Next I trimmed the bumper skin. This is very easy with a multi-tool. Measure 4-5 times and take a little off at a time:
Notice that everything is filthy
After this step, I hit my stride and got the swing arms done, both sides:
Pictured here is gotcha number 3 - parking sensors. There are many different size parking sensors across 200 series LC/LX model years. The holes laser-cut into the bumper and the included grommets are too small by ~ 10 millimeters. A step bit makes quick work of the aluminum skin to enlarge the holes, but the problem is that the aluminum is very thick - thicker than each gradation of my step bit. This means that the the outside of the hole is slightly too big while the inside is just right. I'm really not happy with fitment. I don't know what to do about it if I'm being honest. Had I known, I wouldn't have transferred them over and just 3d-printed some plugs.
Next step, tackling electrical. The tried and true method is to tap the trailer plug and splice in a Curt 2-wire to 3-wire converter. This honestly broke my brain. I read and read the instructions, texted
@radman and
@grinchy, searched old posts, and I could not make sense of it - so I made my own:
Finally, I was ready to make a harness. This was gotcha number 4 - and the start of a big setback.
Remember that crossmember bracket in the beginning? Turns out it's not there on later model years. This causes major interference with the trailer plug — which I didn't find out until after everything was mounted and aligned:
There is zero % chance this will work (also note the scotchlock connectors - I decided against these and used low-temp solder joints instead). You have to notch out the bracket. Had I known this - I would have done it first step and it would have been a thousand percent easier. So I took my grinder with a cut off wheel and abrasive wheel and just started hogging it out until I could get it to fit. After my first pass, things started looking better:
I didn't take a "final" photo but ended up going in two more times to take out more material and cleaning up. Also more paint.
This is where things started to suck. When I pulled off the center section, I could not get it to align properly again. There are some captive nut plates that tie everything together and they just weren't having it.
Upon further investigation - I realized I didn't torque down the through bolt on the driver side wing stiffener. Once the weight of the spare was on it, everything was tweaked. So I had no choice, I completely took everything off the truck - both swing arms, the center section, the wings. All of it except the AHC bracket and wing stiffener. This was a 3-4 hour setback
Once I got alignment sorted, and wing stiffener torqued - I got the tail lights in:
@radman 's careful eye pointed out - I have them flipped. Turn signals go on the outsides - will save that for another day. Once I verified everything fit and lights worked, she went back together for hopefully the last time:
To do - and do over in better weather
- I have not relocated the camera yet
- I will probably buy another trailer harness and do over the light wiring. It's not pretty and has too many splices
- I installed the plate bracket but not the light. I may never relocate - the spare has 6-10" of adjustment left or right. If you move it left, plate is clearly visible
- I haven't installed hi-lift jack yet
- Need to get an exhaust tip welded on to hide my ugly chop
- More rust cleanup inside the spare tire area and backside of the hitch (note there is so much room there with the tire out of the way. Wow!)
Closing thoughts
This is a serious undertaking. I spent 5 solid days in the garage on this. If I had more room, a heated garage with a drain, and better instructions, I'm sure I could do it again in 2 days.
There are no remarkable driving changes. I literally dont notice it other than I can't see out the back window.
And not to take away with how over the moon I am - but it's pretty ridiculous that this doesn't come with proper instructions other than those that radman provided. This is an almost $5000 bumper. There are also design changes since his install - and as I discovered, critical model year issues that greatly impact the install.
@radman - sincere shout out to you for the help. Y'all dont know but I literally texted him 50 times while he was with his fam in big bend. He's a legend!
