Front bumper GTI, fitting question?

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

Hi All, 

I have just come to installing the front bumper on my car (GTI) when I removed the bumper 18months ago the rubber buffer/ sliders were completely shot and required drilling cutting off to free bumper from the car.  As this is my first time doing this, i have managed to get the bumper back in place on the car with new rubber buffers and sliders.  My question is what is the point of the rubber buffer and sliding bracket? is just for easy install? (it wasn't easy, needed 4 hands!, lol)

 

When I tighten up the rubber buffer from inside wheel arch, Im not 100% happy with the way it is pulling on the metal sliding bracket and seating against the car body. pics to follow, but I have it set up as below diagram. 

 

 

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

Just now, pugfrank said:

Hi All, 

I have just come to installing the front bumper on my car (GTI) when I removed the bumper 18months ago the rubber buffer/ sliders were completely shot and required drilling cutting off to free bumper from the car.  As this is my first time doing this, i have managed to get the bumper back in place on the car with new rubber buffers and sliders.  My question is what is the point of the rubber buffer and sliding bracket? is just for easy install? (it wasn't easy, needed 4 hands!, lol)

 

When I tighten up the rubber buffer from inside wheel arch, Im not 100% happy with the way it is pulling on the metal sliding bracket and seating against the car body. pics to follow, but I have it set up as below diagram. 

 

 

P.S the front bumper appears to look right on the car, but want know untill I get lights and wheel arch trims on I suppose. Just dont want to go to far and have to take bits off again! lol 

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

Ok bear with me here. images shows my set up, can some one confirm its correct please? 

 

The issues I'm having with alignment, I have tried to explain below. 

 

Bumper needs to go in the direction of the red arrow, inwards at the top.

But the rubber buffer is tight at the yellow arrow, yet the slider is not touching the wing.

The Blue arrow shows a clear gap between buffer and slider, yet the slider here is touching the wing and as you can see is taking paint off!

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by pugfrank
spelling mistake

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

The image below better shows how the bum[er needs to pull in direction of the red arrow, inwards at the top. 

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

What gap should I be heading for here please too? Drivers side I cant get smaller than 10mm, which is the side the above images are actually off.  The passenger side is sitting at about 6-8mm with bugger all adjustment available.  Hoping some one who has done this before can offer some advice. 

[Leslie green 109]

I haven't refitted my bumpers yet but that gap tends to be about 10mm from what I've read  ,it just looks much worse on lighter coloured cars like yours , but loosening the bumper bar in the inner wing and at the headlight panel you may get a little adjustment to lift it up a bit but its more important it is parallel to the wing and doesn't run off.Once the arch is back on it will be less noticeable .

Edited March 29, 2023 by Leslie green

[Leslie green 109]

It looks like the slider isn't sitting into  the groove in the bumper properly which is holding it out at the top 

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

Hi Leslie Green, thank you for your input, I decided to take the front bumper off again as I wasn't happy how the sliders and buffers were sitting. I removed the sliders from the bumper and on close inspection was quite disappointed in the quality of the sliders, every angle and all measurements were different, things out off square etc between the two. Quite disappointed as they were from a reputable supplyer in the 205 circle, I purchased them over 2yr ago so thought what the hell and took them to my vice with a hammer managed to manipulate them, so they both matched in shape.  Today I bolted them back on the car and was more happy with the fit of the front bumper, tomorrow will tell when I offer up the arches, and I will report back. 

[Leslie green 109]

The sliders are not the easiest thing to make but will never rust so worth making a few adjustments so you can use then , a bit disappointing though for sure.I was tempted by them too but have got 2 used decent ones powdercoated instead as you are not the first that had an issue think there was a case a while back.

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

On 3/30/2023 at 10:03 PM, Leslie green said:

The sliders are not the easiest thing to make but will never rust so worth making a few adjustments so you can use then , a bit disappointing though for sure.I was tempted by them too but have got 2 used decent ones powdercoated instead as you are not the first that had an issue think there was a case a while back.

Hi Leslie Green,

Thanks for your above reply. 

Just thought I would give a little update for anyone following, I tried the arches on the car to see how they lined up with the front bumper and the bumper pushes out the arch about 5mm over 30mm as they both meet. ( I will grab a photo next time im in the garage. 

 

What needs to happen is as below post the bumper needs to pull inwards more to allow the arch to sit flush on car. 

On 3/28/2023 at 8:27 PM, pugfrank said:

The image below better shows how the bum[er needs to pull in direction of the red arrow, inwards at the top. 

 

I fear my problems are with the quality of the reproduction of the metal sliders.  I tried to take a photo showing quality and the difference between the two I received.  But photo doesn't really do it justice,  what would be a great help is if any one could give me measurements "A" , "B" and "C" as marked below, so I can compere what I have to original OE if possible.  

As this is the critical measurement that will pull on the rubber buffer and pull the bumper into the car more for me as I require.

 

Cheers 

 

 

 

 

[Leslie green 109]

A= 10.7mm

B= 8mm

C= 7mm but I don't think that is the problem the bit that sits into the bumper groove( with the 2 holes) is 22mm wide if yours is less it won't sit down into the slot on the back of the bumper 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Leslie green

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

5 hours ago, Leslie green said:

A= 10.7mm

B= 8mm

C= 7mm but I don't think that is the problem the bit that sits into the bumper groove( with the 2 holes) is 22mm wide if yours is less it won't sit down into the slot on the back of the bumper 

Great thanks for these measurements I will have a look tomorrow and report back.

This forum is an invaluable source of helpful like minded ppl

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

On 4/3/2023 at 8:41 PM, pugfrank said:

Great thanks for these measurements I will have a look tomorrow and report back.

This forum is an invaluable source of helpful like minded ppl

Life getting in the way, havent managed to get back into the garage yet! 

[Leslie green 109]

I got nothing done to my 205 this past few weeks either with being sick and working night shift either we will get there some time lol 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Leslie green

[dannydub 3]

Did you end up sorting this out? 

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

On 4/3/2023 at 12:04 PM, pugfrank said:

Hi Leslie Green,

Thanks for your above reply. 

Just thought I would give a little update for anyone following, I tried the arches on the car to see how they lined up with the front bumper and the bumper pushes out the arch about 5mm over 30mm as they both meet. ( I will grab a photo next time im in the garage. 

 

What needs to happen is as below post the bumper needs to pull inwards more to allow the arch to sit flush on car. 

 

I fear my problems are with the quality of the reproduction of the metal sliders.  I tried to take a photo showing quality and the difference between the two I received.  But photo doesn't really do it justice,  what would be a great help is if any one could give me measurements "A" , "B" and "C" as marked below, so I can compere what I have to original OE if possible.  

As this is the critical measurement that will pull on the rubber buffer and pull the bumper into the car more for me as I require.

 

Cheers 

 

 

 

 

Your issue here is that these sliders are made wrong, the bit that you have marked up as dimension C shouldn't be there. The originals have a angled section at 45 degrees (your marking B ) then stop

 

Because of that extra bit you can't pull the bumper in close enough

 

I'd just cut the extra bit off to be honest

 

Not sure who made them, but I've had some from one place and they looked better than that.

[pugfrank 14 1 Cars]

6 minutes ago, Tom Fenton said:

Your issue here is that these sliders are made wrong, the bit that you have marked up as dimension C shouldn't be there. The originals have a angled section at 45 degrees (your marking B ) then stop

 

Because of that extra bit you can't pull the bumper in close enough

 

I'd just cut the extra bit off to be honest

 

Not sure who made them, but I've had some from one place and they looked better than that.

Hi Tom, great thanks for the information, yes what you saying makes sense, they need some further modification. I couldn't face taking the number off again, so have been running as is, but as soon as the weather warms/dries up I will tackle the issue again. 

The brackets came from RetroRaceRally from memory. . . . I'm pretty sure it wasn't BakerBm this time .