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Detailed Colorado Bumper Removal w/pics and Fog light install

102K views 58 replies 41 participants last post by  RcJHoustonZR2 
#1 ·
Alright so I know there are already a couple threads/builds that have explained how to remove the front bumped on 2015+ Colorado.

I thought some would like a detailed step by step with pics.

I removed my bumper to install some aftermarket fog lights, which you don't necessarily have to do but I was also going to paint the grill and some other stuff so made more sense to remove the bumper.
You can also follow this to have access to all the hardware on the air dam. You could then take it off or switch the clips for easy access from below for quick take off/on.

What you will need:
T-15 torx bit (shorter the better)
A ratchet to fit said bit (I used a small 1/4in ratchet)
7mm socket (again 1/4in drive)
10mm socket (1/4 drive or adapter needed)
6+in extension for ratchet
A flat head or something for fog light covers
Something soft to lay the bumper on

It also goes to say, you can follow how I did it or improvise yourself as needed and I am not liable for you messing anything up or breaking anything. Be smart.

I completed this on the ground without lifting the truck or turning the wheels. With a small ratchet and bit it's completely doable but if you can't fit between wheel well and tire you made need to turn wheel or lift front as necessary to access underneath.

Step 1:
Remove the T-15 screws around the top of the grill, there are 6 of them (red circles)


Step 2:
Remove the T-15 screws from the fender liner. I removed all the bottom and up to the 3rd one up where the fender meets the bumper. In total there are 6 T-15 and 1 7mm per side.
T-15 are red circles and arrow towards remaining. The 7mm bolt is just beyond the last T-15 towards the engine, past the liner. Will point out in later pictures. Repeat for other side


Step 3:
Move aside the fender liner to access the 3 7mm bolts under the headlight. It's kind of tight and annoying to reach the last one. A small ratchet and socket are handy for this. Yellow circles are where the bolts are, can see the remaining furthest and tightest in picture. Yellow arrows point to the 2 plastic clips that align the bumper, be careful not to break when taking the bumper off.
Note in green below is the fog light area. You could reach it at this point only following step 2.
Repeat for other side


Step 4:
Remove 2 10mm bolts from center grill. They're hard to spot initially but on the bottom grill near the center there is an angled hole to reach. This is where you will use the ratchet extension.
Yellow arrow and circles points to the holes and can see the extension hanging where to access. Repeat on other side



(yes i removed the cardboard piece that somehow lodged up in there)

Step 5:
Remove 4 T-15 bolts underneath
They're towards the center from where the bumper curves on either side.
Some may have problems getting to on the ground, may need to jack up as needed. Remember to jack safely and use jack stands.
Yellow circle is the T-15, note the red circles are the screws and clips that hold on the air dam


continued in next post.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
And now for the fog lights.

Pry out the covers by the plastic tabs around the cover. Denoted in red circles. Red arrows point to the two guide tabs that hinge kind of.
I used a couple flat heads to work them all at the same time and pushed the center out. It may take a little force


Once covers out, pop in the fog lenses, the 3 extended tab things will only line up the right way. Then pop in the bezels like the cover was held. Pretty easy and self explanatory. Sorry didn't get pictures though.


I took this time to plastidip the chrome on the fog light bezels and the chrome grill.


To put the bumper back on, reverse the steps. When aligning the bumper, I put a couple of the top screws back in to hold it into place. Carefully guide the headlight areas back in, should kind of pop into place. One of the center 10mm may hold in place better if you need. Defintiely easier with two people.


End result:



Enjoy :)
 
#4 ·
GREAT DIY post. Thanks for taking the time to detail out this process. Based on multiple threads, removal of this part of the truck is a starting point for many options & upgrades.
 
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#5 ·
Thank you and no problem, glad to help.

Yeah like I said, you could get to both the fog light areas and the air **** without removing the whole bumper but for many it might be easier to just take it all off or if you are doing anything else at the time make more sense.
 
#6 ·
Great write up! Appreciate all your hard work on this, especially the pictures. It is extremely timely for me as I have my body colored grille arriving Friday and I intend to tackle the task this coming "long" ( :grin2: ) weekend. One additional question to that end, if I may. Are there any fastener removals necessary to extricate the grille itself from the rest of the front fascia or does it just snap into the rest of the structure? Any and all insight would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks.
 
#7 ·
Thanks!

I'm not totally sure, I want to say that the grill part pops out with a bunch of tabs but I'm not sure and didn't look to close at that aspect. You could try searching around here, I know I've heard some other members doing that. I think someone just mentioned it in the "What did you do today" thread

Good luck!
 
#17 ·
Thank you.
Yeah I'm not a big chrome fan. Blacked out the grill, fog light bezels and badges. Next is the window sill trim.
 
#11 ·
Great write up!
 
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#21 ·
kaiser67
What did you do to black out your grille?
 
#22 ·
Plastidip, just regular black. Can pick it up in spray cans at home depot or most auto stores now.
 
#23 ·
Checkout my build thread, linked in my sig, for an update post on the switch panel wiring in the engine bay.

The JDMastar LED bulbs in the fogs are very bright and light up edges of the road and signs very nice.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Hi, I would like to give praise to @kaiser67 for his post on the front end removal. Today, I swapped out my chrome grille for a White OEM grille and followed his steps and it turned out great. Also did the air dam removal while the front was off. The white is all plastic, not painted.
Took about 3 hours to complete the entire process.
New Grille
Chrome
During
White in
No Air dam
 

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#25 ·
Awesome writeup, thanks!
 
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#26 ·
Nice write up guys.


I am not planning to taking mine off to do any upgrades, but I am looking at possibly having to look into why my bumper is poking out about an inch on the driver side right under the headlight housing. It setts perfectly flush on the passenger side. I can't quite tell in the pictures what is holding that in under the headlight. Anyone that has had this pumper off know what holds it in place under the head lights?
 
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#27 ·
The grille has a "shaft" on either side with clips on the ends that snap into slots on body pieces in the engine compartment. When I installed my body-colored grille, I had a devil of a time getting the clips to snap into the slots. When they weren't snapped in properly, the bumper sat out about as much as you described. I ended up removing the lower cover braces and reaching up with a big hunking pair of channel locks and forcing the two pieces to mate. Below is a view of the pieces I am trying to describe. The yellow ovals are the clips that need to snap into the slots. The red rectangles represent the pieces I temporarily removed to allow me to get a pair of channel locks up into the engine compartment. I suspect one should be able to just strategically smack the grille above the shaft / clip assembly with the palm of your hand to force the mating, but I was afraid I would crack something, so I opted for the coward's way out and approached it from underneath. Hopefully, these ramblings made "some" sense.

BTW: @kaiser67: I stole your picture again. Hope you don't mind. Want to give proper credit to its origin and photographer!
 

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#28 ·
Thanks, my dealer did have my grill out to put my black bow tie on.
That was 6 months ago, I just noticed the problem this morning.

I tried the palm hammer thing to see f it would snap back into place. No luck.
It goes in but pops immediately back out.

My last Tahoe had this same issue, I blew it off and after several months of wind buffing the loosed part of the painted bumper against the bottom edge of the light housing. My headlight housing apparently war through the paint and the paint started to peal off in little chunks.

I am taking it into the dealer tomorrow, trying to be pro active about it this time.
I find it always best to know as much about the problem and possible solutionsas as I can, simply to try and save extra trips back and forth to the dealer.

Thanks again.
 
#29 ·
Given the history of the front fascia previously having been removed and your statement that you can pop it back in place but it rebounds, I'd venture to say that there is, at least, a partial failure of the clip on the driver's side of the grille "shaft." Should be an easy fix for the dealership, provided thy don't have to order the clip.
 
#31 ·
Alright so I know there are already a couple threads/builds that have explained how to remove the front bumped on 2015+ Colorado.

I thought some would like a detailed step by step with pics.

I removed my bumper to install some aftermarket fog lights, which you don't necessarily have to do but I was also going to paint the grill and some other stuff so made more sense to remove the bumper.
You can also follow this to have access to all the hardware on the air dam. You could then take it off or switch the clips for easy access from below for quick take off/on.

What you will need:
T-15 torx bit (shorter the better)
A ratchet to fit said bit (I used a small 1/4in ratchet)
7mm socket (again 1/4in drive)
10mm socket (1/4 drive or adapter needed)
6+in extension for ratchet
A flat head or something for fog light covers
Something soft to lay the bumper on

It also goes to say, you can follow how I did it or improvise yourself as needed and I am not liable for you messing anything up or breaking anything. Be smart.

I completed this on the ground without lifting the truck or turning the wheels. With a small ratchet and bit it's completely doable but if you can't fit between wheel well and tire you made need to turn wheel or lift front as necessary to access underneath.

Step 1:
Remove the T-15 screws around the top of the grill, there are 6 of them (red circles)



2017 Canyon owner here.

This bit is different. There's a black plastic cover that goes from the top of the grill assembly over the top of the core support. Held in with about 8 of those 2-piece black plastic clips that you have to retract the center lock to remove.
 
#32 ·
Quick tip for anyone removing the bumper cover, those three bolts on either side that connect the bumper cover to the fenders are a bit of a pain to get to, especially the one up nearest the headlight. Do yourself a favor and get a 7mm ratchet wrench, it makes those bolts very easy to remove.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Fantastic write-up!
My Colorado LT will come with OEM fog lights. I want to use Dupli-color's Chrome Shade paint to darken the appearance of the chrome. My question is, will I be able to remove the chrome trim around the fog lights simply by getting in behind the wheel-well shroud?
 
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#38 ·
Ok people I need help. I was trying to remove the bumper cover on my 2017 ZR2. I got all bolts removed. But ran into a problem with the black clips under the headlights that hold the grille on. Any body know the best way to remove the clips. Here’s is s picture of the clips kinda hard to see. I tried using needle nose. But there really hard to get to.
 

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#39 ·
Thank you for the how too. I just put my new Anzo headlights in. Took me a total of 2.5 hours.
 
#41 ·
The actual wiring to the fog lights no, but the trucks are preconfigured in the BCM for foglights to use all oem parts without purchasing a whole trim package.

Mine are aftermarket so wired completely to battery and switch in cab.
 
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