How do you remove your rear bumper when alone?

[don.ville]

I just put my engine and spent way too much time installing the bumper and ended up stripping a bolt hole in the overrider.

I usually take off the bumper blade and leave the brackets on the bus.

Then I thought how about just remove the bumper and the mounting brackets.
Boy, what was a pain with the muffler still on and trying to lift it, not scratch the paint, put in the 17MM bolts and nuts.

I ended up taping a rag over the bumper pointy ends, 2 pieces of cardboard near the taillights, and a bucket to rest the bumper on.

How do you install a rear bumper when you are alone?
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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
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01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[chrisflstf]

I disconnect one side and put this jack under the corner. Undo the otherside. Works good. Leave the brackets attached. Pull the apron panel first

[galexander]

Great question:
Remove the apron, this allows easy access to the bumper bracket bolts.
Remove the bolts on one side. I set a milk crate under the side I have removed the bolts from.
Then set another milk crate on the other side, remove the bolts and the bumper sorta hangs there.
Sometimes you have to lift the bumper up a bit and back to get the brackets out from under the frame and to clear the muffler.

good luck!
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Gary
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[p horvath]

lay on my back. put duct tape on bumper guards and blade ends. lift bumper and rest it on my chest. works every time.

[blargon_7]

I will do a balancing act with a floor jack in the center of the bumper and carefully remove the 17mm bolts on both sides and then lower it down. Of course, my bumper is already dented and scratched up so I don't really care if it accidentally falls. if yours is mint then I would say try a more reliable method. but I have done it this way tons of times by myself. Also, it helps to have a battery powered impact or something to get those bolts off and on quickly.

Two floor jacks would be ideal in my opinion.

[tasb]

I use the same approach as p.horvath. I’ve used the milk crate too but prefer the better control of laying horizontal with the bumper.
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Roads Scholar
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

Member# 2059

[thom]

I use 2 sets of milk crates, with the bus on the lift and the bumper about 2" above the milk crates. Loosen up each side, let the bumper set on the crate, move to the other side.
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-Thom
1956 Single Cab
1957 Porsche 356A Sunroof
1957 23-Window Deluxe
1957 Mercedes Westfalia single cab
1963 Unimog 404
1965 E-Type