Hi. I'm attempting to put a new right fender on my 240 after a little accident. I'm having trouble removing the bumper, which also got slightly bent. I tried taking off the flanges that hold the absorber/mounts to the frame, thinking they would slide out.. A lot of banging and no luck. I was thinking, since the bumper is already wrecked, of putting a chain around the middle and anchoring the other end around a tree and backing up. Advisable? Or do I have to remove the three corroded bolts on each side of the bumper and cut my fingers all up? Your advise will be appreciated. jdl

JDL,

I not sure if I'm reading your post correctly, but if you are trying to pull the bumper with the shocks still attached, the shocks are held in by two large bolts running through the end of the bumper shock into the frame rails. The cover plates just seal and center the shock. The real attachment are those two large bolts. The driver's side bolt head can be seen looking down at the frame rail just ahead of the battery. You may have removed these, but if not the bumper shocks are not going anywhere with them in place. Once removed and the cover plates are off the shocks/and bumber should slide out. The bumber also has a 10MM bolt connection on each end where it wraps around and fastens to the side of the fender. If the shocks are good and can remain in place, using an extension and breaker bar, the nuts holding the bumper to the front of the shock mounts should come off pretty easily. A little B'laster really helps on corroded fasteners. Good luck, hope this helps.

Don't try the "Tie it to the tree" approach; only heartache will ensue as you try to bang more mangle sheetmetal back into shape after bending things up. Lots of stories to tell about that one.

There is a third bolt holding the shocks in, one on each side. You reach them from the engine compartment, one is just below the bottom intake tube for the airbox.

It has a large 7\8 head. Once they are out, the shock will come out with a little banging.
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Bruce S. near D.C.

I believe those bolts you get from the engine compartment are best removed by removing the headlights and using a breaker bar through the headlight space/hole. 22mm I believe. I also think that one of those bars with the socket thing for removing the lugnuts on a tire will work? Worth a try if you don't have a 22mm socket and breaker bar.

No need to remove the headlights, if you can put together enough extentions to get above the battery and top rail. The tire iron that transit wind mentioned is a good idea, the X-type, if it's long enough.
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Bruce S. near D.C.