Hey guys,
I've finished installing my rear bumper (minus the sensors). I have about 8hrs of work in it already, and maybe another 3 to go.
Here are some pics without the rear bumper, but after the quarter panels were cut:
ARB's instructions were wrong in a few regards, one of which was major.
1) The recovery loops that are below the vehicle are removed completely and are not reused. They use these as a main point the bumper is attached to. It would be nice if they simply provided longer bolts so these could be reattached.
2) I am not sure why ARB has the 6mm packers as separate pieces. Would it not have been simpler just to weld these onto the bar? It wasn't difficult at all to put them in place, but it just didn't make sense from an engineering standpoint not to just have these part of the bumper.
3) The bracket on the left side which holds some sort of electronic equipment at an angle is moved using the relocating bracket. When this is done, the O.E. bracket is lower and further forward. It interferes with the spare tire, if oversized from stock. I had to take a dremel and cut off some metal to allow this bracket to clear the tire.
4) There are two brackets in the center (to the left and to the right of the hitch) that need to be removed to clear the new bumper. They were used to support the plastic bumper. ARB makes no mention of these, but they need to be removed. They serve no purpose with the ARB bumper. This should have been in the instructions.
5) There is a piece of hollow tube steel which is welded attaching from one side of rear frame rail to the other near the hitch. This appears to be a cage for the spare tire. It simply supports the spare tire. There is a screw dead center where the spare tire wrench inserts to lower the spare. This bar must be removed as it interferes with the ARB bumper. I simply took a hack saw and cut this piece off. Again, I do not see this piece adding any structural integrity to the vehicle, especially once the ARB bumper is in place. However, ARB failed to mention anything about this piece. I will have to discuss this with ARB on Monday, but I cannot imagine that this piece is not on the AU models for which the instructions were written.
6) The gap on the left side between the cut bumper and the ARB is larger than on the right side. ARB states you MUST use the 6mm packers, but I question this. I may remove the packer on the left and see if I can get it closer. It's about 30mm on the left and 15mm on the right. If I remove the packer, I may be able to get it closer, but at the same time I don't want to to sit unlevel or raked. in appearance. We'll see what I do...
7) If the spare is in place while lifting the bumper on, even after those brackets and tube steel are cut, you will hit the rear of the spare tire. It makes it a lot easier to remove (or at least lower) the tire and then get the bumper on. Once in place, the tire when lifted will bind into the ARB bumper holding it securely in place. This is why that steel tube can be removed safely.
As a final note, I wanted to get the bumper on first before drilling the sensors as I wanted to know where the bumper touches (or comes close to) the rear frame rail and hitch. This way, I didn't make a large hole and regret it once the bumper was on. I'm going to find 4 locations that do not interfere and drill them with the bumper attached. It shouldn't be too difficult to wire it from behind, especially once the spare is removed and I have it on 6" risers.
I'm heading outside to do this now. It's a nice day as far as Tucson is concerned -- 96* is the high today. Last week was 108*!!!
I've finished installing my rear bumper (minus the sensors). I have about 8hrs of work in it already, and maybe another 3 to go.
Here are some pics without the rear bumper, but after the quarter panels were cut:
ARB's instructions were wrong in a few regards, one of which was major.
1) The recovery loops that are below the vehicle are removed completely and are not reused. They use these as a main point the bumper is attached to. It would be nice if they simply provided longer bolts so these could be reattached.
2) I am not sure why ARB has the 6mm packers as separate pieces. Would it not have been simpler just to weld these onto the bar? It wasn't difficult at all to put them in place, but it just didn't make sense from an engineering standpoint not to just have these part of the bumper.
3) The bracket on the left side which holds some sort of electronic equipment at an angle is moved using the relocating bracket. When this is done, the O.E. bracket is lower and further forward. It interferes with the spare tire, if oversized from stock. I had to take a dremel and cut off some metal to allow this bracket to clear the tire.
4) There are two brackets in the center (to the left and to the right of the hitch) that need to be removed to clear the new bumper. They were used to support the plastic bumper. ARB makes no mention of these, but they need to be removed. They serve no purpose with the ARB bumper. This should have been in the instructions.
5) There is a piece of hollow tube steel which is welded attaching from one side of rear frame rail to the other near the hitch. This appears to be a cage for the spare tire. It simply supports the spare tire. There is a screw dead center where the spare tire wrench inserts to lower the spare. This bar must be removed as it interferes with the ARB bumper. I simply took a hack saw and cut this piece off. Again, I do not see this piece adding any structural integrity to the vehicle, especially once the ARB bumper is in place. However, ARB failed to mention anything about this piece. I will have to discuss this with ARB on Monday, but I cannot imagine that this piece is not on the AU models for which the instructions were written.
6) The gap on the left side between the cut bumper and the ARB is larger than on the right side. ARB states you MUST use the 6mm packers, but I question this. I may remove the packer on the left and see if I can get it closer. It's about 30mm on the left and 15mm on the right. If I remove the packer, I may be able to get it closer, but at the same time I don't want to to sit unlevel or raked. in appearance. We'll see what I do...
7) If the spare is in place while lifting the bumper on, even after those brackets and tube steel are cut, you will hit the rear of the spare tire. It makes it a lot easier to remove (or at least lower) the tire and then get the bumper on. Once in place, the tire when lifted will bind into the ARB bumper holding it securely in place. This is why that steel tube can be removed safely.
As a final note, I wanted to get the bumper on first before drilling the sensors as I wanted to know where the bumper touches (or comes close to) the rear frame rail and hitch. This way, I didn't make a large hole and regret it once the bumper was on. I'm going to find 4 locations that do not interfere and drill them with the bumper attached. It shouldn't be too difficult to wire it from behind, especially once the spare is removed and I have it on 6" risers.
I'm heading outside to do this now. It's a nice day as far as Tucson is concerned -- 96* is the high today. Last week was 108*!!!
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