tonyb635

Almost positive this is what the issue is and mentioned in a couple of the above comments. If you only bought the bumper skin and did not replace or shave some foam of the crash pad, the pad will pull the bumper down. Actually with out shaving or replacing its almost like you have to stretch the bumper skin over the pad by pulling it down . your body shop guy should have caught this and added his extra labor to your bill.

BimmerFan52

Honestly, I didn't look to see if the bumper contained any installation instructions. I just dropped it off at the body shop. If instructions were included and mentioned the foam pieces as a potential issue then the body shop is at fault. If, however, there were no instructions or the instructions neglected to mention the importance of the foam piece fitting into the bumper cover then Umnitza is at fault.

Very possibly with the right finesse the bumper could have been stretched and the existing foam tucked in as some have claimed worked well. Likewise, the top of the bumper might have been successfully stretched upward with washers to close the gap between the bumper cover and the hood and headlamps.

Polypropylene can be flexed and stretched, but doing so creates stress as the part continually tries to return to the original shape it was in after it was removed from the mold and cooled. Continuous excessive stress makes the plastic more susceptible to distortion under heat and fracturing in very low temperatures.

A better solution might be carving the foam to remove interference between the foam and the bumper, but success is dependent upon executing the fine art of removing material, testing the fit and removing some more without taking too much off and making the fit sloppy. Knowing what I know now, I would first remove the foam pieces from the car and see how they fit into the bumper cover recess. Then shave and carve until they slide in snugly. Then reattach the foam pieces to the car and test the bumper fit.

But I think the best solution will be replacing the foam pieces so that the bumper will slide on with no flexing or stretching, require no carving of the foam and have a snug fit and align with the adjacent bodywork correctly. I will report back on the final solution and likely write Umnitza with suggestions if warranted.

Thanks to all for your input and guidance!

nomis_nehc

Did this shop do the painting as well?

The color is pretty off to me...

tonyb635

Yes you are correct with the PP material and it's behavior. Your bumper may still look off but after it relaxes a bit all should be ok. Could be that your shop pulls it one day then reinstalls it the next. If they pull it and reinstall without letting it relax it's possible that once secured it will be a little better but not quite what you are looking for. As for your foam pad, not sure how many here have actually replaced or trimmed it. Either way, you just need to trim enough for clearance. A little too much is not a problem, just make sure it's not keeping pressure where you don't need it. Honestly, I am not so sure about the fitment of a new replacement foam part since you have a non OEM bumper and the dimensions are different. Maybe those who have can chime in? Otherwise, trimming may be quicker.

I also have no idea why any of these sellers here (umnitza and others) will not put something together that can be used as a reference, guide, etc that could be used to help with this change and a recommended parts list. I also understand there could be liability issues as well. But I think providing something instead of nothing would be a start.

Frank and Beamer

Thanks, I look forward to more pix

pukka

There are many more internals besides the foam that need to be swapped out for a "correct" Mtech bumper retrofit. The aftermarket vendors(s) only sell the bumper and leave it up to you to figure out how to make it fit. Because of the "tap-dance" answers I got when asking some of the vendors whether or not their product will work with the options on my car I decided to go OEM, which included all of the necessary parts - and I was surprised the kit came with so much stuff.

tex_phil

My bumper actually sits a bit low too and my side skirts are not flush in the front. I need to see if I can get that adjusted.

06530-6M

For the record, I went OEM with mine too and I remember it came as a kit as well. However, that didn't include the correct foam pad apparently. I looked at your pics again and honestly it's only a little bit off. Mine was worse and I've seen far worse pics posted here. I think you'll be happy with the foam replacement and thankfully that's an inexpensive part. Good luck!

Gixman

The oem brake ducts don't line up with the mtech bumper as well. You need to buy the mtech brake ducts.

I have a bit of a gap between the hood and bumper as well. My body shop took the foam inserts out completely.

e6t.lab.rat

And you still have the gap? This gap does not need to be there. Have your shop fix/adjust it to look right, which can be accomplished. If it's OEM then there's no excuse.