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Having had to install a new winch bumper and swap in a set of aftermarket headlight units for my early 2005, I searched for info. on front bumper removal for a 2005, but nothing definitive came up - same situation with headlight removal. Eventually I pieced things together enough to figure it out, but decided that I'd do a writeup for the next guy/gal who needs to do this, as below.
These procedures should apply to all 2005~2008 models, but I'm not sure about 2009+ vehicles - if any 2009+ owner can chime in, please do so, and I'll adjust the applicability of this post/thread, if necessary.
Here's the general order of parts removal:
Wheel Well Liner
Bumper
Continue with following to remove headlight unit:
Grille
Front Fascia (strip of body-colored plastic between grille and bumper)
Headlight Unit
WHEEL WELL LINER
First things first - take off the front wheels and put the truck on a pair of sturdy jack stands.
Taking the wheel well liners off (both sides) will greatly help with opening up the space for fascia and bumper work, and it's easy to do - just pop off the plugs and undo the screws in the wheel arch, and you're done (too easy for photos!).
BUMPER
The bumper's extremely easy to take off (surprise!). With the wheel well liner already out of the way, peek in there, and you'll see the three objects that you'd need to remove - the rod (that's currently in your face), and the two bolts that hold the bumper to the chassis.
THIS PHOTO SHOWS THE PASSENGER SIDE - THE BRIGHT HOLE BEING THE FOG LIGHT OPENING
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REMOVE THE ROD, AND ONCE THAT'S DONE, YOU'D NEED TO REMOVE THE TWO HORIZONTAL BOLTS IN THE PHOTO. ALSO, SLIGHTLY LOOSEN THE VERTICAL, RUSTY BOLT IN THE PHOTO - THIS WILL ALLOW THIS BRACKET TO TURN A BIT WHEN THE BUMPER'S BEING PULLED OUT
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YOU'RE NOW DONE UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. EXTRACT YOURSELF, AND COME TO THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, AND LOOK UNDER THE BUMPER - YOU'LL SEE THIS BOLT - UNDO IT
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REPEAT THE ABOVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRUCK, THEN COME BACK AROUND TO THE FRONT-CENTER OF THE TRUCK, AND GIVE THE BUMPER A GOOD JOLT OUTWARDS - SOMETIMES ONE OF THE BRACKETS BEHIND THE BUMPER MIGHT SNAG, IF SO, WORK THAT SIDE OUT FIRST, THEN THE OTHER, AND THE BUMPER SHOULD LITERALLY FALL OFF. WHAT COMES OFF IS ACTUALLY THE BUMPER FACE - THE STRUCTURAL BAR CAN NOW BE SEEN, WHICH WE'LL TACKLE NEXT
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UNDO TWO BOLTS PER SIDE - THE BLACK ONE ON TOP IN THE PHOTO, AND ANOTHER HIDING IN THE HOLE. THESE CAN BE TOUGH; I HAD TO USE A BREAKER BAR + EXTRA LEVERAGE (JACK HANDLE) TO GET ONE MOVING
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WHERE YOUR NEW BUMPER WILL LIKELY ATTACH TO... AND YOU'RE DONE!
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Continue with the following to remove headlight unit:
GRILLE
Removing the grille is also easy - undo the plugs on top, just in front of the radiator (6 or 8 of them), then look down the inner face of the grille, and you'll see 4 inserts that hold the grille to the front fascia... these inserts are released from their fascia slots by pressing on a release tab underneath each insert... so, reach under each insert, press the hidden tab underneath UPWARDS, and the insert will be released from the holding slot. Once all inserts have been released, simply pull the entire grille outwards, and it should come out/off.
PLASTIC INSERT (BOTTOM OF GRILLE)
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TAB ON THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH INSERT (PRESS IT TO RELEASE INSERT FROM FASCIA SLOT)
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TWO OF THE FOUR FASCIA SLOTS THAT HOLD THE GRILLE INSERTS
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GRILLE OUT
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FASCIA
The fascia is attached to a metal bar by three plugs, as well as two bolts behind each of the fenders. Undo these and the fascia pops out easily.
THERE ARE THREE BLACK PLASTIC PLUGS THAT SECURE THE FACIA DOWN TO THE SUPPORTING METAL BRACKET - POP THESE THREE OUT
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NOW DUCK INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL AGAIN, AND LOOK TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, BUT STAYING CLOSE TO THE INNER FENDER FACE - YOU SHOULD SEE TWO 10mm BOLTS - UNDO THOSE ON EACH SIDE. (I TOOK THIS PHOTO AFTER HAVING ALREADY PULLED THE FASCIA OFF, SO THERE ARE NO BOLTS TO BE SEEN, BUT THEY WERE IN TWO OF THOSE FOUR HOLES SHOWN ON THAT METAL BRACKET)
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NOW COMES THE FUN PART, PULL ONE SIDE OF THE FASCIA OUTWARD - THERE SHOULD BE SOME GIVE; NOW WORK THE OTHER SIDE. THE FASCIA SHOULD BE OUT IN NO TIME
![]()
LOOKING SADDER AND SADDER... BUT FOR GOOD CAUSE!
![]()
HEADLIGHT UNIT
Finally, we get to the headlight unit... undo five bolts and you're done.
UNDO THE TWO TOP BOLTS, ONE INNER SIDE-BOTTOM BOLT, AND TWO OUTER SIDE BOLTS (ONE ON THE SIDE, THE OTHER DEEPER IN, BEHIND THE LENS), AND VOILA.
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DONE - NOW PUT EVERYTHING BACK
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These procedures should apply to all 2005~2008 models, but I'm not sure about 2009+ vehicles - if any 2009+ owner can chime in, please do so, and I'll adjust the applicability of this post/thread, if necessary.
Here's the general order of parts removal:
Wheel Well Liner
Bumper
Continue with following to remove headlight unit:
Grille
Front Fascia (strip of body-colored plastic between grille and bumper)
Headlight Unit
WHEEL WELL LINER
First things first - take off the front wheels and put the truck on a pair of sturdy jack stands.
Taking the wheel well liners off (both sides) will greatly help with opening up the space for fascia and bumper work, and it's easy to do - just pop off the plugs and undo the screws in the wheel arch, and you're done (too easy for photos!).
BUMPER
The bumper's extremely easy to take off (surprise!). With the wheel well liner already out of the way, peek in there, and you'll see the three objects that you'd need to remove - the rod (that's currently in your face), and the two bolts that hold the bumper to the chassis.
THIS PHOTO SHOWS THE PASSENGER SIDE - THE BRIGHT HOLE BEING THE FOG LIGHT OPENING
REMOVE THE ROD, AND ONCE THAT'S DONE, YOU'D NEED TO REMOVE THE TWO HORIZONTAL BOLTS IN THE PHOTO. ALSO, SLIGHTLY LOOSEN THE VERTICAL, RUSTY BOLT IN THE PHOTO - THIS WILL ALLOW THIS BRACKET TO TURN A BIT WHEN THE BUMPER'S BEING PULLED OUT
YOU'RE NOW DONE UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. EXTRACT YOURSELF, AND COME TO THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, AND LOOK UNDER THE BUMPER - YOU'LL SEE THIS BOLT - UNDO IT
REPEAT THE ABOVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRUCK, THEN COME BACK AROUND TO THE FRONT-CENTER OF THE TRUCK, AND GIVE THE BUMPER A GOOD JOLT OUTWARDS - SOMETIMES ONE OF THE BRACKETS BEHIND THE BUMPER MIGHT SNAG, IF SO, WORK THAT SIDE OUT FIRST, THEN THE OTHER, AND THE BUMPER SHOULD LITERALLY FALL OFF. WHAT COMES OFF IS ACTUALLY THE BUMPER FACE - THE STRUCTURAL BAR CAN NOW BE SEEN, WHICH WE'LL TACKLE NEXT
UNDO TWO BOLTS PER SIDE - THE BLACK ONE ON TOP IN THE PHOTO, AND ANOTHER HIDING IN THE HOLE. THESE CAN BE TOUGH; I HAD TO USE A BREAKER BAR + EXTRA LEVERAGE (JACK HANDLE) TO GET ONE MOVING
WHERE YOUR NEW BUMPER WILL LIKELY ATTACH TO... AND YOU'RE DONE!
Continue with the following to remove headlight unit:
GRILLE
Removing the grille is also easy - undo the plugs on top, just in front of the radiator (6 or 8 of them), then look down the inner face of the grille, and you'll see 4 inserts that hold the grille to the front fascia... these inserts are released from their fascia slots by pressing on a release tab underneath each insert... so, reach under each insert, press the hidden tab underneath UPWARDS, and the insert will be released from the holding slot. Once all inserts have been released, simply pull the entire grille outwards, and it should come out/off.
PLASTIC INSERT (BOTTOM OF GRILLE)
TAB ON THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH INSERT (PRESS IT TO RELEASE INSERT FROM FASCIA SLOT)
TWO OF THE FOUR FASCIA SLOTS THAT HOLD THE GRILLE INSERTS
GRILLE OUT
FASCIA
The fascia is attached to a metal bar by three plugs, as well as two bolts behind each of the fenders. Undo these and the fascia pops out easily.
THERE ARE THREE BLACK PLASTIC PLUGS THAT SECURE THE FACIA DOWN TO THE SUPPORTING METAL BRACKET - POP THESE THREE OUT
NOW DUCK INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL AGAIN, AND LOOK TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, BUT STAYING CLOSE TO THE INNER FENDER FACE - YOU SHOULD SEE TWO 10mm BOLTS - UNDO THOSE ON EACH SIDE. (I TOOK THIS PHOTO AFTER HAVING ALREADY PULLED THE FASCIA OFF, SO THERE ARE NO BOLTS TO BE SEEN, BUT THEY WERE IN TWO OF THOSE FOUR HOLES SHOWN ON THAT METAL BRACKET)
NOW COMES THE FUN PART, PULL ONE SIDE OF THE FASCIA OUTWARD - THERE SHOULD BE SOME GIVE; NOW WORK THE OTHER SIDE. THE FASCIA SHOULD BE OUT IN NO TIME
LOOKING SADDER AND SADDER... BUT FOR GOOD CAUSE!
HEADLIGHT UNIT
Finally, we get to the headlight unit... undo five bolts and you're done.
UNDO THE TWO TOP BOLTS, ONE INNER SIDE-BOTTOM BOLT, AND TWO OUTER SIDE BOLTS (ONE ON THE SIDE, THE OTHER DEEPER IN, BEHIND THE LENS), AND VOILA.
DONE - NOW PUT EVERYTHING BACK
