DIY: Front License Plate Bracket Removal!

[Bubz!]

you are welcome guys!!

keep those trucks clean!

 

[lak]

Bubz

Great fix, Explorer looks so much better without that big piece of plastic.

 

[X~FACTOR]

It looks cleaner for sure!

 

[donm527]

I'll probably want to remove the front bracket from my X also...
What size drill bit did it take to remove the old fastener?
Did/do you start with a smaller bit and step up to the final one?
Just dont want to open up the hole beyond factory spec if I can avoid it.

Thanks,
Don

 

[donm527]

Bubz,

Thanks for the quick walkthrough... made me feel comfortable doing it and was a simple as you showed.. it only took a couple minutes. just find a bit about same diameter as rivet shaft, drill in about an inch to break the shaft and it easily prys out with a screwdriver.

When I told my salesman about removing the bracket, he gave me some plugs to use which I later found it were too small to even fit in the holes. The retainers you chose were perfect... nice and snug fit.

 

[GWA1]

WOW! Am I the only one that ordered an Ex without the bracket?
Did forget to tell dealer that I didn't want his badge on the Ex.
My detailer took it off for me. Said it was a real pain (double sided pad).

 

[donm527]

didn't order mine... was on the lot and had everything I wanted... except for the front bracket. Why they would ship any to Florida with one is silly. All fixed now

 

[donm527]

much better now

 

[Bubz!]

Looks good! Keep it up guys!! Glad I could help everyone out!

 

[canuk]

Good simple writeup.

Done last night, looks great.

Thks

 

[Spengracin]

Great DIY post Sarge, write from the TO's, cuddo's to my fellow comrade

(ret. SMSGT)

 

[harlenm]

Looks nice, but plates are required in CT, so I'm stuck with one.

 

[gstuartw]

Front plates are required in Texas but I never put them on my '04 MINI. Only pulled over once in 7 years (State cop) and even then just a warning. I claimed ignorance of the law and that I had no front bracket. After that I velcroed the plate to my passenger visor and flipped it down when ever I thought it might be necessary. Figured that if I saw DPS pulling a U turn behind me I'd flip it down and mention that maybe he didn't notice the plate in my windshield. Law doesn't specify the plate has to be on the bumper.

I'll remove the bracket on the new Limited in the morning and see if my luck holds!

 

[vulnox]

Good to see it comes off so cleanly with a little work. I went the other way with it since this is the first vehicle I have had with a front plate bracket.

 

[Mike127]

Thanks for the DIY tutorial, took mine off today

 

[KlausJ]

Thanks for it, especially the main thing is that I don´t need to remove half of the front of the X.
I was not sure if the bracket is held by srews or rivets.
Here in Germany we need a front plate but a wider one than installed. So far the new wider plate was screwed onto the original bracket which looks ugly.
So now I´m able to remove the small US bracket and install my one directly on the front bumper.

 

[SHOSUV]

Great post, I'll be trying this on Wed when my new Sport arrives...Wonder if I can convince the dealer to remove it for me...maybe it's safer if I do it myself..heh

 

[foofighter]

thanks for sharing this will be good to cover up my drill hole on my FLEX as well

 

[Stevegud1]

I take delivery tomorrow, and I was already struggling on what to do about a front plate to fill that ugly bracket. I now have a better plan! AutoZone, here I come!

 

[Stevegud1]

Thanks for it, especially the main thing is that I don´t need to remove half of the front of the X.
I was not sure if the bracket is held by srews or rivets.
Here in Germany we need a front plate but a wider one than installed. So far the new wider plate was screwed onto the original bracket which looks ugly.
So now I´m able to remove the small US bracket and install my one directly on the front bumper.

You can drive the BMWs or Audis on the Autobahn, and you chose an Explorer??? Good man! I will say , however, that I thoroughly enjoyed the Jaguar XF rental on the Autobahn trip between Munich and Meitingen! WooHoo!