Giving Your 2014 Charger Bumper a Fresh Look
If you've invested any time searching at your vehicle recently, you might've noticed your 2014 charger bumper has seen better times, whether it's from a runaway shopping cart or just many years of highway rock chips. It's 1 of those things where you don't really think about this until you see a nasty scuff in the sunlight, plus then suddenly, it's the only point you can observe each time you stroll up to the driver's part door. The 2014 model year has been a great 1 for the Joker Charger—it has that aggressive, muscular position that still stands up today—but let's be real, plastic bumpers aren't invincible.
Replacing or even fixing up that front or back fascia isn't simply about making the car look quite, though that's a huge part of this. It's also regarding keeping the car's value up plus making sure all the particular stuff hidden at the rear of the plastic, like your impact club and fog light wiring, is in fact safeguarded. If you're thinking about about diving into this project, there's a lot in order to consider, from choosing the right design to really getting your hands dirty in the garage.
Deciding Between OEM and Aftermarket
When you start shopping for a new 2014 charger bumper , the initial crossroad you're going to hit may be the "OEM versus Aftermarket" debate. If a person go the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) route, you're getting the exact same component that came upon the car from your factory. The fit is going in order to be spot-on, the plastic quality is predictable, and you won't need to fight with it to get the bolt holes to line up. The downside? It's usually the particular most expensive strategy to use.
On the flip side, the particular aftermarket world will be massive for these cars. Since the particular 2011-2014 body design is so popular, plenty of businesses make replacement bumpers. Some are immediate replicas of the stock SE or even SXT bumpers, whilst others let a person "upgrade" the look. Maybe you've obtained a base design but you've often loved the way the SRT8 or even the Super Bee looked. This is definitely your chance to swap in a more aggressive-looking 2014 charger bumper without having in order to trade in the particular whole car. Simply keep in thoughts that which includes cheaper aftermarket options, you might have in order to do a bit of "massaging" to get the particular gaps perfectly even.
Getting the Right Tools Together
Before you begin unbolting things and recognize halfway through that will you're missing the specific socket, let's talk about exactly what you actually need. A person don't require an out-and-out mechanic's shop, yet a few fundamental tools will create the work a lot less frustrating.
You're bound to need the 10mm socket —that's simply the universal vocabulary for Mopar entire body bolts. A flathead screwdriver or a dedicated plastic trim removal tool will be also a lifesaver. Those little plastic material "push-pins" or rivets that hold the bumper to the fender liner can be a genuine pain to obtain out without splitting them. Honestly, it's a good idea to just buy the bag of alternative clips before you decide to actually start. They're inexpensive, and you're nearly guaranteed to take at least 1 or two associated with the old, brittle ones while you're pulling them away.
Taking the Old Bumper Away from
Alright, so you've got your own new parts and your tools prepared. The process associated with removing a 2014 charger bumper is pretty simple, but it takes a little persistence. You'll begin by popping the hood and removing the plastic cover that sits right over the grille. There are generally most a dozens of of those plastic material clips holding this down.
Once that's away from, you'll see the top bolts keeping the bumper in order to the radiator assistance. But don't just unscrew those and yank; you've still got work to do in the wheel wells. You'll have to turn your own wheels all the way to 1 side to get access to the particular screws inside the fender liner. There's usually one concealed bolt right where the bumper meets the metal fender that's a bit of a get to.
If your Charger has fog lights, don't forget to reach in and disconnect the harnesses just before you pull the particular bumper far from the particular frame. There's nothing at all worse than finally getting the bumper loose only in order to get it hang simply by the wiring, potentially ruining your haze light housings. Once everything is unbolted and unplugged, the particular whole assembly ought to slide forward. It will help to have the buddy hold one particular side so it doesn't drop onto the concrete and obtain scraped.
How about the particular Rear Bumper?
While most individuals concentrate on the top because it requires the most abuse, the trunk 2014 charger bumper will be just as important for that finished appearance. Replacing the back is truly a bit simpler relatively because you don't have to worry about as many cooling system or complex grille inserts.
However, you do need to deal with the exhaust system tips. Depending upon which trim level you have, the exhaust tips may be integrated into the bumper or they might just get out of through cutouts. In the event that you're switching in order to a different style of rear bumper—say, going from the one exhaust cutout in order to a dual—you'll certainly need to create sure your exhaust system setup matches up. It's also the perfect time to check on your own rear park assist sensors if your car is equipped with them. They just put out of the particular old bumper and click into the particular new one, but you want in order to be gentle with the wiring.
Dealing With Paint and Color Coordinating
Unless you're lucky enough to find a pre-painted bumper in your exact color code, your own new 2014 charger bumper is usually probably going in order to arrive in a black or gray special primer. This is how things can get a bit pricey. Getting an expert shop to color-match paint—especially if you have one of those awesome Dodge colors such as Plum Crazy or Header Orange—is worth the investment.
In case you consider to do this yourself with rattle cans, it might look okay from twenty feet away, although you'll likely observe the difference in texture and gloss once you obtain up close. A bumper will be a major surface area, and any imperfections in the particular paint are going to stand out. If you're on a budget, you can look into vinyl fabric wrapping the new bumper, but that takes its very own kind of skill to get right close to all those curves and grille spaces.
Final Details and Reassembly
Once you have got your freshly painted 2014 charger bumper ready to go, putting it back on is basically the particular reverse of getting it off, yet with a lot more "be careful to not scratch the new paint" energy. This is where using a second set of hands is almost mandatory. You would like to line upward the brackets on the sides first, clicking them in to the fender retainers.
Before a person tighten everything lower, have a second to look at the gaps. Are they even on both sides? Does the particular hood close properly without hitting the top of the grille? Sometimes you have to wiggle the bumper a bit or adjust the brackets to obtain that factory-perfect fit. Once you're happy with how this looks, go forward and pop those plastic clips back in, plug your lights back within, and give it a good wipe.
There's something incredibly satisfying about stepping as well as viewing your car looking brand new once again. A 2014 Charger is a car that deserves to appear sharp. Whether you went with a stock replacement or something a bit even more custom, that brand-new 2014 charger bumper is going to make you enjoy your daily commute just a small bit more. Plus, you've got the bragging rights of understanding you did the particular work yourself. Safe and sound driving, and revel in the particular new look!