Roadmaster Base Plate Installation - 2008 Saturn Vue
Products Featured in this Video
How to Install Roadmaster Base Plates on a 2008 Saturn Vue
Today on this 2008 Saturn Vue we are going to be installing Roadmaster Base Plate kit part number 3151-1A. Before we can get to the part where we start installing our base plate kit we need to remove quite a bit of the front end of the vehicle. We are going to start by removing the 11 plastic fasteners which are attaching the radiator cover to the core support in the fascia. To remove these fasteners we need a Phillips head screwdriver and these are plastic Phillips head screws, the center section actually is what is unthreading. Once you get the center section unthreaded, you can remove the entire fastener. 00 :34
With the fasteners removed we can remove the radiator cover. Next we will remove one plastic fastener located behind the grill, which is attaching the fascia to the bumper core. Next we will move over to the fender wells and remove two 7 millimeter headed bolts that are attaching the fender liner to the bottom of the fascia. We need to do that on both sides of the vehicle. Then we will follow on underneath the vehicle and remove the two 7 millimeter headed bolts that are attaching the bottom of the fender liner to the bottom of the fascia. And again, we will need to do this on both sides of the vehicle. 1:23
Next, we can pull back the fender liner, and if your vehicle is equipped with fog lamps we need to disconnect the wiring for those at this time. Next we will slide over to the center of the sub frame and we want to remove the two plastic fasteners that are attaching the lower air dam to the sub frame. Again, these are plastic fasteners that we want to remove the middle section first, and then pull out the body of the fastener. Then if we move forward on the vehicle, out from the sub frame we need to remove the three 10 millimeter headed bolts that are attaching the lower fascia to the bumper core. The next step is to remove the front fascia piece. What we want to do is pull out and then forward to release the inboard clips. Once you get it partially off, we do need to take and unplug these marker lights on both sides. Also, remove the secondary clip here as well. Using the existing holes at the bottom of the sub frame, we want to use those as a template to drill a half inch hole up through the top section of the sub frame. You want to make sure that when you do this that you do not penetrate up too high and damage any engine components. Now, starting on the drivers side, we are going to take the main receiver brace and put it into position. We are going to put the 1/ 4 by 2 by 2 inch nutted backing plate on top of the hole that we drilled through the sub frame. We will be attaching the main brace to the sub frame using the 1/ 2 by 4 inch bolt along with a lock washer. 2:52
Next we will move to the side brace and bolt it to the radiator support using the 7/ 16 by 1-1/ 4 inch bolt along with the fender washer and lock nut. Now we want to repeat the set up of those two bolts and bracing for the passenger side as well. What we are going to do then is bolt the two main receiver braces together using two 1-1/ 4 by 4-1/ 2 inch long bolts. At this point we can torque down all the bolts we have mounted to the frame and the main section together here. You want to verify with the directions the specific torque rating for each of these bolts. Next we are going to come to the bumper core and we are looking at this raised edge as our starting point. We are going to measure over 4-3/ 4 inches and center the mark perfectly on this raised edge. Once you have determined the center of it, take a center punch and mark it. You want to repeat that for the passenger side. You want to take and drill a 1/ 2 inch hole through here. You want to be very careful, use a piece of metal or a block of wood to protect the radiator to ensure you do not penetrate it. What I am going to do is start with a 1/ 4 inch drill bit and then enlarge to 1/ 2 inch. Next we will take one of the large backing plates provided with our kit and align it over the hole we just drilled. We will next take a 1/ 2 inch by 4 inch hex bolt and slide it through and fasten it on the backside with a lock washer and hex nut. With both installed you can torque them down. Again, you want to verify the torque rating in the directions. Next, remove the lower air dam from the bumper fascia. There are 6 fasteners that are holding it on. Two here in the middle and two on each side. Next on the inside of the bumper fascia, we need to remove the lower foam shock absorption pad. 4:49
There are two metal clips that are holding it into place that we need to remove it off of. Next we will take the foam absorption pad and place it over the bumper core as a test fit. What we are looking for is if we are going to have to trim this out to fit around the vacuum plates that we put on earlier. Center it up, mark out your location, and then trim the foam out. Next we will move on to the air dam and we are going to need to trim it up as well. We need to remove this complete section. If you look at the directions there is a yellow line that indicates where you need to cut. This is going to vary from model to model. We are doing it on a six cylinder model so this is the area that we need to cut. Again you want to refer to the directions for that. Now if we go to the front side of the air damn we need to cut out a couple of slots into it as well. We need to go from the center point of the air damn at this attaching point. We are going to go 9-3/ 4 inches over on both sides. We need to make a 3-1/ 4 inch cut width wise. 1-1/ 8 inches up off of the bottom side of the air dam. Now we can start reinstalling everything. I am going to start with the styrofoam piece and put it back in place. Then we can put the bumper back on the vehicle and make sure we reconnect our marker lights when we do so. Then with everything reinstalled our installation is complete. This will conclude the installation of Roadmaster Base Plate kit part number 3151-1A on a 2008 Saturn Vue.
Info for this part was:
Video Edited:
Zack K
Video Edited:
Joshua S
Video Edited:
Dustin K
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Samuel K.
3/23/2023
Is the instructions the same for the 2009 as it is for the 2008 Saturn Vue shown here?