I never undertook such a project until now. I plan on putting s5 Bumpers on my car. Manual Is very vague.

I want to know what would be the easiest way to remove them. What about the under parts (cushioning/absorbers)? Are the s4 compatible with the s5 ones? Can I use the existing ones?

 

The bumpers are straightforward to remove IF you don't have any rust. I can't vouche for your car, but on mine, even though the body was rust free, the bolts holding the bumper on were toast...Turned it into a 2 day hell-job. But the basic idea is this:

Front:

1. Raise headlights, jack up front of car
2. Remove wheel well liners. Be preapared to break bolts
3. Look forward into wheel wheel towards front of car. Notice 3 10MM bolts. Soak with WD-40 for a while. Use 10MM deep well socket to remove bolts. They will break.
4. Repeat for other side
5. Remove strip of 10MM bolts along top of bumper where rubber hood gasket is.
6. Remove bolts securing underbelly pan below, and remove bolts securing bumper to car (2 on each side). Be prepared to break them. Use liberal amounts of WD-40.
7. Disconnect market lights (pain in the butt because the connectors are fairly well hidden)
8. Wiggle off bumper cover.
9. Have a drink

Rear:

1. Open hatch, jack up rear of car, soak all bolts in WD-40
2. Remove the inner bolts from the spare tire well. I believe they are all 10MM, and pretty easy to get to.
3. Remove 10MM bolts from rear of rear wheel wells. They are a paint to get to, and will most likely break.
4. Disconnect "furr tree" connectors at rear bottom
5. Wiggle off bumper cover

 

Cool. I guess I have to look forward to broken Bolts.

 

After re-reading your post- How do you remove the Wheel Well Liners? More rusted out bolts?

 

The liners are held to the body with a combination of screws and bolts. Most likely the screws will come out, the bolts will break. I honestly left my bolts broken, and just used the screws to put them back on.

 

You'll need a 12" and 6" extension to reach the bolts under the front wheel wells. Like they said, seems like 8 bolts on top, 3 per side, 2 in the corners (accessible via popped up headlights) a few underneath the nose, remove lower airdam, and it should come right off.

 

you can also just pull the liner off to the side a bit away from the wheel well lip and turn the steering wheel all the way to one side and with a combo of extensions or just putting your hands WAY in there take the bolts off for the front bumper. I tend to steer clear of removing any of those booby-trapped bolts whenever I can avoid it, lol. If you break those 3 bolts that in the wheel wells those strips are $14 brand new from Mazda, or you can try to use new bolts on the old strip, but you will have to drill it all out. I would also put some anti-seize on all the new hardware in case you ever want to take apart again.

 

Just my luck, I'll end up breaking a bolt driving my, soon to be bloodied knuckle, In to the edge of the Brake Rotor.

 

Instead of WD-40, try to find either PBR or Sili-Kroil (Kano brand). The Sili-Kroil is unbelieveable when it comes to rusted bolts. Soak them and let them sit overnight. You really won't believe what it does.

 

I'm not all that familiar with those products. Does anyone no If they sell this In Canada?

 

Check with some sort of aircraft (small plane stuff)supply places. Sili-Kroil is a development of the aircraft industry.
PBR is available in good parts stores here in St. Louis.

 

Don't forget that models equipped with fog lights will need to unhook them before the bumper can be taken off. Also be ready for it to fall on the ground when you get everything unhooked. It might sit still, but it's best to have either a freind hold it or put down some pillows or something. Flash to pass lights also need to be unhooked.