Here's an odd question...how many rear license plate screws do you have?
#1
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Finally a warm day here in the northeast so I washed my Defender after 7 weeks of winter driving. (Not a fan of automatic car washes so only hand washing for me)
When I got around to the rear, I noticed the rear license plate was loose and just hanging from the top 2 screws. No lower screws were installed. I'm thinking I want to secure the plate with 4 screws which would require drilling 2 small pilot holes in the rear bumper. Anyone else do that? If our bumpers are like most vehicles, they probably have styrofoam inside so adding 2 more screws should be easy, unless the trailer wiring runs right behind the plate mounting area.
When I got around to the rear, I noticed the rear license plate was loose and just hanging from the top 2 screws. No lower screws were installed. I'm thinking I want to secure the plate with 4 screws which would require drilling 2 small pilot holes in the rear bumper. Anyone else do that? If our bumpers are like most vehicles, they probably have styrofoam inside so adding 2 more screws should be easy, unless the trailer wiring runs right behind the plate mounting area.
#2
#4
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Something I’ve noticed on a lot of new cars. Two screws are the new four screws, apparently.
I’ve found that if the vehicle has two proper threaded inserts like the Defender does (rather than just holes drilled into the plastic by the dealership), then a plate can be held quite securely... assuming one affixes a strip of adhesive-backed foam to the bottom portion of the plate. Without the foam strip, the bottom of the plate hangs closer to the bumper body than the top, which leads to movement. Over time, this movement will back out the screws, culminating in a loose license plate.
Many nicer license plate frames (including the OEM Land Rover frames) include a strip of foam for this very purpose.
I’ve found that if the vehicle has two proper threaded inserts like the Defender does (rather than just holes drilled into the plastic by the dealership), then a plate can be held quite securely... assuming one affixes a strip of adhesive-backed foam to the bottom portion of the plate. Without the foam strip, the bottom of the plate hangs closer to the bumper body than the top, which leads to movement. Over time, this movement will back out the screws, culminating in a loose license plate.
Many nicer license plate frames (including the OEM Land Rover frames) include a strip of foam for this very purpose.
Last edited by TheLittleEngineThatCould; 03-10-2021 at 08:57 PM.
#5
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