TrailBlazer Bumper Removal

by Daniel Valladares

The Chevy TrailBlazer is a line of sport utility vehicles produced by Chevrolet from 1999 to 2008. The Trailblazer replaced the Blazer SUV. Removing the front or rear bumper on the Trailblazer is a somewhat tedious process, but it may be a necessity if the bumper is damaged in an accident or if you intend to do some exterior modifications. The entire procedure takes only 20 minutes and requires the use of only a few tools.

Removing the Front Bumper

Step 1

Park the TrailBlazer on a level surface and turn off the vehicle's engine.

Step 2

Remove all 11 clips holding the grille in place. There are four on top of the grille, two on the bottom, two on the far right, two on the far left and one in the middle. Pull the grille off the vehicle.

Step 3

Open the hood. Lift the two securing bolts located above the headlights. The bolts do not come out but can be raised enough to remove the headlight assembly. Disconnect the wires connected to the headlight assemblies and pull them out of the vehicle.

Step 4

Crawl under the front of the TrailBlazer and disconnect the fog light harnesses by slipping the screwdriver into the harness connector tabs and bending.

Step 5

Remove the small plastic buttons on each side and in the center of the bumper. If they are stuck, use pliers to pull them out.

Step 6

Unscrew the bolts on top of the bumper using a wrench. Remove the four plugs in the vent of the bumper by pulling them straight down.

Step 7

Pull the securing plastic on the right side of the bumper. It should slide right off. At this point, the bumper will be very loose. Secure the bumper with one arm and remove the securing plastic on the left side of the bumper. Pull the bumper off the vehicle.

Removing the Rear Bumper

Step 1

Remove the six lower push-pins underneath the rear bumper. Use a screwdriver to pop out the pins if you cannot pull them out.

Step 2

Remove the two screws underneath each rear wheel well.

Step 3

Remove the four bolts from the back of the bumper. Remove the right and left bolts first, then carefully remove the middle bolts, as the bumper will fall right off when all bolts are removed.