All About Front Bumper Inserts & Grilles

As the car traverses through the polluted streets and roads, they encounter a lot of dust and debris which may enter the engine bay and can cause a lot of damage. So to prevent this the Front bumper needs to have certain provisions like Bumper Inserts and Bumper Grilles. Grilles are usually plastic or metal mesh that stop rock, debris and rubble from entering the engine bay. Inserts can be anything from fog light cover to tow hooks cover.

They are located right at the front bumper and are easy to spot and in most cars are the defining style feature.

Unlike the early days of automobile design, today’s cars offer distinctive features when it comes to bumper and their design which varies from car to car. Hence the type of inserts and grilles can be vast, but for the purpose of discussion here are a few different types of bumper inserts:

• Tow hook cover
• Fog light cover
• Light Bezels
• Headlight washer cover
• Grille Bezels
• Louvers

In case of bumper grilles there are only two types:

• OEM grilles
• Aftermarket grilles

Some of the Important grille features are as follows:

• Restricting unwanted particles from passing through into the engine compartment.
• Letting air into the car's radiator, heat exchangers and intake plenum.
• Offer a unique styling attribute to the car.

The inserts are usually for styling and visual purposes - to hide unwanted openings in the bumper and as a cover for various accessories.

Since the bumper is the first layer of defense against head on collisions the bumper grille and inserts can incur significant damage. Here are few factors that may require you to get a new pair of grille or inserts:

• In case of an accident or collision, the grille and inserts are common to breakage as they are usually made of plastic. The metal grilles usually sustain the damage but may require refinishing.
• Plastic is prone to fade and deteriorate over time due to weathering and UV damage and can make your car look older than it is.
• On a rough terrain or track there are a lot of rocks and rubble that can damage these plastic components.

These parts aren't prone to failure but do break over time. Their faults can be easily visible and may require you to get replacements to restore you can to pre-accident conditions or to looking new.

Installation of grille or inserts is pretty simple and does not require any special skills or very specific tools. Just these common tools will do:

• Screwdriver
• Plastic pry tool
• Torque wrench

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 Inserts & Grilles.

Knowing all associated parts to a bumper will help you perfect a restoration job and make your car look brand new. So, here are the parts related to the Front Bumper Grilles and Inserts:

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

Plastic parts are a very common sight in newer cars, especially due to their cost effectiveness. These parts can be easily replaced for new ones and sometimes can also be upgraded for a fresh new look or added features. As mentioned above, these parts aren't prone to failure but do break over time. Replacement costs however, are very minimal and the user themselves can change the parts without having to go to a garage, thereby saving them a bill of 100$ - 150$.

Follow along these steps for a simple take on how these parts can be removed and reassembled:

• 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 fender.
• Make sure to remove all the electrical connections from the bumper.
• Lay the bumper on a cardboard or a soft surface to avoid scratching it.
• From the inside of the bumper undo the bolts surrounding the grille and the bumper should come off.
• The inserts are usually clipped on via a latch. Grab a straight head screw and unlatch the inserts.
• To reinstall the inserts just latch them back on and it should snap right in.
• To reinstall the grille follow the steps in the reverse order.

This concludes the topic on Bumper Grilles and Inserts. Make sure to check out the other car products for the fix or restore job.