2003 Tahoe Front Bumper Removal

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mwilson62000

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@Fosscore - I would appreciate that if its not too much trouble. I have several spots that the clear coat is peeling and it's driving me nuts. My neighbor has done some automotive painting and said he would help me repair/repaint.
 

Fosscore

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No worries. I'll dig out the bumper cap in the daylight and post up a pic for you. Should be pretty straight forward and make more sense once you see the underneath side and what the tabs look like.
 

Fosscore

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@mwilson62000

Here's the pics of the front bumper cap

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Looking at the end of the cap as it slightly clips around the bumper.
Gently pry that clip off to aid in removing the other clips working from one end to the center.

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There are a total of 13 clips molded into the bumper cap. Plus the 2 at each end.

The very center clip is the only one that is orientated vertically. The rest are all horizontal.
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The clips have a slight ridge that prevents them from pulling out once they are pushed into the bumper.

To remove them, I used a combination of pliers/needle nose/flat head screwdriver and just worked slowly.

Do not just rip it out or you will pull the clips out of the bumper and then you have a useless bumper cap that will not stay in place.

A couple tricky spots that need a little persuasion to push them through but you will get it. Take your time and make sure and loosen the very ends from the bumper first to give the bumper of a little spring to assist as you move down the line.

Installation is the reverse. Just tap them in with the back of your hand after clipping the end first.

This is the same clip system used on the rear bumper pads as well.

The lower valance has a series of push pin style clips that you remove the center part then pull out the main part if you are going that far.

Good luck. Ask if you need anything else.
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mwilson62000

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Thanks a lot!! I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.
 

adventurenali92

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So Im Having some trouble finding a thread on the exact topic I'm looking for and this is pretty close. My front bumper on my 2006 Denali is a bit loose and there's a gap between bumper and bottom of my Denali grille. Gap is about an inch on drivers side and about a half inch on passenger side. Would I need to remove the bumper all together and then put back on and tighten to eliminate this gap? Gap drives me nuts but I have no desire to pay body shop prices to have it tightened up when it seems like I could do it myself? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

image.jpg
 

Fosscore

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Just a thought I tried with mine. I used my jack to push the bumper up on each side as far as it would go and took in as much thread on those bumper support bolts to really cinch it down. There is a gap like yours on mine, but it is as far as I can get it up. Worth a try. Maybe someone else will chime in with another idea. @Bigbeardenali1992
 

adventurenali92

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Just a thought I tried with mine. I used my jack to push the bumper up on each side as far as it would go and took in as much thread on those bumper support bolts to really cinch it down. There is a gap like yours on mine, but it is as far as I can get it up. Worth a try. Maybe someone else will chime in with another idea. @Bigbeardenali1992
@Fosscore that's a good idea! Thanx for the input!
 

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