The grille on my TJ was damaged when I bought it from a minor collision the PO had, so I recently decided to remove it and replace it with a straight used one. I couldn’t find any write-ups when I started researching how big of a task this was, so I decided to make one after tackling the project.
NOTE: I did not keep track of the sizes of the bolts and nuts that needed to be removed, but all of them were common metric and SAE sizes. You will also need some Torx bits.
ALSO: You can mix and match the following steps to some extent.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you have AC, you will need to get the system evacuated by a professional.
How to remove the grille:
1. Remove the struts that run from the firewall to the grille by removing the bolts from both sides.
2. Remove both headlights. Unplug them from the backside and then remove the chrome light bezels by removing the screws. Remove the chrome headlight retaining rings by removing the screws. The headlights should then pull right out. Remove the headlight brackets/buckets by removing three nuts on the backside of the grille behind each bucket. Pulling out these buckets allow for easier wiring harness removal.
3. Remove the passenger side wiring to both marker lights. Pull this wiring harness through the hole sealed by the rubber grommet in the fender and up through the fender well area. Undo all of the zip tie clips/inserts from the top of the grille. Then pull the wiring harness through the grille from the passenger side light hole to the driver’s side light hole. You will have to work it through the rubber shields/radiator wind directors. Set the harness aside.
4. Remove any bolts or nuts in the backside of the grille that hold any ground wires. These will be near either of the headlights. I am not sure if all TJs have this or if it was done by the PO.
5. Remove 6 bolts connecting each fender to the grille. Three are on the backside of the grille to fender area and three are on the side of the grille to fender area.
6. Remove the coolant reservoir by pushing the outward divot towards the engine by gently prying with a flathead screwdriver and then pulling the reservoir up at the same time. Set this upright out of the way. Leave the hose connected.
7. Remove the radiator fan shroud for easier access to the radiator to grille bolts. There are 2 bolts on each side of the shroud. Once the shroud is loose, pull it back so it is hanging out of the way.
8. Remove the three bolts on either side of the radiator connecting the radiator brackets to the grille. These are sort of hard to get to, but it can be done with some extensions. MAKE SURE the radiator is resting so it will not fall when the grille is removed.
9. IF YOU HAVE AC: Once the system is evacuated, remove the two nuts connecting the AC lines to the condenser. The top line is a rubber hose and can be pushed aside. The bottom line is aluminum and will need to rest until the condenser (attached to the grill) is pulled out. You may want to tape off these lines to avoid any contamination of the system. The condenser will need to come out with the grill.
10. Remove the body mount bolt from the bottom of the grille.
11. Remove one plastic trim fastener that holds a rubber radiator shield from the bottom of the grille to the frame located on the passenger side frame rail.
12. Slowly pull the grille forward from the Jeep. Make sure to watch for anything still connected or hanging anything up. At this point, the condenser will pull away from the aluminum AC line.
13. The grille is now free from the Jeep, but the condenser is not free from the grille. There are 2 bolts on the top of the grill and 2 bolts on the lower backside. I am not exactly sure how these are supposed to be removed because they are mounted in rubber grommets. We used an interior trim panel removal tool to pry these bolts out of the grommets and it worked fine. They would not thread out.
14. Remove anything else need if replacing the grille such as the rubber shields/radiator wind directors.
That is all there is to it. My brother and I did it in about 2 hours. I live in the rust belt, but no bolts gave me any real trouble. This job Is not too bad overall. Just make sure to keep track of all the bolts and nuts.
NOTE: I did not keep track of the sizes of the bolts and nuts that needed to be removed, but all of them were common metric and SAE sizes. You will also need some Torx bits.
ALSO: You can mix and match the following steps to some extent.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you have AC, you will need to get the system evacuated by a professional.
How to remove the grille:
1. Remove the struts that run from the firewall to the grille by removing the bolts from both sides.
2. Remove both headlights. Unplug them from the backside and then remove the chrome light bezels by removing the screws. Remove the chrome headlight retaining rings by removing the screws. The headlights should then pull right out. Remove the headlight brackets/buckets by removing three nuts on the backside of the grille behind each bucket. Pulling out these buckets allow for easier wiring harness removal.
3. Remove the passenger side wiring to both marker lights. Pull this wiring harness through the hole sealed by the rubber grommet in the fender and up through the fender well area. Undo all of the zip tie clips/inserts from the top of the grille. Then pull the wiring harness through the grille from the passenger side light hole to the driver’s side light hole. You will have to work it through the rubber shields/radiator wind directors. Set the harness aside.
4. Remove any bolts or nuts in the backside of the grille that hold any ground wires. These will be near either of the headlights. I am not sure if all TJs have this or if it was done by the PO.
5. Remove 6 bolts connecting each fender to the grille. Three are on the backside of the grille to fender area and three are on the side of the grille to fender area.
6. Remove the coolant reservoir by pushing the outward divot towards the engine by gently prying with a flathead screwdriver and then pulling the reservoir up at the same time. Set this upright out of the way. Leave the hose connected.
7. Remove the radiator fan shroud for easier access to the radiator to grille bolts. There are 2 bolts on each side of the shroud. Once the shroud is loose, pull it back so it is hanging out of the way.
8. Remove the three bolts on either side of the radiator connecting the radiator brackets to the grille. These are sort of hard to get to, but it can be done with some extensions. MAKE SURE the radiator is resting so it will not fall when the grille is removed.
9. IF YOU HAVE AC: Once the system is evacuated, remove the two nuts connecting the AC lines to the condenser. The top line is a rubber hose and can be pushed aside. The bottom line is aluminum and will need to rest until the condenser (attached to the grill) is pulled out. You may want to tape off these lines to avoid any contamination of the system. The condenser will need to come out with the grill.
10. Remove the body mount bolt from the bottom of the grille.
11. Remove one plastic trim fastener that holds a rubber radiator shield from the bottom of the grille to the frame located on the passenger side frame rail.
12. Slowly pull the grille forward from the Jeep. Make sure to watch for anything still connected or hanging anything up. At this point, the condenser will pull away from the aluminum AC line.
13. The grille is now free from the Jeep, but the condenser is not free from the grille. There are 2 bolts on the top of the grill and 2 bolts on the lower backside. I am not exactly sure how these are supposed to be removed because they are mounted in rubber grommets. We used an interior trim panel removal tool to pry these bolts out of the grommets and it worked fine. They would not thread out.
14. Remove anything else need if replacing the grille such as the rubber shields/radiator wind directors.
That is all there is to it. My brother and I did it in about 2 hours. I live in the rust belt, but no bolts gave me any real trouble. This job Is not too bad overall. Just make sure to keep track of all the bolts and nuts.
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