Everyone,

The trim strip on the rear bumper of our 300D is hanging by its ends. There appears to be some sort of mechanical attachment involving the hooks on the back of the strip, but they don't line up. Am I missing something? It looks like the separate strip the hooks are on might be designed to slide somehow.

Thanks . . .

Hook and slide...but it is difficult.

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

It's a three piece affair.

Two plastic runners that slot into those holes, you need to keep tension on 'em while installing the rub strip.

__________________
83 SD

84 CD

Do you start at the end or the middle ?

__________________
1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

What you have there is the big rubber strip, and two 'runners' (the hard plastic guides that mount in the bumper). Each guide has the hooks but also has a screw near the bumper curve that holds it in place.

Once the strip pops off, it's a real PITA to get back into place. Chances are also good that one or both of the guides have broken at or near the screw.

At minimum you need to remove the strip and try to reinstall. Once you remove it, you'll see if the guides are intact or not. They are around $12 each from the dealer.

Reinstalling the strip is an adventure best attempted with two sets of hands. Some people say they have succeeded... one guy told me he gave up and bought a new one. You have to start at one side (need to remove the rubber bumper end piece) and feed it through. If you grease it to make it slide easier along the guides... that works... but also seems to make it pop back off more easily.

I reinstalled it twice, including replacing one broken guide, and it later popped off both times. At the moment my rear bumper is 'naked'. My patience for trim issues is finite.

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Originally, the hooks of the retainers, once locked in place, were glued at the back of the bumper with something similar to a hot melt glue. If the retainers are easily moved, it will loosened up eventually. I,ve seen retainers attached with wood screws in the bumper before.

The best way to put the rubber is to hammer them in. Just lube the retainer first.

__________________
'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

Once you have the plastic piece with the claws installed on the bumper installing the rubber is not hard. I haven't done it for a good while but I would try by starting in the center. A rubber hammer is a good tool to install the rubber.

I don't remember using lubricant but with rubber, plain or soapy water will probably work as well as anything.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

... summertime repair... cold rubber is difficult to maneuver...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Okay - that gives me some direction as to what to do. I thought it might involve somehow sliding the strips with the hooks on them, then locking them in place. Thanks very much for the advice.

I would recommend using 4-6 chrome headed carriage bolts, but I am a neanderthal.

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

I did something similar using nuts, bolts, and fender washers. The whole trim piece had the be off so that I could slide the bolts through the channel.

__________________
I could not own any MB without the help from you...fellow forum members.


83 300td 207,XXX

Here's a thread I did when I repaired the strip on my CD.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/287741-diy-attaching-w123-bumper-strip.html

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Chad - thank you! What an excellent tutorial. I'm off to tackle it now.

Taking this from the tutorial:

I use this method, I am sure hammering will work ,too, and may be more therapuetic.

__________________
80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Fixed - thank you for all the direction. I did cheat, and mechanically anchored the attachment strips with a countersunk stainless bolt through each strip and the bumper near the center. I'm pretty sure those strips won't migrate out of place again (the locking end tab on one was broken).