Sheared bolts on front bumper

[ruud2boy]

So the bolts attaching the front bumper / valance on it's upper edge to the car have all sheared. 3 of them were missing when I bought it & the 4th sheared off when I tried to undo it.
I was thinking my options were to try to drill out what's left or take the bumper off to get at them from underneath. They look to be secured underneath with a nut tho'?
Even if I can get the old ones out, how would I secure new ones? You can't get at the underside with the bumper in situ?

[Carolyn]

They are secured by captive nuts.  I use a  burr in a power drill to smooth the surface of the broken bolt to make it easier to find a centre.  You don't have to do this, but it does help.

Carefully drill them out starting with a 2mm bit, to help you get them centered and work up to a 5mm bit then tap with an M6x1.5 tap.

Common issue.

[ruud2boy]

Forgive my ignorance, but is the captive nut attached to the underside?
Also, 'then tap with an M6x1.5 tap' might as well be in Croatian for someone with my mechanical ability. Is this to recut the thread of the captive nut?

[Carolyn]

Forgive my ignorance, but is the captive nut attached to the underside?
Also, 'then tap with an M6x1.5 tap' might as well be in Croatian for someone with my mechanical ability. Is this to recut the thread of the captive nut?

Nothing to forgive.  Lots of our members cut their spannering teeth on these cars.

Yes the captive nut is attached to the underside.  Even with the bumper off you still have to address the same problem, which is removing the remnants of the broken bolt from the nut.

Yes tap is for cleaning out the remainder of the bolt thread from the nut.

You're getting the hang of this stuff already.

[Ardent]

Well timed post, I have one to do.

[ruud2boy]

Small steps - I tried, but didn't get very far. I managed to drill through one of the bolts, but then couldn't get the residual bit of the broken nut out. Had a crack at another couple of them, but the brackets below were bending away, so I gave up before I completely mangled something.

'Have a go, and then pay someone who knows what they're doing'. All secure again now