JeepMonkey
New member
Last night I installed my bumper/carrier combo finally. I've had it in the garage for two months just looking at it and figuring out the best way to tackle it. The whole process took about 4 hours. For the most part it seems to be pretty sturdy and well built. It doesn't rattle at all and I can't see where it would ever start. The hinge is solid and tight. And the locking handle is adjustable as well as a rubber stopper which keeps it snug up against the tailgate.
Now for the dislikes......I think my kit was shipped without all the bolts and nuts. It was hard to tell though since it didn't come with bonafide instructions and parts list. The instructions I used came from the website and were pretty informative, but didn't include an inventory and were kind of vague in some procedures. Mounting the bumper requires drilling four holes in the rear crossmember. This wouldn't have been a big deal, but.....in the instructions it says to always measure twice and drill once. I tell you I measured four times and still didn't get it right! My Jeep was hit and the frame has been tweaked a little from that and countless trail rides so I'm sure it's not as square as the directions wish. Placing the bumper in position with a floor jack and marking the holes is your best bet. However, to do this you'll need a very short white grease/wax pen. You'll know why if you buy one. Also, the kit was ordered with optional frame tie-ins for extra support. GET THEM! It seems like they'll really add to the structure and ability to use bumper as a hi-lift point. However, the bolts sent with the kit aren't long enough to go thru the bumper, crossmember and tie-in holes. And no bolts were sent to attach them to the frame itself. Ohh.....and I would've used flat/lock washers on all the connections, but they weren't supplied. And the last little thing I don't like about it is the on the hinge. It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's wide open on top. If it were mine I would've designed a rubber dust cover for it.
I know that seems like the bad outweighs the good, but I think it will be a good piece of equipment. In the end I spent an additional $20 on bolts, nuts and washers on top of the $1000 for the product. This includes bumper, carrier, jerry can mounts and trail rack. All other similar set-ups charge seperatly for each attachment. Plus, someone with very limited mechanical know-how could do this. It would be easier with two people when it comes to lifting the bumper into place, but I made do with a floor jack just fine.
Now for the dislikes......I think my kit was shipped without all the bolts and nuts. It was hard to tell though since it didn't come with bonafide instructions and parts list. The instructions I used came from the website and were pretty informative, but didn't include an inventory and were kind of vague in some procedures. Mounting the bumper requires drilling four holes in the rear crossmember. This wouldn't have been a big deal, but.....in the instructions it says to always measure twice and drill once. I tell you I measured four times and still didn't get it right! My Jeep was hit and the frame has been tweaked a little from that and countless trail rides so I'm sure it's not as square as the directions wish. Placing the bumper in position with a floor jack and marking the holes is your best bet. However, to do this you'll need a very short white grease/wax pen. You'll know why if you buy one. Also, the kit was ordered with optional frame tie-ins for extra support. GET THEM! It seems like they'll really add to the structure and ability to use bumper as a hi-lift point. However, the bolts sent with the kit aren't long enough to go thru the bumper, crossmember and tie-in holes. And no bolts were sent to attach them to the frame itself. Ohh.....and I would've used flat/lock washers on all the connections, but they weren't supplied. And the last little thing I don't like about it is the on the hinge. It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's wide open on top. If it were mine I would've designed a rubber dust cover for it.
I know that seems like the bad outweighs the good, but I think it will be a good piece of equipment. In the end I spent an additional $20 on bolts, nuts and washers on top of the $1000 for the product. This includes bumper, carrier, jerry can mounts and trail rack. All other similar set-ups charge seperatly for each attachment. Plus, someone with very limited mechanical know-how could do this. It would be easier with two people when it comes to lifting the bumper into place, but I made do with a floor jack just fine.
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