Rear bumper cover help and questions

[kimmonia]

Hey ST Community,

I need to replace the lower half of the rear bumper cover due to some damage. Looking for those of you with experience or knowledge of other resources. There are some decent videos of how to remove the entire rear bumper and doesn't look too hard. But none showing what I need or how to remove the lower half the rear cover although it is clearly a separate piece.

Youtube video:

Awesome ford tech!

It is the yellow part here:
https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/body/bumpers/bumper-cover-rear-(st)-p-lb5z17k835gb?pdp=y

And part 6 here:
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-lower-cover-lb5z17k835gb

Specific questions:
1. Has anyone done this before? Any tips?
2. Do I need to remove the entire bumper like in this youtube video or is it possible to just crawl under and replace the lower half of the plastic rear bumper cover?
3. It looks like it is rivets, screws, and tabs holding the rear bottom to the top, anyone know which specific rivet I need to order?
4. The rear parking sensors are in this piece, I'm assuming I pop these out and replace into the new piece?

Thanks everyone!

 

[kimmonia]

Any experience with this retailer ford OEM parts?
https://www.oemfordpartsdirect.com/...4cGxvcmVyJnk9MjAyMSZ0PXN0JmU9My0wbC12Ni1nYXM=

 

[JTwizzST]

I've taken off a few of these, not too hard. I don't believe it's feasible to try and remove the lower with the whole cover on the car.. I would recommend having someone there with you to help remove it so you don't drop and damage it further. Don't forget to unplug the bumper harness before you get too carried away. Maybe place a blanket or a soft tarp on the ground underneath so if you do accidentally drop it or have to set it down, it won't scratch the textured lower.

As for the rivets, IIRC, they are nylon rivets. I don't have a PN for them, but you would need a nylon rivet gun to place them, so theoretically, a metal rivet would work in lieu of the nylon style. If you contact Ford Parts, they will get you the right rivets, though. Parking sensors are held by tabs inside you separate. Keep track of the sensor grommets as they can sometimes stick inside the bumper or fall off when being handled.

If in doubt, take pictures of each step of the process to help with Reassembly..

 

[kimmonia]

I've taken off a few of these, not too hard. I don't believe it's feasible to try and remove the lower with the whole cover on the car.. I would recommend having someone there with you to help remove it so you don't drop and damage it further. Don't forget to unplug the bumper harness before you get too carried away. Maybe place a blanket or a soft tarp on the ground underneath so if you do accidentally drop it or have to set it down, it won't scratch the textured lower.

As for the rivets, IIRC, they are nylon rivets. I don't have a PN for them, but you would need a nylon rivet gun to place them, so theoretically, a metal rivet would work in lieu of the nylon style. If you contact Ford Parts, they will get you the right rivets, though. Parking sensors are held by tabs inside you separate. Keep track of the sensor grommets as they can sometimes stick inside the bumper or fall off when being handled.

If in doubt, take pictures of each step of the process to help with Reassembly..

Thanks for this, good info! I thought I was good since I have rivets and rivet guns but didn't realize about nylon.

 

[JTwizzST]

I think their actual name is POM rivets.. Most typical rivet guns can't place them, but I bet you could pick up a cheap version at Harbor Freight, if you're not planning on doing this more than once. I think the front bumper cover has a couple as well.

Now removing the front bumper..... Different animal. Not hard, just LOTS of hardware, and a couple plugs.

In fact, if you plan on doing anything body-wise to your vehicle, I highly recommend a push clip removal tool.. Sometimes they are called upholstery clip removers. They are worth their weight in gold when taking apart interior panels, moldings, bumpers, etc... Also good for removing wiring clips.