I have a 2006 SLT with the factory chrome rear bumper. I'm wanting to get the rear bumper sprayed with bed liner to match some other stuff that's been sprayed. How do I take the plastic part off the top of the bumper so I can spray up under it. I don't want to tape off the plastic and just spray around it and leave an edge that can peel. So once I get the back bumper off the truck, how does the plastic part come off?

 

There are some tabs that are underneath that once you pinch them they pop through the bumper. I got my bumpers line xd this spring and they are still holding strong. The trim pieces are a bit of a pain to get on after they are coated and so is the lock for your spare tire.

 

So it's kind of like a rivet? pinch it together and pull it out?

 

On the backside it looks like a plastic V.Pinch the V and it pushes it out. Easy enough. Have patience so you dont break the tabs.

 

Sounds easy enough. Thanks

 

Yeah, but when you put them back .... gonna be tite with the added thickness of the bedliner material. Might use a dremel tool and very carefully with small cut off wheel, cut the plastic back a hair if they won't go down far enough to catch.

Same for the running boards and those pads, though I think they usually break some tyabs coming off from what I read.

Pics when done!

 

From my experience, and I have a bit, those pads are "one and done".

They are impossible to get off without damaging the mounting system. I replaced my rear bumper over the summer, and thought I was going to re use mine.

Boy was I wrong.

IIRC a new one is 7L3Z17B807B
$163.60 list, depending on where you get parts you can get from 20 to 40% off that from a Ford dealer
Rear bumper - Bumper and components - Step pad - W/o distance control

Not available aftermarket from Empire or Keystone
W/tow pkg. - Styleside 2004 - 2008

 

$163 just for the plastic part?

 

When I purchased our Subaru Forester in 2007, it had damage to the rt frt fender / hood / grille / head light. Estimate was $4400. 55,000 miles, 5 spd, just needed fixing and cleaning. Book was $13-14000. I paid $3500 for it, lady had sold it to a wrecker driver friend because she had cancelled her collision insurance after paying the loan off 2 weeks earlier and could not afford to fix it.



I fixed it for $2300 in parts including new fender, hood, grille, AC Cond & Charge, HL, bumper cover, fender liner, paint for hood and fender, and $90 in plastic push pins of correct sizes and type at Subaru (used all subaru parts). I used a comealong and chain to pull inner fender and radiator support back straight into alignment. There was no frame damage.



In case you missed it, that was $90 in plastic push pins.

Wife loves it, just put a new set of tires on it, 28-32 mpg, good power, and those push pins are still holding here 4+ years later.

 

Wow. You did a good job with that. Do you think I should leave the plastic on to spray it or what?

 

Just take your time the plastic will come off with a bit of persuasion. The rear bumper plastic pieces fit fine on mine it was the front plastic valance that was tough to get back on with the line-x on it.

 

As was mentioned , just take your time and you will prevail. A couple of the bumper brackets are in the way of some of the push through tabs. Take em off and you will be able to get to them. I do paint and body for a living and have done this many times. I find an angled long nose plier works great to grab them and squeeze them with. Squeeze the tab together whilst pulling up on the plastic part.

 

This^^^!

I did not and regret it

 

I'll see what I can do with it