DIY: Removing Bumpers
 

I really want to get some body kit stuff for my car and since most Mazdaspeed "stuff" are color-matched, I really didn't want to have someone else install it.

Question is, how easy is it to remove/install:

1) front bumper
2) side skirts
3) Rear Diffuser
4) Wing Spoiler

I have basic tools (from work) available.

Thanks,
Alex

A friend of mine removed his front Rx8 bumper and said it took 15 minutes.

Front bumper removal
 

My car is at the dealer's body shop because an 80 year old lady ran her Caddy into it. The guy handling my repaid said fixing a small ding right about the grill opening would cost hundreds, because it is so hard to disassemble. I think he said he was referring to the bumper, which of course is plastic rather than aluminum, but I could be wrong.
Mitch

Well - have a go!
 

I removed and replaced my front bumper to inspect/repair damage to the A/C condensor.

• Remove about 8 metal thread screws from the underside of the leading edge of the bumper, where the stone tray attaches to the bumper.
• Open the bonnet/hood, and remove 4 metal thread bolts that attach the top of the bumper to the bodywork. Gently lift the 2 metal arms away from the locating pin at the center.
• From each inner guard, remove the snaplocks holding the bumper in place (1/8th turn to release, then just pull out). You might have to hold the outer to stop it from turning. There are about 5 of these on the leading edge of each inner gaurd.
• From the underside of each of the 2 side indicator units, remove the metal thread screw that attaches the indicator unit to the body work. You will have to gently pull back some of the inner gaurd (thin plastic) to get at the screw.
• Gently prise the outer extremity of the bumper, where the indicator unit is, downwards and outwards. It will come away from a locating lug where the screw was.
• Moving towards the center, continue to prise the top edge of the bumper away from the body work. It is clipped in, and these will release with pressure.
• Repeat the above 2 steps on the opposed side of the bumper.
• Disconnect the indicator unit wiring on each side. If you have spotlights and headlight washers, you will have to disconnect them as well.
• The only place the bumper is still attached is along central top edge, near the bonnet catch. Gently lift the bottom of the bumper in an arc and you will find the bumper will swing up about the central upper edge, and eventually come away from the central locating pin.
• Check out how ugly she looks now.

Assembley is in the reverse order.

Not too difficult. Hope this helps anyone wondering how to do it.

Cheers,
Hymee.

PS - I attempted to repair a small crack/split in the condensor with some "QuickSteel". I'll see how that goes ;)

nice instructinos
post pics if possiable

This thread should be a sticky :)

Remove about 8 metal thread screws from the underside of the leading edge of the bumper, where the stone tray attaches to the bumper.

Screws next to yellow dots. Not all screws pictured, but you'll get the picture.

Open the bonnet/hood, and remove 4 metal thread bolts that attach the top of the bumper to the bodywork.

Yellow dots next to 4 bolts

Gently lift the 2 metal arms away from the locating pin at the center.

Yellow dot next to locating pin.

From each inner guard, remove the snaplocks holding the bumper in place (1/8th turn to release, then just pull out). You might have to hold the outer to stop it from turning. There are about 5 of these on the leading edge of each inner guard.

Yellow dots next to snaplocks.

From the underside of each of the 2 side indicator units, remove the metal thread screw that attaches the indicator unit to the body work. You will have to gently pull back some of the inner gaurd (thin plastic) to get at the screw.

Yellow dot below screw. Sorry it is blurry - cheap digital camera.

Gently prise the outer extremity of the bumper, where the indicator unit is, downwards and outwards. It will come away from a locating lug where the screw was.

Moving towards the center, continue to prise the top edge of the bumper away from the body work. It is clipped in, and these will release with pressure.

Repeat the above 2 steps on the opposed side of the bumper.

Disconnect the indicator unit wiring on each side. If you have spotlights and headlight washers, you will have to disconnect them as well.

The only place the bumper is still attached is along central top edge, near the bonnet catch. Gently lift the bottom of the bumper in an arc and you will find the bumper will swing up about the central upper edge, and eventually come away from the central locating pin.

Tip: You'll need to stick a screwdriver into the bottom indicator connector and lif a small plastic lug to get the connector to disconnect.

Naked!

Back of bumper

Thanks for the instructions Hymee... made removing the bumper very easy.

Looks like it will be easy to fix a grille in place.

No problems sco. Thanks for the piccies. I only took a piccy when it was all apart. It was a bit of an experiment working out what needed to be undone. I wasted a bit of time on the stone tray underneath...

Those indicator connectors, they will come apart if you squeeze the right place at one end - that will disengage the catch.

I'm glad I wrote my instructions for a red car - otherwise it might not have worked for you ;)

Cheers,
Hymee.

Thanks SCO
 

Put on my front air dam today, Piece of cake thanks to you .I though this was gonna be a big job but after your pics it was a walk in the park.

Hi Hymee/sco,

from the pix posted by sco, the grille and the lower airdam seems to be connected together. Can someone verify this. Cause I'm thinking of changing the whole grille out, but if the lower airdam requires the present of the grille to be in place to bolt on together, then I'll have to make a diff plan.

Cheers.

if this pix were to help my question

They're connected... but I didn't look closely at the connectors. I'll hopefully have my bumper off again in the next few days to fit my grille to protect the condenser.. so I'll look at these a little more closely and let you know.

Thank you very much SCO, will wait for your reply.

Cheers

M-ster,

The bumper is actually a sub-assembly in it's own right. There are quite a few components connected together that make it up.

Cheers,
Hymee.

The grill has 4 tabs with 4 holes on it that lineup with the center of the airdam, it is the same with the airdam 4tabs 4holes.They are connected to eachother with the same (allmost )push pins that hold the inner wheel well covers on.

Just took my bumper off again... ridged84 is correct -- you can separate the dam from the grille by popping out the four connectors. The air dam is attached to the red part of the bumper with a couple of screws also.