I replaced my enormously heavy Rock Hard 4x4 Patriot Series Rear Bumper with Tire Carrier with the Crawltek Pyro Mid-Width Rear Bumper.
First impression were good. The mounting instructions say you can use 4 or 8 bolts to mount the bumper, and the PO had already drilled out the needed holes in the bumper, so I decided to take the opportunity to use all the bolts.
Here is where the problems started.
I fit the bumper up to the frame, it was a tight slip fit requiring the use of a mallet.
Once it was installed I noticed a potential problem with the bolts holding up the rear gas-tank skid.
In the end, after much fussing and using all the cutting tools I had on hand, it was the death wheel to the rescue to cut a 1 inch by ~30 inch section of the lower bumper giving me access to the gas-tank skid bolts.
There was no mention of this detail in the install notes, just that removal of the gas tank is required to access the 4 other bolts.
See below for installed but no access to the gas-tank skid bolts. You will see that it has two reliefs that give no access to any bolts.
After a crude attempt to clearance the bolts.
Lots of clearance for the 31 inch spare
First impression were good. The mounting instructions say you can use 4 or 8 bolts to mount the bumper, and the PO had already drilled out the needed holes in the bumper, so I decided to take the opportunity to use all the bolts.
Here is where the problems started.
I fit the bumper up to the frame, it was a tight slip fit requiring the use of a mallet.
Once it was installed I noticed a potential problem with the bolts holding up the rear gas-tank skid.
In the end, after much fussing and using all the cutting tools I had on hand, it was the death wheel to the rescue to cut a 1 inch by ~30 inch section of the lower bumper giving me access to the gas-tank skid bolts.
There was no mention of this detail in the install notes, just that removal of the gas tank is required to access the 4 other bolts.
See below for installed but no access to the gas-tank skid bolts. You will see that it has two reliefs that give no access to any bolts.
After a crude attempt to clearance the bolts.
Lots of clearance for the 31 inch spare