Help Removing Front License Plate Bracket

[cywinr]

lol it's not hard u just have to reach behind the front bumper and hold the back of the nut in place while u undo the bolt from the front

pop the hood and undo 5 bolts and 2 clips on the top of your front bumper
the piece of rubber that seals the gap between your front bumper and the hood comes right off
then you can reach in under the front bumper with a small pair of vicegrips to hold the back part of the bolt in place and undo the license plate bracket bolts from the front

[SubaruLifer]

Bumping this one up because I got my car from a dealer in NJ (front plates required, so car came with bracket installed) and live in PA (no front plate needed).

I removed the metal/rubber piece as cywinr suggested above, but I'd need hands/arms the width of a pencil to be able to reach behind and hold the rubber grommets in place.

For anyone that's taken it off, did you go from underneath or did it require removing the entire front bumper skin?

I realize I'm going to have 2 big ugly holes after it's off, but I'd rather have 2 plugged holes than that bracket.

[immaculate]

Originally Posted by SubaruLifer

Bumping this one up because I got my car from a dealer in NJ (front plates required, so car came with bracket installed) and live in PA (no front plate needed).

I removed the metal/rubber piece as cywinr suggested above, but I'd need hands/arms the width of a pencil to be able to reach behind and hold the rubber grommets in place.

For anyone that's taken it off, did you go from underneath or did it require removing the entire front bumper skin?

I realize I'm going to have 2 big ugly holes after it's off, but I'd rather have 2 plugged holes than that bracket.

I think the easiest way is by removing the skid plate. My dealer did it for a half hour labor.

[SubaruLifer]

Originally Posted by immaculate

I think the easiest way is by removing the skid plate. My dealer did it for a half hour labor.

Thanks! I'll put it off until my first oil change then.

[ShibaYuki]

I went to the dealer, to ask them to remove it for me. Which they did. While I was there, they changed my oil too. =P

[kberkel]

Originally Posted by SubaruLifer

Bumping this one up because I got my car from a dealer in NJ (front plates required, so car came with bracket installed) and live in PA (no front plate needed).

I removed the metal/rubber piece as cywinr suggested above, but I'd need hands/arms the width of a pencil to be able to reach behind and hold the rubber grommets in place.

For anyone that's taken it off, did you go from underneath or did it require removing the entire front bumper skin?

I realize I'm going to have 2 big ugly holes after it's off, but I'd rather have 2 plugged holes than that bracket.

I removed the bumper, and glad I did. Those rubber nuts put up a fight, and I eventually used pliers to just rip them off.

The bumper is very easy to remove IMO. Be sure to put a towel around the corners when you go to reinstall if you're by yourself.

The metal tabs like to dig into the fender. I got lucky and it didn't happen.

It's been 5 months and I still haven't covered the holes. I never notice, though I should plug them.

[WRBrzRX]

You can actually just pop these guys out as the hole for the rubberized rivet behind the bumper is nearly as big as the rubber gasket that seals it.

I finally manned up today and said I was going to get the plate holder off come hell or high water and removed the top of the bumper as suggested above. It's no fun on the forearms once you're in..

As I tried to grip the rivet from behind to spin it from the front I learned it had a rubberized coating which disintegrates, preventing grip. I cut away at that with snips but never could grab it well enough to unscrew from the front, it spun.

Fuck it, I'll drill the heads out. Small bit first, pilot hole, big bit. Pull the plastic plate holder away from the bumper a bit to look behind it and pop, off it comes from the bolt heads. Huh, that was easy. Other side. Just bolt heads in but the hole is clearly drilled large. Pop them right out too.

Shouldn't have waited so long. Didn't need anything but 20 seconds and the confidence to pop everything out. Off to score a plastic repair kit with mesh and such.

[alec_mccammack]

Take the Front Bumper off and use a pair of pliers on the rubber and unscrew from the front. Very simple

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by alec_mccammack

Take the Front Bumper off and use a pair of pliers on the rubber and unscrew from the front. Very simple

[CPO 76]

Wow......it only took slightly less than 4 years to solve this problem.