theksmith 3,827 Posted April 29 (edited) done test fitting and tweaking, everything is nearly ready to bolt in. i think only the vacuum pump relocation is still todo. oh, and the shower nozzle stuff, but that may require some redesign. had to do a little surgery on the winch clutch lever. it was either this or cut out a section of the grille. fine-textured paint on the bumper is finished and drying. Edited April 29 by theksmith 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,827 Posted April 30 (edited) decided to mount the vacuum pump behind the PCM like many other relocation brackets. however, since my VoSwitch relay/fuse box was already in that spot, i used its bracket, countersink some long screws, and used spacers to hang the pump below it. also drilled and tapped a new mounting spot for my fog light. the old location at the rear of the winch wouldn't work anymore, as that part tucks up under the grille now. Edited May 1 by theksmith 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,827 Posted April 30 photo of Gadget and @Bradywgn71's classic XJ from last weekend's trip down in the Grand Canyon and nearby trails... thanks to @4x4tographer for these shots of Gadget and myself. 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,827 Posted May 3 (edited) new bumper is 45 lbs, the previous aluminum bumper and steel winch cradle were about the same. however i also used to have a lower skid plate that was another 20 lbs. besides the weight savings, the new bumper also shaved off over 3.5" from the nose due to the frame chop and the minimalist design. my new approach angle is somewhere around 67 degrees (with 37" tires and about 5" lift)! ...or, a full 90* approach for up to a 27" tall ledge. Edited May 3 by theksmith 2 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnpa 743 Posted May 3 I never thought I would hear a bumper replacement and shower nozzle in one sentence. Nice work Kris 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 2,711 Posted May 3 It’s so whittle!!!!!! 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzJeepChic 2,427 Posted May 3 Looks really great!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,827 Posted May 5 (edited) minor detail on the bumper... replaced the obnoxiously long mounting bolts with some shorter ones and thinner nuts - and painted them black of course. everything is still grade 8, and i don't think the thinner nuts will be a problem - the bolts are in a double-shear configuration with the bumper tightly sandwiching the frame and so the threads shouldn't be subject to any real force - the nuts are pretty much just keeping the bolts from falling out. Edited May 5 by theksmith 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ob1jeeper 484 Posted May 6 (edited) 4 hours ago, theksmith said: minor detail on the bumper... replaced the obnoxiously long mounting bolts with some shorter ones and thinner nuts - and painted them black of course. everything is still grade 8, and i don't think the thinner nuts will be a problem - the bolts are in a double-shear configuration with the bumper tightly sandwiching the frame and so the threads shouldn't be subject to any real force - the nuts are pretty much just keeping the bolts from falling out. Looks pretty nice. ;) Just curious. Had you considered inserting the bolts from the top? Edited May 6 by ob1jeeper 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
