Know More About Front Bumper Bracket & Retainer

You might have noticed that the bumper on a car seems to be attached to the vehicle without any visible bolts and this is done by using bumper brackets which are an integral part of keeping your car looking tidy and taking the weight of the various front bumper components. Bumper Bracket is made of plastic (polyurethane), steel, aluminum, and fiberglass and helps mount the bumper to the chassis frame.

Bumper Retainer is a plastic component which is very durable and is used as an impact absorber in case of an accident.

The Retainer can be found behind the front bumper and can be seen after popping the hood and the bracket lies behind the fender and bumper meeting line or can be spotted after removing the wheel well cover.

Brackets are primarily of the same kind but are only made of different materials like polyurethane, steel, aluminum and fiberglass and mount at both sides of the bumper to securely attach the bumper in place.

The different types of retainers are:

• Centre Retainer
• Passenger side Retainer
• Driver’s side Retainer
• Upper Retainer

The bumper is primarily used to absorb impacts from front end and back end collisions but to have a bracket is necessary as it distributes the force evenly through the chassis hence reducing bumper damage, this is why a properly fixed bracket can be the reason you don't have to replace the entire bumper. The bracket prevents the bumper from breaking down completely or getting dislodged in a slow speed collision. Brackets are expendable components which during a collision take the various forces of impact and can be replaced inexpensively.

Now that covers slow speeds but what about high speed collisions where the bumper is completely prone to failure and also risks the internal engine components, well that's where a durable retainer comes in handy as it helps give more structural rigidity to the bumper and absorbs almost all the knocks coming it’s way. Most gearheads prefer to have more than one retainer installed and always recommend installing a new one in case of damages.

The bumpers experience a lot of vibrations and road disturbances such as rocks, debris, etc. shooting at them constantly every time you drive and these factors rapidly wear out the brackets as they take up all the road vibration coming through the bumper and can render the bumper loose and increase noise. The Retainer may take all the damage during a head on collision and prevent the bumper from twisting too much.

The following factors may help you determine if you have a broken bracket:

• The bumper sticks out and doesn't seem to be sitting snug with the rest of the car body.
• You may hear a scratching or screeching noise every time you take a drive. That may be because the bumper is being dragged along the ground.
• The bumper is loose and shakes during driving.
• The retainer does not brake unless the bumper is hit or impacted.

Tools are essential for any job and especially where the parts may break if you try to pry them off so take a look at the tools you would require to replace Bumper Bracket and Retainer:

• Torque Wrench
• Wrench set
• Gloves
• Screwdriver
• Clip tool

Most of the people have a nature to avoid risk and seek safety. That is the reason why they would go with a familiar auto parts brand than a new one. It would prove to be safe and they know what to expect. Have a look at our top brands for Front Bumper Bracket & Retainer.

There are many parts associated to Bumper Bracket and Retainers and one must always be aware of them all in order for the best replacement of the various parts:

• Bumper Cover
• Bumper Reinforcements
• Bumper Grille
• Bumper Inserts
• Bumper Absorber
• License Plate Bracket
• Bumper Rebar
• Bumper Moulding
• Bumper Valance
• Car Fender
• Headlight
• Fog light
• Fog light Cover

Everything on Earth is prone to wear and tear and automotive parts are no excuse, especially the parts that take so much road abuse on a daily basis like the bumper bracket, and hence require to be replaced once awhile. The retainer on the other hand takes all impact damage and only requires it to be replaced in case of a collision or even parking lot carelessness. They are usually very inexpensive to replace but can fetch a heavy repair bill averaging 250$ to 550$, But with our help you can attempt to replace them and only have to pay for the replacement product and the rest of the guide is free to access.

Replacing the Bracket and Retainer is fairly simple so follow along these steps:

• Pop the hood and using a clip tool or straight head screwdriver remove the clips holding down the upper shield and mudguard in the wheel weld.
• Repeat the process for the under shield or in some cars - the valance.
• Now using a wrench undo the bolts holding the bumper to the frame and the bumper is ready to come off. The bumper is popped from the bracket under the fender.
• Make sure to remove all electrical connections on the bumper.
• Now to replace the bracket there will be a couple of bolts that can be accessed from wheel weld, once undone the bracket comes off and can be replaced with the new one.
• Retainer is part of the bumper and to replace it, first undo the bolts attaching it to the bumper and pop it off using a plastic pry tool.
• To replace the retainer, follow the above steps in reverse order and make sure to use torque specification when tightening the bolts.

This concludes the topic on Brackets and Retainers and how to service them. Learn more about vehicles and their parts and order all that you require for your next job.