How to Install a Danko 70 Grille for 2011-2012-up Dodge Charger -INSTALLATION PICS!!!

**mopower** · 03-29-2012, 11:57 AM

To install the Danko 70 Grille, the first step is to remove the front fascia. Fortunately for us, the new 2011-2012 fascia is even easier to remove than the previous generation as almost all of the bolt/rivit hardware has been conveniently replaced with un-snapping style retainers of many kinds! To see this process, I made another thread so start there and then come back here if you are working on your car. Here is the thread:

2011 Charger Nose Fascia and Headlights Removal Step by Step Pictorial

The grille comes with all the mounting hardware attached and even uses the (3) bottom and side mounting sockets for a secure and easy install.

The best way to work on this nose is to set it straight up on a table or work stand. Once you remove and disassemble the grille, you need to remove the vertical rubber bar. It is pretty soft and can be cut by hand with a little tape around a hacksaw blade.

Here you can see the 3 factory mounting recepticles.

The grille hardware is special for these (3) factory mounts. They consists of a stud with an adjusting lug and a special rubber faced washer and a locking nut. The mounting lug is 2 pieces held together with tape. The other 9 mounts consist of just studs with metal washers and locking nuts and those will require holes to be drilled into the inside nose flange to mount. This picture shows the adjusting lug. Do not take the tape off if you want your life to be easy.

The next step will be to unscrew and remove all of the (9) studs/washer/nuts from the grille and also the nuts/rubber faced washer from the (3) main mounts. Do not remove the adjusting lugs.

Now take some masking tape on top and bottom of the nose flange and slide the grille into place.

There is no picture of doing this because I need both hands, but next you have to push from both sides and try to get the metal stud bases (which are imbedded into the fibergalss to scratch a mark into the tape. If you do it thourouly, all (9) spots will be easily visible when you remove the grille. Here are pics of the top and bottom flange.

Now grab a drill with a 1/4" drill bit and drill out the (9) mounting holes in the (furthest most in) location of the scratch.

Here some pics of about what it should like like, no need to oval them out as we will cut more on the next step.

**mopower** · 03-29-2012, 12:03 PM

Now its time to turn the holes into slots, so grab your dremel or hacksaw blade and remove the plastic on the (9) holes, including the top center moulded plastic mount. DO NOT CUT out the (3) factory mounting (sides and bottom) holes! You should wear goggles for this and watch out for hot melty plastic.

Now you finally get to bolt the grille up. Don't install the (9) studs yet, but use the (3) adjusting lugs to adjust the grille out by turning them in or out and bolt them down tight. Make sure to leave enough space for the rubber gasket that will later be installed. and also make sure to use the (3) special rubber faced washer.

Now is time to check all of the (9) hole slots to make sure there is ample room to install the studs. Here is an example of one that needed a little trimming. It is VERY important that the wider mounting base come clear the slot too, not just the stud.

Now we are ready to remove the grille. Install ONLY the top studs and bolt the grille up again. Once the grille is inside the nose, then install the bottom studs.

Bolt up all of the hardware and we are almost DONE!

You should have a pretty nice fit like this. If it is a little off, you can trim the holes a little and get it adjusted up.

The last step, once the grille is painted and lookng good, is to install the rubber gasket. Take notice that one edge if the gasket has an ugly casting line so try to use the nice side to the outside. Always start on the bottom center, and peel the back off to stick it on. The goal is to completly cover jup the slots in the flange when the bumper is installed. I pushed the edge all the way to the bottom of the recessed groove.

You can now bolt the grille up and admire your work!

**lowriderman3** · 03-29-2012, 12:19 PM

Awesome Mo!!!! We can smell them now!!

**jcoates31** · 03-29-2012, 01:33 PM

Wow great direction. Can not wait to get this on the car.

**mopower** · 03-29-2012, 10:06 PM

12 bolts total... That grille isn't going anywhere!! Before installing the fascia, make sure to bend both horn brackets out of the way to make clearance for the deep dish grille. If I remember correctly, I loosened the bolt and rotated the horn too.

**2Cav** · 03-29-2012, 10:17 PM

Wow Mo, I am so excited!!

Also a bit scared now. always get nervous cutting into things. So I am new to this, never done a grill before. And I am sure this is a noob question, but--- how do you attach the mesh?

Jeff

**mopower** · 03-29-2012, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by 2Cav

Wow Mo, I am so excited!!

Also a bit scared now. always get nervous cutting into things. So I am new to this, never done a grill before. And I am sure this is a noob question, but--- how do you attach the mesh?

Jeff

Once your Danko Grille is painted and your Mesh is powdercoated (if desired), the mesh is ready to be installed. The grille pictured was painted in house by us at the customer's request.

I used an epoxy repair putty called JB Stick which worked pretty well, but there are many brands available and they all work pretty well. You needs at least a 2 oz package, which runs about $5 at your local auto parts store.

First you should rough up the back side of the grille with some 36 or 40 Grit sandpaper.

With the finer styles of mesh this is not really necessary, but I found that with the heavier course mesh like the diamond mesh, it is much easier to bend the edges down if it is cut. I made a cut about every 3 inches and then bent the mesh down around the edge of the grille. Be carefull not to scratch up the black paint that is on the mesh.

In preparation to glue it down, use a strip of 2" tape about every 2" to hold the mesh in place. The adhesive will be applied in between the tape.

Before putting on the adhesive, carefully inspect the front side to make sure the mesh is running in a straight line lined up with the bottom of the grille opening.

I took the adhesive stick and sliced it up into 18 slices, one for each spot where I want to glue. This glue takes only 5 minutes to harden so it's best to only mix a few at a time as you are pressing them into the mesh.

Once the epoxy is hard, you can take off the tape and admire your work!

**TvMan** · 04-09-2012, 12:36 AM

Check your email Mo!!

T\//\/\@n

**lowriderman3** · 04-21-2012, 12:47 PM

And on the car!

**mopower** · 04-21-2012, 09:34 PM

I love it! this was definitely a much harder project than I thought it would be but I think it was well worth it! Did anybody else notice how the hood scallops seem to show up a lot more now? seems like the OEM grille made the nose kinda cluttered and took attention away from the hood..JMO.

**lowriderman3** · 04-21-2012, 10:45 PM

^^That it did Mo! I would have took some daytime pics today, but it rained all day. I went out and looked at the car in person, and it looks bada$$ in person for sure!