How do I remove the front bumper

linewarbr · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 1:47 am

Gonna put tow hooks on tomorrow. Anyone got any tips on removing the front bumper on an 06 KJ?

MojaveKJ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:48 am

I was sent this recently when I asked the same question in a PM to Jeep4Me99. I bought his Reese front hitch which also requires the bumper to be removed.

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25620

Doesn't seem too difficult. As he reminded me, go to Jeep ahead of time and order the plastic rivets for the fender flares as you'll likely break a few if not all.

Congrats on the hooks...one mod down!

-Mojave KJ

linewarbr · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:29 am

Good link, but that's for an 02 to 04, I believe. I may try emailing the guy in that thread that posted about a .pdf file, but I'm not a member on JKJ and would feel kind of weird.

TAHOE · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:05 am

Should be the sams as my 05, the grill is just popped off along the top right under hood, then there are two screws under headlights that hold upper bumper, push down along top of bumper along radiator edge to release the plastic tabs.Then slide under the front, there are three screws along back side of the rad support that hold the plastic air dam type thing. Then there are two push pins inside each wheel well on the front, use a screwdriver to pop out cneter section.... then pull complete bumper cover off. Then if needed, uses a 10 mm scoket, pop off covers over the bumper tubes, and your set. I had ours off in about 8 mins the other day. No need to drill out any rivets or anything like that, those are on 02-04. It's all 10mm screws and plastic removable rivets or push tabs.

linewarbr · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:19 pm

Thanks for the help guys. Got it off, installed the tow hooks, and then. . .something strange came over me. . . involving my new Dremel tool and a write-up I had seen in the Tech section. . .

TRIMMED BUMPER!! :rockon:

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

Looks good...

MojaveKJ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:08 pm

I like it! Instantly makes it look taller... :JEEPIN:

linewarbr · **Posted:** Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:37 pm

MojaveKJ wrote:

I like it! Instantly makes it look taller... :JEEPIN:

Then it'll look like Wilt Chamberlain when I get a Frankie. . . :BANANA:

TexasRock · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:17 am

Looks good!

Yeah, your sagging a little bit... your CVs angles are going up!

That's ok, mine look straight, but, I'm taking care of that this week!! :BANANA:

linewarbr · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:45 pm

Yeah, I know. 70K on the original suspension, yuk. I was looking at that yesterday, and wondering how much sag is too much to the point where it will begin to bind the CV's like if I were to lift it too high. . .

AZKJ · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:21 pm

Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier. There is no need to remove the front bumper on an '06 as long as you cut out the front tabs first.

infernicus · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:40 am

05'-07' model years do not need to take off front bumper for Tow-Hook installation.

But for linewarbr -

linewarbr wrote:

...and then. . .something strange came over me. . . involving my new Dremel tool and a write-up I had seen in the Tech section. . .

In the end, everything works out!
Love it, I still have to do this to mine, waiting for warmer weather.. when I cut out the tow hooks spots I just used a utility knife and they came right out, I was surprised how clean the cut was.

linewarbr · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:45 pm

I don't see any way I could have done it without removing the bumper, or at least the air dam. (Which I ended up doing anyway. . . .) The shackles for the hooks have a clip with built-in studs that has to be inserted into the frame, the opening in the frame for the clip has a cap on it that has to be removed, and and I saw no way to get the caps off without removing the bumper, which fit flush over the caps. You sure it's not 08+ KK's you're thinking of?

Either way, I'm happy with the result! :BANANA:

Budke · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:50 pm

linewarbr wrote:

I don't see any way I could have done it without removing the bumper, or at least the air dam. (Which I ended up doing anyway. . . .) The shackles for the hooks have a clip with built-in studs that has to be inserted into the frame, the opening in the frame for the clip has a cap on it that has to be removed, and and I saw no way to get the caps off without removing the bumper, which fit flush over the caps. You sure it's not 08+ KK's you're thinking of?

Either way, I'm happy with the result! :BANANA:

The only hooks you can put on without removing the bumper are the hooks that come with the m-bolt.
The hooks that have the other weird looking bolt thingy you have you remove the bumper to put them on.

STINGN · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:52 pm

Budke wrote:

The only hooks you can put on without removing the bumper are the hooks that come with the m-bolt.
The hooks that have the other weird looking bolt thingy you have you remove the bumper to put them on.

even then its still a PITA to even tighten the nuts on the M-bolts w/ the bumper on

Budke · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:55 pm

STINGN wrote:

Budke wrote:

The only hooks you can put on without removing the bumper are the hooks that come with the m-bolt.
The hooks that have the other weird looking bolt thingy you have you remove the bumper to put them on.

even then its still a PITA to even tighten the nuts on the M-bolts w/ the bumper on

Yeah, I know.
I can't even get my hooks off with the bumper on.
I need to take it off to smash the piece of metal that the hooks are on back to being flat so the hook will be straight again.

STINGN · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:57 pm

Budke wrote:

I need to take it off to smash the piece of metal that the hooks are on back to being flat so the hook will be straight again.

so from using your tow hooks, they bend! thats no good

Budke · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:01 pm

STINGN wrote:

Budke wrote:

I need to take it off to smash the piece of metal that the hooks are on back to being flat so the hook will be straight again.

so from using your tow hooks, they bend! thats no good

First time I ever used them, it bent.
the hook its self didn't bend, I don't think, but rather the metal it attaches to.
I'm thinking of welding on some extra metal there to make it stiffer.
Or getting a TJ bumper and putting it on a building my own bumper around that.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:05 pm

linewarbr wrote:

Yeah, I know. 70K on the original suspension, yuk. I was looking at that yesterday, and wondering how much sag is too much to the point where it will begin to bind the CV's like if I were to lift it too high. . .

I was at about 80something when I lifted mine from the OEM suspension, believe mine was sagged worse than yours by a good 8 degrees or so

after the lift, it was as if i had turned my suspension upside down and the cvs were pointed the other direction by the same amount, without the oem bump stops on the oem suspension, i'd imagine you could probably bind them or get real close to it

after the lift it's the droop, which is limited by the stock shock length that will bind them rather than the stuff position

you'll love it!

gonna add some top plates to mine before long

the metal 'framing' the hooks attach to is rather thin, other than actually yanking too hard and literally tearing the bolts out of the framing it should be fine - was one of the several reasons why some of us went to improved front recovery points to 'stiffen' up the mounting but as long as you don't get 'tarded with the tow hooks i don't think they'll go anywhere

Budke · **Posted:** Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:09 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

linewarbr wrote:

the metal 'framing' the hooks attach to is rather thin, other than actually yanking too hard and literally tearing the bolts out of the framing it should be fine - was one of the several reasons why some of us went to improved front recovery points to 'stiffen' up the mounting but as long as you don't get 'tarded with the tow hooks i don't think they'll go anywhere

I had to get 'tarded with it....
Stuck to the centerline of my wheels in muck and had to get pulled out sideways. Wasn't pretty.

How do I remove the front bumper

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