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Tools required:
Before you begin:
Working on cars can be dangerous and you may be hurt or even killed. Perform this work at your own risk. If you have any doubts about doing this job, we recommend having a professional mechanic do the work.
This modification is intended to allow quick removal and replacement of the bumper, but in that process it replaces some factory attachment points for the bumper skin. For that reason we recommend this modification for show or track/offroad use only. This type of modification is not intended for a street car.
This installation has nothing to do with the electrical system, but you will be working around electrical wires (including the headlamps and horns), so we recommend unplugging the negative battery terminal.
If you do plan to raise the car using a jack, never work on a car supported only by a jack! Always use a high-quality set of jack stands.
Step 1: Unfasten undertray
The plastic belly pan is attached to the front bumper, so you will need to remove the plastic push fasteners that hold those two parts together. Use a panel pry tool or a flat-bladed screwdriver to pull the center pin out slightly, then you can pry the push fastener free of its hole. There are two push fasteners at each side, and one in the center. Undo the fasteners and set them aside for later use.
Pro tip: Take this opportunity to replace any broken/damaged fasteners. We sell them. You’ll thank us later.
Step 2. Unfasten fender liners
The fender lines are attached to the front bumper on either side by four more push fasteners. Three are the same big fat type as under the car, but one is a very tiny one that’s at the very top of the joint between the fender and the bumper skin. Remove those fasteners and set them aside.
Step 3: Remove front bumper skin
If you are installing this product you probably already have a good understanding of how the bumper skin is attached to the car, but the general idea is to remove all the plastic push fasteners at the top and the bottom of the bumper (W140007 on the diagram below), then remove the single tiny push fastener from each wheel well (W140059 below). The bumper skin should be freed up so you can pop it loose from the retention features at the fender and below the headlamps. Have a second person help as you wiggle the bumper gently until it comes free from the car.
If your car is equipped with fog lamps, you will want to unplug the fog lamp wiring harnesses before removing the bumper from the car. Once the bumper skin is unfastened, you should be able to flex the bumper enough to reach the back of the lamp to unplug the wiring harness. Then proceed with removing the bumper from the car.
Step 4: Remove bumper sliders
The bumper sliders are the black plastic pieces that bolt into the metal fenders, and to which the bumper skin attaches. Remove the three bolts from each bumper slider – two that attach to the fender and one that attaches to the headlamp – and remove the slider from the fender.
Step 5: Install Mach V Quick Release Bumper Supports
Use a 5mm hex driver to attach the Mach V quick release bumper supports where the stock bumper sliders used to live. You will attach two bolts to the fender, and one new attachment point will be an existing bolt lower on the fender. See photo below.
We found it easiest to loosely attach the upper button-head bolt first, and then the lower button-head bolt that goes into the fender, and finally the existing bolt shown in the photo above. You will need to reach behind the fender liner in the wheel well to secure the two nuts to the larger bolts that go into the fender.
For the lower bolt, a longer driver will be helpful to get past the quick release fastener post. Alternatively, you could just remove the quick release fastener and post temporarily while you install the bumper support. See below.
When you have the bumper support in place, carefully tighten all three fasteners. We recommend hand-snug using small hand tools – do not over-tighten!
Once installed it should look like this:
Repeat the process on the other side of the car.
Step 5: Test-fit bumper
Prepare to test-fit the bumper. Now is when an extra person comes in very handy.
Remove the quick-release heads from the quick release posts. You are going to use some light-colored substance – we used some yellow touch-up paint we had laying around – to dab on the end of the quick release posts. These will mark the back of the bumper to indicate where to drill your holes. See below.
With your helper, carefully fit up the bumper skin to the car. Make sure to snap the bumper skin into place under the headlamps, and tuck the upper edge of the bumper into the groove in the Mach V bumper supports. Once the bumper skin is correctly positioned, tap on the outside of the bumper where the quick release posts are, to make sure the bumper skin makes contact with the paint on the posts.
Take the bumper skin back off the car. You should have two paint dots on the back side of the bumper skin as shown below.
Use a ruler to check the distance between your paint dots – make sure they match the actual distance between the posts – as well as the distance between the edge of the bumper skin and the dot. If anything looks grossly off, wipe off your paint dots and re-do the paint dot bumper fit-up process.
Step 6: Drill the holes in the bumper
Once you are satisfied with the location of your paint dots, you will want to drill the ¾” (19mm) holes for the quick release fastener heads. We used a tiny drill bit to make a pilot hole, then a ¾” standard drill bit to make the main hole. Note that the bumper plastic is extremely soft, so it will require very little pressure to drill through. Drilling from the (unpainted) back will result in a slightly ragged hole edge on the front side, but it’s safer in case your drill bit walks, and the flange of the quick release fastener will cover up the edge of the hole in any case.
In the photo below we are drilling from the front because it’s an unpainted test bumper and we didn’t really care how the hole ended up.
Step 7: Install the quick release fastener heads.
Clean up the ¾” holes as needed then install the quick release fastener heads from the front and secure them with the corresponding nuts. The nuts are 24mm across; we just used an adjustable wrench to tighten them.
Step 8: Adjust the quick release posts.
The posts are pre-installed in the bumper supports, but they are at an arbitrary height. You will want to adjust the height of each post to properly locate the fastener head once it snaps into place. To adjust the post height, loosen the nuts on the back side of the post, then spin the post in or out to change the height. Make sure to re-tighten the nuts when you are done.
Since the button has some thickness, the end of the post should be not quite flush with the surface of the bumper skin.
Step 9: Test-fit bumper
Enlist your helper to assist in fitting the bumper back up to the car. Fit the bumper up to slot in under the headlamps and into the slots in the Mach V bumper supports. Ensure the bumper is properly located on the car, then snap the quick-release fasteners onto the posts. Make note of whether any of the posts need to be raised or lowered for best fit. If the posts need adjustment, repeat the bumper removal/replacement process as needed.
Step 10: Fine tuning
The quick-release push fasteners will start out a little tight, and will loosen up and work more smoothly once they have been actuated a few times. If they end up too tight or too loose, you can tighten or loosen the push button preload using two holes on the back side of the quick release head. Using something like a bent paper clip, engage both the holes and twist to thread the mechanism slightly in or out to adjust the tension. (Don’t over-do!)
Step 11: Complete bumper installation
Connect back up the various connections of the bumper to the fender lines, belly pan, and radiator core support. You may decide not to use some or all of these connections, but please understand that not using them makes the connection between the bumper and the car weaker.
Step 12: Enjoy your quick release bumper!