I know there are a few out there that have this bumper, but I couldn't find anybody that posted tips/tricks on how to get the bugger on there. So it was a day of trial and error. I hope what I am posting will help someone in the future get their bumper put on faster.

Lower bracket is a bolt in affair using the holes already in the body using the included nut strips. These are used by the front hitch, but not the third.... maybe tie in later?







Then comes the fun part. Every photo I have seen of the mounting system shows a bracket that resembles a piece of angle iron between the two holes (grill support and little metal cups) on the chassis. The re-re-release of the bumper thread also stated that the only modification to the body was opening four holes with an included step drill bit. Well... I didn't get these brackets, maybe they are for the 02-04? Rather I received a pair of L-shaped brackets with welded nuts. These L-shaped brackets use the large hole in the truck's "frame rail", but you can't get the bracket flush without some trimming. I may come up with a set of the prior brackets and install them just for more strength... probably not needed, but why not?



Ended up using a hack-saw blade alone to cut through the body, then pliers to fatigue the tab out of the way.





Hit the cut areas with a bit of primer to prevent future issues, and mounted the last brackets in place. The right side was a PITA, as you have to unbolt the washer bottle and hold it out of the way while tightening the bolt. Left is easier after dropping the horns out of the way (single 13mm bolt).





Rest of the install was very self explanatory... then you get to the wiring.

I hunted about the web and could not find any diagrams using the lights included with the bumper, again I found nothing to aid. I did, however, find instructions for a set of brake lights that some dude mounted to his TJ, by the same company (Maxxima). From this I found that those used the white-wire as ground. My lights had a red, black, and white leads... I assumed they matched the red, white, and black on the factory harness... I was wrong.

Wiring was FINALLY figured out after two blown fuzes and some trial and error.

Red goes to red
Black goes to white

I also didn't like the side-markers that came with the kit. I felt they didn't do much for the bumper's aesthetics, and I am sure I would be knocking one off on the trail next week. I ended up using my super-strength 3m double sided foam tape stuff to stick the OEM side-markers to the inside of the bumper wing so it "peeks" out the hole in the wing. No pics of that, but it seems to work. I will be testing this out over the SoDak trip. If it works, I am thinking I will expand the existing round hole into an oval, line with mesh like the front signals, and get a larger reflector/marker to mount behind.

All in all, it seems like one hell of a kit, and I love how it all goes together. I will be getting it powder coated when we return... after I figure out what modifications to the original design I want to make.

Mounted on truck



...and with winch.





The astute will notice my winch is lacking a solenoid box, this has been relocated behind the grill to allow better airflow to the radiator/intercooler/ac condenser. It sits in place of the air-ducting for the stock CRD intake, which is not used after converting to the v6 airbox. Wiring will be completed tomorrow, and will be easily unhooked and stowed for when I am not needing the winch around town. I am also going to get some steel and fabricate a "beauty plate" to fill in the area on top of the bumper, to the grill, when the winch plate is off. It looks a little undone with the winch off.



That is all.

_________________
-Rich
It must be air in the fuel!

Finished product looks good

_________________
2005 Jeep Liberty.....SOLD =(

1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ





http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3897619/2005-jeep-liberty-sport-sport-utility-4d

that bumper looked good...right up until I saw where it meets the fenders.

you'd think they could do a better job making them look right.

It's the same spot where the ARB meets up at

_________________
With enough fabbing, time & $, it's certainly possible.
That being said, it's like boinkin' your sister...just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

I mean how it bulges out and doesn't meet the lines of the flares.

Maybe it would look better in black. But that would be an end all for me with a bumper.

I wasn't sold on the wings either. Originally I was going to order the bumper with no upper portions and just trim the plastic to use OEM turn signals.

Household-6 overruled.


stolen from their site

_________________
-Rich
It must be air in the fuel!

that looks very good!

I agree, but she has final word.

when I was initially ordering the bumper without the extra bits on the wings (for that look ^^) Marty was going to discount the bumper's price. I will give it a shot this next week, if I still want it without the extra material I can always lop it off and modify the factory turn signals to work with it. this would allow me to install some LED driving lamps in the grated holes.

But I am lazy, and I am sure it will look MUCH better in black.

_________________
-Rich
It must be air in the fuel!

Congratulations on the bumper, you must be one of the lucky guys with Mr. Martin. I'm on my second year now and have paid upfront with no signs in the horizon for delivering my ordered front and rear bumpers.

i must be one of the unlucky guys with Martin. All i got from him so far is many past empty commitments . Hope i didn't make a mistake when i paid him upfront.

guys over here say he can take 2 year for delivery while he is advertising 45 days delivery on his website

Hope i live long enough to solve this wonder