its been a while ... so another towbar thread! - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

M540i LE · 9th April 2006, 14:16

My recently acquired (last Nov) 1990 build M5 came fitted with a towbar, but not the proper towbar cut out.

Some dolt had cut a small rectangle in the rear bumper cover to slide the towbar tongue fitting into.

So I decided, after reading through the threads here, to buy the cover, clips and safety cords and fit the flap, to get rid of the ugly hole.

The flap and parts turned up last week and, today, I took the bumper off to get serious with it. But faced an issue I didn't feel confident about addressing! No 'template' on the inside of my bumper

As such, I wasn't keen to get the jigsaw out and hack into the bumper.

The good news is that I found the signature and date of the ///M technician while I was taking the rear bumper off (will post pics soon - badly faded and rubs off with finger touch, but definitely there!) - so it is definitely the original bumper.

Does anyone have any advice as to how to proceed with the cut, without the template, on the inside of the cover?

Thanks

AndyE · 9th April 2006, 14:39

There should be a template there, it's a raised ridge moulded into the plastic. Clean it and look harder! It is hard to see at first.

M540i LE · 9th April 2006, 15:11

I have actually put the bumper back on, but as I found out today, it really is quite a simple job to take off and put back on.

So this coming week-end, I will take it back off and have a closer look. I didn't actually remove the inner cover as I was worried about breaking the clips that hold it on. I will remove it and clean it and, as you suggest, have a closer look. I was expecting it to be fairly apparent and certainly, able to be felt - which wasn't the case.

Also Andy, I have reviewed the thread and pics you posted and some of the pics (the key ones) no longer load.

Would it be too much to ask for you to repost, or email to me the pics you took when you cut out your cover. Email address is david.b@beyondpr.com.au

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyE

There should be a template there, it's a raised ridge moulded into the plastic. Clean it and look harder! It is hard to see at first.

AndyE · 9th April 2006, 15:18

Yeah, no worries. I'll sort it out when I get home, cobba.

AndyE · 9th April 2006, 16:59

David,

Here are some of the tow flap pics on my PC.
Is there a more specific one you're looking for?

#0004 shows the guide line for cutting the bumper. I originally cut it slightly smaller than the line to err on the side of caution, but ended up cutting it exactly to the line to make the flap fit.

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0004.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0006.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0022.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0024.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0025.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0525.JPG

Cheers,
Andy

M540i LE · 10th April 2006, 01:59

Here are some pics I took yesterday afternoon while sussing out the tow bar cover fit.

Cheers

Stevie · 10th April 2006, 02:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by M540i LE

Here are some pics I took yesterday afternoon while sussing out the tow bar cover fit.

Cheers

Call me crazy but I like this solution better than the original flap. Cutting the contrasting part always causes the bumper to sag after a while, especialy when parked in the sun. I'd use the plate you've bought to make a plate that covers a hole in the silver part of the bumper, but leaves the contrasting bit intact. Must be possible......

M540i LE · 10th April 2006, 02:42

Stevie

I am attracted to that idea and that appears to be the path that the owner who originally fitted the towbar took (there are scuff marks clearly evident in the pic of the 'cover' that was fitted.

Problem will be cutting down the flap to the extent required and working out how to adapt the clips or some other manner of fixing the plate.

Any thoughts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevie

Call me crazy but I like this solution better than the original flap. Cutting the contrasting part always causes the bumper to sag after a while, especialy when parked in the sun. I'd use the plate you've bought to make a plate that covers a hole in the silver part of the bumper, but leaves the contrasting bit intact. Must be possible......

M540i LE · 10th April 2006, 04:23

Andy

Did you take any pics of the hole as you cut it or afterwards? I would like to get a better picture in my mind on how it looks when done (without the flap fitted).

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyE

David,

Is there a more specific one you're looking for?

Cheers,
Andy

AndyE · 11th April 2006, 00:39

Stevie, I've never seen one sagged due to having a towbar flap, it's only a hole in the rear bumper - the contrasting colour plastic at the bottom stays partially in-tact, leaving quite a bit of the original structural plastic in place.

David, here are a couple more pictures, hopefully they'll be of use to you, but I'm afraid I don't have many more of the towbar hole! One difference is that your towbar does not look like the OEM westfalia one, unless I'm mistaken, so I hope it will fit with the factory space!!

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF0066.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF1570.JPG

http://www.b1a.co.uk/andy/M5/towflap/DSCF1571.JPG