RLC rear tire carrier / swing out / jerry can / custom fab bumper

[grinchy]

Wrapped up the driver side. It went much faster the second time.

I like it all except the gap between the bumper and the body on the left side of the tailgate. About two inches here that need a plan of some type. I can't see why a vertical fill wasn't included here. I am lucky to have a black paint black body so it isn't very noticeable.

I think I'll take a break from bumpers for a bit and fit the swingarm in the future.

Pushing that trim on is a work out.

 

[tbisaacs]

Is that because of LX differences or bumper design?

 

[steenh]

On the LC the plastic extended out so you could cut to fit. You will like that bumper once you get this all wrapped up. I think it's the highest clearance bumper out there right now. 2-1/2 years running so far.

 

[grinchy]

When I get around to it a little sheet metal painted with the bed liner and screwed to the bumper cover bit I kept going down behind the lift gate is a simple fix. If I had a welder easy to tack a piece in too. The real fitment difference is the fact that the passenger wing bracket doesn’t work.

I got this one as I liked the aesthetic, the weight, and the total price for a swingarm solution. James was a pleasure to deal with and worked up some cool rotopax stuff on the swingarm I haven’t even gotten to yet.

As far as departure angle, it’s probably very close to stock. There is much better clearance between the wheel and rear but the stock bumper cover is also tight against the hitch crossmember. I haven’t moved the resonator and that is below the frame, it’s the limiting item at the moment. Yeah, and the tire until I get the swingarm prepped and mounted. Still with the fat a** on these rigs it is basically preventative maintenance to get a bumper you can drag without fear.

The whole bumper comes with what you need (unless you want fancy bolts, and I think you do) and the prep and mounting are straight forward, but the are a lot of steps and it is pretty time intensive.

It looks awesome. Even my wife noticed.

 

[grinchy]

Fabbed a bracket yesterday to go around the ahc pump and reservoir. Very minor modifications made to the rig for fit. I’ll add a couple install shots.

Started with 24” 3/8” thick 3” wide.

Uses a u bolt on the frame side.

Would be better if I could bend the material a little bit, but I figure it will work and at least not be a damage multiplier.

 

[Willy beamin]

post a finished picture when you get done dicking around with this install - lol

 

[grinchy]

Good idea. I’ll move all this noise over to my build thread.

 

[grinchy]

I borrowed this pic from an ARB rear install. I was looking for trailer connector OEM wire color/location on the reverse lights. In any case the reverse lights are on the 5 connector pigtail, looking down on the two wires, leftmost of the three wires on the other side (or so I hope). I'll edit this with the color once I get unwrapped; standard color would be purple.
Ground should be on the five-plug as well, the right of the two wires when those are on top, standard color is white.

What struck me on the pic is how well the RLC bumper tucks up underneath compared to the ARB. That angle iron piece is flat on the RLC, and there is no spacer either.

 

[RET2]

Thats how I solved the backup and license light issue too

 

[grinchy]

Thats how I solved the backup and license light issue too

Good idea, I should grab the license light while I'm down there - did you use left of the top two on the five plug (brown standard color) / (taillights)?
Maybe I'll grab aux power too and put a switch on it for accessory LEDs.

 

[RET2]

I just utilized the running light and reverse wires, but your concept is making me rethink my set up.

 

[grinchy]

@RET2 yeah I'm drafting behind you all; makes it super easy.

 

[TeCKis300]

You guys realize that hundreds of people see your license plate every time you drive around town, right?

There is a difference. Guys on the road don't have s correlated profile and screen name to delve further into your personal business. Every nugget makes it easier for a bad actor to figure out your puzzle. But then it gets into how paranoid each person is.

Bumper looks great. I'd like to hear your thoughts on any driving dynamic differences.

 

[RET2]

Scrounged up some aluminum scraps and fabbed a propane bottle mount,

 

[Markuson]

There is a difference. Guys on the road don't have s correlated profile and screen name to delve further into your personal business. Every nugget makes it easier for a bad actor to figure out your puzzle. But then it gets into how paranoid each person is.

Bumper looks great. I'd like to hear your thoughts on any driving dynamic differences.

Ya, I guess it’s (obviously) just personal preference.

For me...having lived or worked on 6 of 7 continents and most of those third world, I think I have a very different perception of danger. So my view may be a bit warped.

 

[grinchy]

I bent to time pressure and just bought a dedicated trailer 7 plug for the bumper lights. Now that I have the reverse lights wired up I can see a bit of a long term plan here. I've got a 7 gang trailer junction/wiring box coming, and I'll permanently mount that, and run the trailer plug into that, and use the box to break out the various bumper wirings. I have my eye on the 7 way led strips, and barring that, will likely get a tire mounted brake light and need to power the license light too.

Will need a separate box for the eventual non engine switch LED accessory lighting. That's run from the battery and be larger gauge. Have pretty much decided to mount my air compressor and likely a tank in the rear too.

And I still have a wonky parking sensor. Replaced the entire run of cable to it last night, still blaring. I've switched the sensor with the other corner, and it isn't the sensor . . .

 

[milemarker60]

I finally got around to installing my RLC Bumper last night on my ‘10 LX570 and have a few notes to add to @grinchy ’s post on the AHC pump location problem. Indeed 570 owner’s will have to deal with altering the OEM mounting system for this pump and mod’ing the passenger wing bracket or relocating the pump. In my case, moving the pump to the inside of the frame rail will be my eventual plan since the spare and associated hoist has been removed leaving plenty of realestate but this will require disconnecting it from the system. Since I just performed a fluid transfusion this past month, I will put this off for a bit and chose a modified approach at this time so here’s how I solved the problem...

• Removed three bolts securing pump to frame rail and the one bolt securing the Fluid hard-line clamp. This allows just enough movement to access the covered mounting holes where the wing bracket will attach.
• Remove all but 1”ish of the vertical stiffener on the included passenger wing bracket. I chose to fab a new one as I will be moving the pump eventually and will use the supplied bracket at that time.
• The pump’s mounting bracket has a shelf/skid plate on the bottom of the unit along with a vertical plate that attaches to the frame with the three bolts. This mounting plate extends below the skid plate which will need to be trimmed flush to provide a level plane across the bottom of the assembly.
• With the assistance of a floor jack, lift the pump assembly just high enough to top against the body while pulling it as far away from the frame.
• Bolt the modified or fab’d wing bracket to the rig. One of the holes will have a weld nut already where the pump was attached and the larger hole will need a through bolt like the driver’s side.
• Secure the pump bracket through its aft lower hole to a weld nut in the frame with the front lower edge spaced from the wing bracket so it does not rest on it.
• This step may not be needed but... Ensure the pump assembly is spaced up so that it does not rest on the installed wing as above and drill through the frame from inside the spare well all the way through the pump bracket and secure with a long bolt.

I feel confident that the altered wing bracket will be plenty stout post surgery and that the AHC pump will be just as secure as it was prior to the operation. I don’t rock crawl with the 570 but do a fair amount of aggressive overlanding and have no doubt that this repair is more than satisfactory but I still do believe that the eventual relocation of the pump is truly the best solution. Time will tell if I actually do go to that step.

Anyway, hope this helps for anyone purchasing one of James’ bumpers. I have a different vendor’s bumper on all my various series’ and his is the perfect solution for me on the 200-series platform.

Dave

 

[grinchy]

Impressive @milemarker60 . Do you have a pic? Any issue with the hardline coming off the ahc to the rail?

 

[milemarker60]

Sorry, didn't take any pics and I doubt they'd help and only confuse the post above...super easy fix that will make sense if you pull your fender liner and take a look at the pump location/layout. No issues with the hard-line as we're only talking about an inch or so of movement here but there is a clamp that needs to be unbolted to allow it to move around (post above edited). No chance of kinking the line or damaging in the process. If/when I move to inside of frame then the hard-line will need to be carefully re-formed based on what I measured.

 

[tbisaacs]

@milemarker60 are those the slee sliders?