything. There is around a constant 1/2" gap all the way around the rear bumper that no matter what I do won’t go away. It looks really ugly when directly behind me because you can see all the white plastic clips through the gap.
So why won’t my bumpers go back on right? I’m the third owner of the car but it has been in my family since new and it has never been wrecked so I know for a fact that isn’t the problem. So what’s the deal? Is there a special way I should be putting it back on? Are there any tricks to it or anything?
bumpers will never be the same once you take them off
How does the factory get them on correctly then? I have noticed this though, they are damn near impossible to put back on and have no gaps like it came from the factory.
even on brand new cars, when you take the bumper off and put it back on its never lined up as it was
When your bolting it back up, make sure to push it up as high as you can. Also if you got a buddy to help hold it up, that will help to. Actually, before you tighten the bolts up, just screw them on and try to align it as best as you can. I also noticed that for the side screws, screwing the bottom one on first seemed to help out minimizing the gap between the fender and the bumper, just from my experience. But like everyone else said here, it will never look the same like it did when it rolled out from the factory. Also take into consideration that these cars are almost 20 years old. Much like humans, things begin to sag with age.
Lift by the supports, not the bumpers. They will flex. Even if you lift it as high as you can, the support will not move as much so when you tighten it down and let go of the cover, it will sag back down to where it was originally before you pulled on it and flexed the cover. The rear is trickier get someone to hold bumper up to touch the rear filler panel, then as you’re tightening the acorn nuts, push it upwards as you’re tightening to try to pull the support up at th same time. Mines seals perfectly fine and I’ve taken my bumpers off a 100 times, unless I don’t lift the support 