Step 1. Remove your factory hitch. Keep the two bolts that attached the hitch to
the rear crossmember. These will be re-used.
Step 2. Unplug your rear fog and turn signal lights. Remove your rear bumper.
Step 3. Remove the screw from the corner plastic trim piece. Remove the trim
piece by pulling straight back. It is attached with three push-in plugs. Cut off the
screw hole tab flush with the bottom of the trim piece.
Step 4. Use a cold chisel (or large flat screwdriver) and remove the factory nuts
for the two bumper bolts. These should pop off as they are only spot-welded
on. Enlarge the FOUR holes on the bumper brackets with a 9/16” drill bit. Also
elongate the holes from side to side.
Step 5. Remove the inner fender liners by grinding off the heads of the rivets.
You will also need to remove the bolt that fastens the fuel filler tube to the
passenger side panel. The rear mud flaps will also need to be removed.
Step 6. Remove the plastic trim pieces along the bottom of the quarter panels.
Step 7. Send your significant other out for something. You will be cutting sheet
metal soon and you don’t want them to see this!
Step 8. Measure 25” down (perpendicular) from the bottom edge of the rear
window to the bottom of the rear wheel flare (the edge closest to the tire) and mark
with a permanent marker (Sharpie) or such.
Step 9. Hold the plastic rear corner trim pieces in place and mark along the body
under the lower edge of the trim piece. This should be parallel to the ground.
Remove the corner pieces.
Step 10. From the forward edge of the line drawn in step 9, measure down 2.5”
and draw a line down perpendicular to the existing line (this will follow the black
decal outline). Mark a straight line from the bottom of this line to the mark made
on the rear wheel flare. This is your cutting line.
Step 11. You will need to remove all of the material below the lines drawn above.
That is, all of the material below the corner trim pieces, as well as the material
along the rear quarter panel. This will allow the corners of the bumper to fit
underneath the rear corners of the body.
Step 12. You may need to trim some additional material from the corners of the
rear crossmember of the body. This can be removed, or bent over with a large
rubber mallet or a hammer. The amount varies according to the vehicle therefore
this is a trial and fit process. Sorry!
Step 13. Get a friend (two is even better) and have them hold the bumper in
position. Insert the two bolts into the rear crossmember that were removed from
the hitch and install finger tight. This will support the weight of the bumper while
you are getting it centered and positioned.
**NOTE** If your sliders are not welded to your bumper, you will need to install
the bumper and sliders onto the vehicle BEFORE tack-welding the sliders onto the
bumper. You CANNOT weld the sliders on before doing this, as they are NOT
parallel to each other.
Step 14. Install the four bolts that attach the bumper to the factory bumper
brackets. Ensure that the bumper is level and centered. Mark and drill six holes in
the wheelwells for the plates to mount. The top of each plate should rest against the
flat ridge inside each wheel well. Spacers are included to fill any gap.
Step 15. Install and tighten the six bolts in the wheelwells. Tighten the four bolts
that attach the bumper to the frame brackets, and then tighten the two bolts in the
crossmember. Once the bumper has been properly aligned and fitted, a small bead
(approx. 4”-6” long) will need to be welded along the bottom of the center cross-
member mount. This mount is now adjustable during fitting to allow for variances
that have been encountered among the various years of DII production.
Step 16. The bracket that braces the fuel filler tube will need to be modified.
Notch each side of the bracket approximately 3” up from the bottom and bend it
back towards the wheelwell. You can then attach the bracket to the plate using the
pre-drilled hole.
You will need to reroute your exhaust and rewire your taillights. You may use
a DrawTite trailer conversion box, which combines the brake and turn signals.
Therefore, no additional lights are required. This offers better visibility of your
turn signals by having them located higher on the body, since they are now
incorporated into your brake lights.
