for people that have bumper plugs......
#46
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Twitte - I got the exact part number you recommended, they're the ones on the left in your picture with 3 plugs. The clips were 3/8th inches wide across the the clips that flare out, not just the cylindrical part. The clips don't really bend far enough to go in the holes in the bumper, they barely compress at all. Maybe I just need to try and shove them in as hard as I can, but it didn't seem like they were going to go in
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#47
Pit Crew
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Twitte - I got the exact part number you recommended, they're the ones on the left in your picture with 3 plugs. The clips were 3/8th inches wide across the the clips that flare out, not just the cylindrical part. The clips don't really bend far enough to go in the holes in the bumper, they barely compress at all. Maybe I just need to try and shove them in as hard as I can, but it didn't seem like they were going to go in ![Frown](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif)
![Frown](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif)
Last edited by twitte; 03-25-09 at 04:29 PM.
#48
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Twitte - I have to say, I don't think I've ever come across anyone more helpful than you on any forum ![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
My holes are right around 1/4th inch (4/16th), so they are clearly already bigger than they need to be in order to fit. Somehow though, the damn clips won't go in. I'll file out my holes a little and then put the clips in, I think that should work.
Thanks again
![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
My holes are right around 1/4th inch (4/16th), so they are clearly already bigger than they need to be in order to fit. Somehow though, the damn clips won't go in. I'll file out my holes a little and then put the clips in, I think that should work.
Thanks again
![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#49
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as someone just viewing this thread... i would agreee with the sentiment above. Id imagine this helped alot of random people. i am gunna try it but paint it like the car, all the coats and what not.
#51
Pit Crew
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I had one small ding from the license plate bolt that got screwed in too much and touched it up with paint so it can't be seen very easily. You might try touching yours up with paint (unless your holes are too large).
#52
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#53
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i ordered aerotect ones and first off they didnt match my GFM and they wouldnt just ship me new ones to compare, so i just took the hit, but dont bother with those people, or bumperplugs, they are over charging u for plastic nubs that dont fit. They excuse the size but EVERYONE had to drill to put em in... and the color well yeah. I just bought a touch up kit from expresspaint.com and i think with the tips in this thread, ill have the ideal solution. plus i can clean up those scratches from the plate being screwed too tight.
#54
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Twitte, can you PM me or post the exact part for the plugs you used on your IS, im in Los Angeles, and ive actually never even seen an actual NAPA store... kragen and pep boys aplenty tho... I figure i just need 4 clips, two to test paint and two to use... its always nice to find someone who already went through the trials as to prevent my own mistakes.
#55
Pit Crew
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Twitte, can you PM me or post the exact part for the plugs you used on your IS, im in Los Angeles, and ive actually never even seen an actual NAPA store... kragen and pep boys aplenty tho... I figure i just need 4 clips, two to test paint and two to use... its always nice to find someone who already went through the trials as to prevent my own mistakes.
Balkamp p/n 665-2436 called "Retaining Clips"
This worked perfectly for me without any drilling of the holes. It all depends on what size holes your dealer drilled into your bumper. See the earlier posts and photos (and measurements that I gave to confirm you have the same hole size). My holes were 3/16."
I'm fairly sure you can find a NAPA store near you. Here is their web page with a store locator in the left column. I put in "Los Angeles" and it came up with a LOT of stores.
http://www.napaonline.com/
If you need a different size plug, here is a link to a PDF of all the plug pages that you can print:
http://www.mastersdiving.org/lexus/NAPAbalkamp.pdf
If it doesn't print correctly, download it to your computer first, then print.
Maybe they will let you get one plug out of the bag and try it to make sure it fits before you buy the bag? You may need to push it in fairly hard but mine just snapped right into the hole. I could later pull it out without a problem as well.
Any other questions?
One other thing... if you run your car through a car wash, don't let them spray the bumper plugs with a high pressure sprayer up close. It takes the paint off and you have to repaint them. That only happened once.
Last edited by twitte; 03-25-09 at 04:30 PM.
#56
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My temp fix is to drive with the front license plate on my dash and no assembly. since my car is black sapphire pearl, the holes aren't noticeable unless you're close or looking for them.
#57
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hey twitte,
I just got the plugs from NAPA by where i work and they seem to initially fit and the diameter of my hole seems to be the same as yours. I was pushing pretty hard but not enought to push em in but still rather tough... id imagine id have to push severely harder to get em in, unless you recommend redrilling the hole?... do the hooks for the plug(retainer clips) reach in far enough that they snapped in? You said you were able to pry them out which seem not feasible if it hooked in...I didnt want to have them stuck in there not painted so i havent pushed in with all my might...any thougths?
I just got the plugs from NAPA by where i work and they seem to initially fit and the diameter of my hole seems to be the same as yours. I was pushing pretty hard but not enought to push em in but still rather tough... id imagine id have to push severely harder to get em in, unless you recommend redrilling the hole?... do the hooks for the plug(retainer clips) reach in far enough that they snapped in? You said you were able to pry them out which seem not feasible if it hooked in...I didnt want to have them stuck in there not painted so i havent pushed in with all my might...any thougths?
#58
Pit Crew
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hey twitte,
I just got the plugs from NAPA by where i work and they seem to initially fit and the diameter of my hole seems to be the same as yours. I was pushing pretty hard but not enought to push em in but still rather tough... id imagine id have to push severely harder to get em in, unless you recommend redrilling the hole?... do the hooks for the plug(retainer clips) reach in far enough that they snapped in? You said you were able to pry them out which seem not feasible if it hooked in...I didnt want to have them stuck in there not painted so i havent pushed in with all my might...any thougths?
I just got the plugs from NAPA by where i work and they seem to initially fit and the diameter of my hole seems to be the same as yours. I was pushing pretty hard but not enought to push em in but still rather tough... id imagine id have to push severely harder to get em in, unless you recommend redrilling the hole?... do the hooks for the plug(retainer clips) reach in far enough that they snapped in? You said you were able to pry them out which seem not feasible if it hooked in...I didnt want to have them stuck in there not painted so i havent pushed in with all my might...any thougths?
PS I don't think the hooks on the plugs actually get "hooked" in where you can't pull them out because of the thickness of the bumper you are going through. The thickness of the bumper keeps the hooks from locking into the hole. In the photo I did (above) the material I used is much thinner than your bumper and that is why it looks like the hooks won't come out once they are in the hole (which isn't the case when pushed into the bumper).
Last edited by twitte; 06-06-08 at 05:43 PM.
#59
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In a previous thread I mentioned regretting trial fitting the NAPA plugs before painting them. They do not come out without a struggle. You have to carefully pry them at which point the flat part of the plug breaks off leaving the shank still firmly in the hole. Drilling the shanks out is risky (I very nearly ruined my two day old bumper when the drill bit slipped). Pushing them through is not easy either as there appears to be dense foam behind the plastic bumper. I used a spring center punch to make a dimple in the end of the shank then a regular punch to drive the shank through---again just one slip and you've trashed your bumper. Frankly, this is an area where you ought to commit one way or the other before you proceed. I got away with it once and won't revisit the issue on my car again. FWIW. Bob
#60
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I didn't have a problem removing the bumper plugs from my bumper. They were a little tight but came out okay. They have been in my bumper for over 3 years now without any problems and they look the same as when I first installed them. I do have to retouch them with paint from time to time but I do that without removing them. So far so good. I have these installed on two other cars as well without any problems.