98 Audi A4 -- bumper shock question: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Oct. 12, 2011 2:40 p.m. Treb Reader
98 audi a4.

Details of the incident unimportant, except to say that it was slow and stupid. Only damage: front bumper pushed back about 1/2 inch.

2 questions:
1. any downside to just pulling the bumper shock back to the correct length? (taking the bumper cover off is about 30 minutes work, which I needed to do anyway for something else). Are these one-shot things, like airbags, that you have to replace every time?
2. anybody got one they can part with -- left front?
Thanks all.

Matt
Oct. 12, 2011 3:13 p.m. Gearheadotaku Dork

I would think the shock would pop back out, could have something else bent in there.
Oct. 12, 2011 3:35 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I know some cars (vws mostly) the shock was toast after a bump and needed to be replaced... granted I am talking about the infancy of the 5mph bumper here.. so things may have changed in 30 years
Oct. 12, 2011 6:43 p.m. 93gsxturbo HalfDork

I had a Beretta that had the rear bumper pushed back about 3/4 to 1" on one side.

I blocked the rear wheels of the Beretta securely, put it in park, and set the parking brake. Hooked a big chain to the bumper, hooked the other end of the chain to my truck, a full size 4x4 Dodge Ram with a Cummins Diesel, and gave it a tug. It didnt move.

So I did what anyone else would do and backed up about 2 feet and got a run at it. BOOM! First try, bumper was back to within 1/8" of where it was supposed to be and that was good enough for me.

I saw no negative effects of doing this. Sure it may have compromised the integrity of the strut and the mounts slightly, but it looked fine on the outside and for a cheap car was an easy fix.
Oct. 13, 2011 5:08 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

You may be able to pull it back, but my experience with these (poorly built POS's) is that the shock will likely also be bent. I'd plan on replacement.
Oct. 13, 2011 7:55 a.m. Treb Reader

Thanks, all.

I'll take a look this weekend and see 1. if it can be pulled, 2. if it's bent.

Not enough time to get a replacement by the weekend, but can get in there easily enough and check it out.

Thanks Matt
Oct. 13, 2011 8:49 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork

I've got one if you need it.
Oct. 13, 2011 9:02 a.m. DeadSkunk Dork

Years ago, I was able to "jack" the bumper on a VW back out by getting a large nut and bolt between the back of the bumper and the body shell. It was right near the ram and I could make the nut/bolt/washer longer and push the bumper back to the proper position.You need to have a conveniently located hole for the end of the bolt to go into though. One of those little "hockey puck" jacks will do it,too. Know anyone with a porta-power ?
Oct. 17, 2011 12:45 p.m. Treb Reader

All good.

The bumper shocks weren't bent; they had actually rebounded on their own. The only bending I needed to do was to the mounting bracket for the headlight washer mechanism.

(The headlight washer was a casualty -- the mechanism was crushed between the bumper bar and the mounting bolts for the bumper shock. The washer motor for the headlight washer hasn't worked in the years that I've owned the car; and I've never had a car with headlight washers. So I guess I won't miss it much. Replacement would be easy, though.)

Thanks for the suggestions and the help.

Matt
Oct. 17, 2011 12:57 p.m. 44Dwarf Dork

My 944 came that way. You could pull it out and next hot day it would be sucked back in. I never bothered to buy a new one as i could just yank on the bumber by hand and pull it out before i left for the day. So before you spend 1/2 hour to pull parts see if you can just poke it out somehow and see if it stays.

Doh i see you got it fix...