Remove Rear Bumper Cover 1999 OutBack

[steve56]

Does anyone know how to remove the rear bumper cover on a 1999 Outback wagon. I have the instructions from the factory service manual, but they aren't clear. The bottom bolts are easy.To find the rest of fasteners I don't want to have  take off or break off trim pieces that don't need to be removed in the first place.

[lmdew]

Easy way is to pull the complete bumper and then pull the cover.  A junk yard trial run is usually a good use of time:

 

- Remove the mud flaps

- Remove the 10 mm nuts holding the front side of the bumper to the body (2 of them I think)

- Unplug the plate light connectors under the spare tire cover

- Remove the 2 19mm bolts on each side, accessed through the cargo area on each side of the flip up spare tire cover and under the plastic covers on the body.

- Slide the bumper back and off

[rdd98103]

Adding this comment just for clarification and additional information should someone else need this post.  I am probably going to source a replacement bumper cover from the junkyard, so was prepping my 1999 Legacy Outback 2.5 and learned the following:

The process is essentially the same for '95-'05, so watch one of those videos but understand the bolt sizes may differ.

On mine, the main bumper bolts sit beneath the left and right side panels of the cargo area.  There are two on each side in a line.  Each is located under round rubber caps that you can easily pry up with a flathead screwdriver and needle nose pliers.  The rearward ones will require that you pull up the plastic moulding between the bumper and the cargo area.  These do not want to come up easily and are a straight up pull and there are three tabs per side.  I would use two prybars, one on the front and one on the back, and go slowly.

Correction on Imdew's post:  The 4 bolts have a 17MM head and the spec is M12-1.25.  I don't think you will find these anywhere except on your car, in the junkyard, or at a dealer if they still have them.  I had to use a breaker bar to get them started.  I discovered I was missing one so I sourced the replacement at the junkyard.  

The other bolts are generally as the videos and Imdew's comments say.  I believe the mud flaps have to come off, or at least one of the bolts is integrated with the bumper.  I haven't done that part yet but it was in a video.  Depending on the year, there may be additional bolts up and under the bumper at the back of the car.  I believe these are fairly straightforward.

You do not need to remove the tail lights for this vintage to get at any tabs.  

Would recommend using thread locker on the main bumper bolts when you put them back in.  Does anyone know the torque spec for those bolts?