What is the easiest way to get inside the rear bumper?

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hbquikcomjamesl

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 1, 2021
Messages
208
While testing my new donut (it works as advertised!), I made the mistake of leaning the regular starboard rear wheel against the starboard corner of the rear bumper.

When I lowered that corner of the car, the starboard corner of the rear bumper got hung up on the tire, and caved in.

There doesn't appear to be any real damage requiring the services of a body shop, but how do I get inside to pop it back out?
 
Good news and bad news:

First the good news: while I was removing the screws at the corner, to get inside it, I discovered a large hole (apparently part of the design) in the bottom plate, that affords access to the inside of the bumper.

Now the bad news: I don't have the strength or the leverage to pop it back out.

Uff-da!
 
The plastic might be a little softer when its warm. You could try letting it sit in the sun for a few hours first.
 
No <expletive> about not using a heat gun on high. I'd be afraid to even use it on low.

Ultimately ended up having it done by somebody who actually has a clue what he's doing.

After getting a quote from my mechanic for $200 (if he could do it paintless) to $400 (if paintless didn't work), I looked around for a specialist, and found one, only a few miles away, who quoted me $85 for paintless, 70% or better. He used a fixed infrared lamp to heat the area, and the result (after no more than half an hour of sitting around his waiting room) was so good, I couldn't even tell that it had been dented.
 
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