rear wheel arch flare clips

[genpk]

Ok, i give up!!
trying to do my tow bar and remove my bumper,got as far as trying to remove the rear black wheel arch flares and holy crap, got access the bottom clip no probs but there is another about 10cm above the bottom sealed inbeteen inner and outer body panel, cant get to the rear of it- how do you remove it without
ripping it off?

[drover]

If I remember correctly from when a mate and I attacked his, the rivets that look 2 peice units need a small screwdriver to flip the top part open, the whole thing can then be pulled out with pliers, the other clips which just look like one solid head they got drilled out and replaced as they are plastic rivets, we just had a bag full of various plugs and used the best fit, think we just pushed a plug in when we put everything back .... Supercheap is your friend........

UPDATE: a quick phone call and yes the solid looking head jobs are plastic rivets but neither of us are sure what we replaced them with....... I wouldn't want to use a normal rivet for corrosion issues..... and the flares fit into clips which we think came out sideways..
On my HilUx I got caught the same but just drilled a neat hole in the guard liner and zip tied it all back, temporary of course works well (temp being about 8 years so far).

pic of genuine rivet,

[LeCheese]

Yeah if they're not the two-piece push plugs that have the indent on the 'outer' piece to get a screw driver or trim tool under, they're a plastic rivet as drover said.

Plastic rivets have to have the centre core drilled out or smashed in with a small screwdriver and hammer.

To replace them, find some similar to drover's pic at Supercheap, can't remember the exact size. They can be put in using a plastic rivet gun, OR you can get creative and pull the 'tail' with some pliers while you're holding it in the hole. Bit tricky, but it's possible

[genpk]

Well after about 2 hours of mucking about finally got the bumper off.
What sh.t of a job.
All the plastic pop rivets , push clip were easy but there are 3 or 4 of these slotted type clips that hold the black wheel arch flare up to the bumper.
The very bottom one was easy but it took me ages to figure out the others
are clipped into plastic bumper, not the metal work like the bottom one.
Ended up bending the flare out and getting a thin kitchen knife to slide into the clips but it was a pain.
Got the bumper off, got the tow bar on.
I now know why the Mopar tow bars is rated to 3.5 ton, its a beast and way more solid than some of the after market ones.
Getting to the nuts to stop them spinning inside the chassis rail was interesting, had to go and buy a 24mm ring / open end spanner.
The required tension on the nuts are full on with a torque wrench.
To get to the nuts on the passenger side you need to un hook the exhaust rubber hangers to move the mufflers to get to the bolts.
Took me all day to remove the bumper and crash rail, put the tow bar in and bolt it up and install the wiring loom.
Did the wiring loom as per Jeeps instructions (bore a 20mm hole in the panel below the passenger side tail light) as i already had a jeep tow bar loom with the 20mm rubber plug on it.
Ran out of light so tomorrow need to cut the small bit out of the bottom of the bumper and refit the bumper.
I now know why places charge so much for tow bar installs !!

[drover]

Its fun isn't it ?????????

I think we used a sharp narrow wood chisel to chop those 2 or 3 mongrel ones off underneath the bumper .... easier when you have an extra pair of hands helping.....

So long as the bolts aren't up against the body panel/chassis bit all will be good.

[genpk]

Originally Posted by drover

Its fun isn't it ?????????

I think we used a sharp narrow wood chisel to chop those 2 or 3 mongrel ones off underneath the bumper .... easier when you have an extra pair of hands helping.....

So long as the bolts aren't up against the body panel/chassis bit all will be good.

i just copied my other wk2 with a tow bar.
Passenger side has that tow hook bracket so put the support plate on the inside
of the chassis rail.
Back at it this morning just did the cut out on the bumper.
nearly there !!

[genpk]

all done, grounded the trailer plug earth wire to the bracket bolts holding the power amp in . Left about 2m of blue wire for when i wire the Redarc tow pro in.
Not sure where the remaining black wire will go to yet.