Hofele Grille - install information (Long)
09-13-2003, 08:09 AM
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Hofele Grille - install information (Long)
The Hofele Grill is designed to be used with your existing chrome surround.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29024/hofele_3.jpg">
The mesh material is heavy tube metal. This grille is very heavy (~6lbs). The build quality is definitely good.
Now, the install.
Installation was more involved than I originally expected. First you must start with dissassembling the chrome trim from the OE grille. Don't worry about braking the plastic tabs on the chrome trim, because you have to trim them off anyways. I would suggest ordering a new piece to do this (I didn't think of this ahead of time). Once the chrome surround is off, trim/clip the tabs on the vertical sides of the chrome surround. I used a set of heavy duty wire clippers. I also trimmed the tabs on the lower horizontal portion of the chrome surround (looks better), but this isn't completely necessary unless you are picky about looks like me.
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/brokentabs.jpg">
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/brokentabs2.jpg">
Next you must apply a bead of epoxy along the inside portion of the chrome surround. The thick black epoxy is what the Hofele Grille will use to adhere itself to the chrome surround. The epoxy is made by DOW and is very strong (supplied in kit). Now, let it set at least 4 hours and fight the urge to touch it. I placed some heavy objects on the grill to allow the two parts to come together with a nice tight fit.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29024/hofele.jpg">
In the meantime, you need to bend the hood latch so that you can open your hood with the grille installed. This grille obviously doesn't have the hole in the front to allow the latch to poke through. Be careful how you bend it and make sure you support the metal piece behind where you are bending it so that you don't break it. This took a lot of elbow grease, but wasn't too entirely difficult. Once you have it where you like it, the next step is the install. BTW, make sure the latch will not hit the hood when you set the hood down into the latched position because you won't be able to get the hood open.....trust me I know from experience (you have to use a screw driver to open the hood in an awkward manner).
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/Hoodlatch.jpg">
The grille mounts using 5 screws that receive mounting washers and nuts to secure on it's backside. This mounting scheme is really the best for this type of application because it allows you to torque down the grille in different places to get the best fit.
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/screwposts.jpg">
You may have to bend the metal screw posts over to allow it to fit into your grille opening in your hood. I had to do a LOT of adjustment. Just be sure not to put too much force on the screw posts because you could break them off. I had to adjust the lower hangers on the grille slightly too. Overall, I thought there was way too much adjusting that was needed, but the overall distance that each piece was moved was less than 5mm. The rest is self explainatory. Just make sure you don't torque down the nuts + washers too much because I think you could definitely break the screw posts.
This the end result (A better pictuer to come later):
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/Hofele_Car_2.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29024/hofele_3.jpg">
The mesh material is heavy tube metal. This grille is very heavy (~6lbs). The build quality is definitely good.
Now, the install.
Installation was more involved than I originally expected. First you must start with dissassembling the chrome trim from the OE grille. Don't worry about braking the plastic tabs on the chrome trim, because you have to trim them off anyways. I would suggest ordering a new piece to do this (I didn't think of this ahead of time). Once the chrome surround is off, trim/clip the tabs on the vertical sides of the chrome surround. I used a set of heavy duty wire clippers. I also trimmed the tabs on the lower horizontal portion of the chrome surround (looks better), but this isn't completely necessary unless you are picky about looks like me.
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/brokentabs.jpg">
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/brokentabs2.jpg">
Next you must apply a bead of epoxy along the inside portion of the chrome surround. The thick black epoxy is what the Hofele Grille will use to adhere itself to the chrome surround. The epoxy is made by DOW and is very strong (supplied in kit). Now, let it set at least 4 hours and fight the urge to touch it. I placed some heavy objects on the grill to allow the two parts to come together with a nice tight fit.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/29024/hofele.jpg">
In the meantime, you need to bend the hood latch so that you can open your hood with the grille installed. This grille obviously doesn't have the hole in the front to allow the latch to poke through. Be careful how you bend it and make sure you support the metal piece behind where you are bending it so that you don't break it. This took a lot of elbow grease, but wasn't too entirely difficult. Once you have it where you like it, the next step is the install. BTW, make sure the latch will not hit the hood when you set the hood down into the latched position because you won't be able to get the hood open.....trust me I know from experience (you have to use a screw driver to open the hood in an awkward manner).
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/Hoodlatch.jpg">
The grille mounts using 5 screws that receive mounting washers and nuts to secure on it's backside. This mounting scheme is really the best for this type of application because it allows you to torque down the grille in different places to get the best fit.
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/screwposts.jpg">
You may have to bend the metal screw posts over to allow it to fit into your grille opening in your hood. I had to do a LOT of adjustment. Just be sure not to put too much force on the screw posts because you could break them off. I had to adjust the lower hangers on the grille slightly too. Overall, I thought there was way too much adjusting that was needed, but the overall distance that each piece was moved was less than 5mm. The rest is self explainatory. Just make sure you don't torque down the nuts + washers too much because I think you could definitely break the screw posts.
This the end result (A better pictuer to come later):
<img src="http://www.AudiCrazy.com/images/AW/Hofele_Car_2.jpg">
09-13-2003, 08:29 AM
#2
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Now that's the type of metal mesh I needed for my Oettinger custom front bumper grille work...
Not the flimsy diamond aluminum that was used. It is far better then what came with it, but this "tube metal" that your grille is made of is much thicker/stronger then the thin aluminum diamond cut mesh.
09-13-2003, 07:11 PM
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It was purchased through TMtuning.com but I do not recommend buying through them since they are
located in Germany. I would go direct through Hofeleusa.com. The part was drop shipped from Hofeleusa anyway. TMtuning's customer service wasn't that great. They didn't tell me that the part was on back order, they didn't tell me that they had fitment issues (was fixed), and they didn't tell me when the part shipped. It took almost 3 months for me to get my grille.
The biggest problem I had with them is that one person from their company stated "Of Course the grille will fit US spec cars!", as if it was a stupid question to ask and another person stated that the part was on back order because they were fixing a fitment issue with US spec cars. I had to constantly email different people in the company for an update because no one seemed to know what was going on.
The biggest problem I had with them is that one person from their company stated "Of Course the grille will fit US spec cars!", as if it was a stupid question to ask and another person stated that the part was on back order because they were fixing a fitment issue with US spec cars. I had to constantly email different people in the company for an update because no one seemed to know what was going on.
09-14-2003, 07:44 AM
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Not in this case most likely. But that "tube" type mesh would be much better suited for this.
Looks better too IMO. I'll have to find some of this in sheet form and try it.
Oettinger is supposedly making a new grille replacement set for their bumper customers, but I do not know what it will be made of. I just went ahead and had the shop do the diamond mesh because my kit was being refinished/repainted and the center cheap plastic grille had been broken. It just looked ugly and cheap- that was the main problem with it.
Oettinger is supposedly making a new grille replacement set for their bumper customers, but I do not know what it will be made of. I just went ahead and had the shop do the diamond mesh because my kit was being refinished/repainted and the center cheap plastic grille had been broken. It just looked ugly and cheap- that was the main problem with it.
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