anyone got tips on how to remove slam panel

[ben16v 0]

hey guys hope you can help?

 

my mate in leeds has to change his slam panel after a little accident! he hasn`t got internet access and is gonna have to do it in 1 day.

 

is it as straight forward as it seems?

 

having never done it, this is what i think needs to be done

 

1.remove grill, headlights, splitter (does the bonnet need to come off as there`l be no-where to hold it up on?)

 

2.remove front bumper 2 bolts each side (am i right in thinking it supports the engine? so does the engine need to be supported?)

 

3.unbolt rad, fan etc from slampanel (can these be left in the engine bay with the slampanel off?)

 

4.unbolt slampanel from wings

 

5.remove slampanel---fitting is reverse!!?!?

 

anything else?

 

please post any problems that could be encountered or any mistakes ive made!

 

TIA

 

ben

[blackcat 0]

Er, I haven't removed the slam panel on a 'rado but on my golf it was easy. Mind you, I had a Haynes telling me where all the bolts were!

 

IIRC, the bumper/splitter needs to come off, remove lights and then undo the bolts on the slam panel. Easily a 1 day job.

[.Rich. 0]

Slam panel is pretty easy;

 

Remove front splitter, then remove the bumper by taking out four bolts which hold the brackets to the chassis (there are two on each side).

 

Now remove the headlights, grille and the bonnet pull wire.

 

Remove the two hooks ontop of the slam panel that hold the radiator upright (the rad shouldn't fall over on its own but just becareful of it once the slam panel is removed.

 

The next step is to look for all the slam panel bolts which hold it in place (about 10 or 12 and they are everywhere lol) including two on the front which hold the verticle bar to the chassis..

 

Hope that helps, its been a while since i took mine out but its pretty simple/self explanatory. The hardest bit is finding all the bloody bolts lol.

 

The bonnet doesn't need to be removed (just held up out of your way) and the engine doesn't need to be supported.

[ben16v 0]

blackcat, .Rich., thanks guys i`ll pass it on 8)

[bcstudent 0]

The engine doesn't *have* to be supported but once the bumper's out the whole front crossmember will only have two small-ish bolts for support. I'm sure they'll be fine but, for the sake of pushing a trolley jack under the car, I didn't risk it. I also took the bonnet off but mainly just because it was blocking the light.