1. Open up your boxes and make sure you have the LoD bumper, A-frame tire carrier, tire mounting bracket, bumper mounting plates and hardware. If you are missing anything, now is the time to figure things out. Please look carefully for the hardware as it is small and easy to miss. My hardware was wrapped up in a ball of newspaper and I almost threw it out. DO NOT assemble the A-frame section onto the bumper at this time.

2. Begin this project by removing your plastic bumper end caps. To do this, you will need a T-30 Torx Bit to remove two bolts on top, two underneath and one attached to a flange behind the bumper.

3. If you have a factory J-hook style tow hook, remove it using a 19mm and 18mm socket. Be sure to extract the metal tab with the nut welded on to it from inside your frame.

4. There are a total of 6 bolts securing your factory bumper to your Jeep. On either side, you will find two bolts located directly behind the rear cross member and one underneath attached to your frame rail. Using an 18mm socket, remove all six bolts but keep the two that were attached underneath the frame rail handy as they will be re-used. Remove your bumper.

5. Clean up and wipe down your rear cross member.

6. For reasons of strength, you will need to drill two sets of new mounting holes in your Jeep's rear cross member (This step is for TJ's only - YJ's do not require drilling). These new holes will be located just inside the frame rails 32" apart center to center. Each set will require two vertically aligned 1/2" holes to be drilled 1-1/8" apart center to center. Carefully measure, locate and mark your drilling locations with a center punch as shown in the pic to the right. As a general rule of thumb, always measure twice and drill once.

7. A 1/2" drill bit is quite large and can be difficult to get started right where you need it. So, to insure accuracy, I decided to drill 1/8" pilot holes first. These pilot hole helps guide the larger 1/2" bit or unibit to stay where it needs to be. Drill slowly and try not to push too hard. If you punch through with all your weight behind the drill, you just may end up poking a hole in your gas tank and that ain't good.

8. Clean up your holes with a file or Dremel with a grinding bit.

9. Here's where a friend to help you out comes in handy. Lift your new LoD bumper up to your Jeep's rear cross member and thread in the two bolts that attach the bottom brackets to the bottom of your frame rails. Do not tighten the bolts at this time as you may need to shift the bumper around to get all the other bolts on.

10. Now comes the fun part. With your friend holding the LoD bumper up and in place, take one of the mounting brackets with the two nuts welded on and slip it behind your rear cross member on the driver side of your Jeep. Hold the mounting bracket with the flush side up against the back of the cross member where you drilled the holes earlier and thread in the two bolts in finger tight. The space behind your cross member is very tight so be patient and take your time.

INSTALLATION NOTE: If getting your fingers behind the rear cross member proves to be too difficult, place a floor jack under your gas tank skid plate to help support its weight and then remove all the nuts securing it to your rear cross member. Then, slowly lower your floor jack a bit and let the rear of your gas tank droop. This should give you more room to work with.

11. Repeat step number 10 on the passenger side of your Jeep.

12. Using a 5/8" wrench, tighten up all four mounting bolts attached to your rear cross member. Be sure to tighten the two bolts under your frame rails at this time as well using an 18mm wrench.

13. Great! Now that you have your new LoD bumper mounted on your Jeep, it time to install the A-frame swing out tire carrier. To begin, open your tailgate and remove the bolt securing the small plastic cover on the hinge side using a phillips screwdriver.

14. Disconnect the two wires leads for your 3rd brake light by pulling on them firmly one at a time. The wires are just plugged into the contacts so no cutting is necessary. From the outside of your tailgate door, carefully pull each connector out one at a time. You may need to pull the rubber grommet out first in order to do this. If you do need to remove the rubber grommet, be sure to replace it once the wires have been extracted. Re-attach the plastic cover onto your tailgate door.

15. Now, remove the four 13mm bolts attaching your Jeep's 3rd brake light assembly to the OEM tire carrier. Set aside your 3rd brake light and proceed to remove the five 13mm bolts securing your OEM tire carrier to your tailgate.

16. Using some white lithium grease, lube up the 1" hinge pin on the LoD bumper as shown in the pic to the left.

17. With the help of a friend, hold the A-frame hinge section over the hinge pin on the LoD bumper, place a board or a block of wood over the hinge and then tap it onto the hinge pin using a 3 lb. hammer. Keep tapping until it is all the way on.

NOTE: Steps 18-21 are for older LoD bumper tire carrier models. Newer LoD bumpers have been redesigned to include a metal flange that does not require you to modify your rubber isolators.

18. Using a T-30 Torx bit, remove the two lower spare tire rubber isolators from your tailgate.

19. Place one of the rubber isolator in a bench vice and trim off the top just above the seam using a hacksaw as shown in the pic to the right. Repeat this process on the other isolator.

20. If you look on the back side of the A-frame tire carrier section, you will notice four pre-drilled and pre-threaded holes (two on either side) where the cross brace is located. You will need to re-mount your trimmed rubber isolators at this location on your A-frame. The lower holes are for Jeeps without a body lift and the upper holes are for Jeeps with a 1" Body Lift. It is very important to install these rubber isolators onto the A-frame section as they are intended to make contact with the upper isolators still on your tailgate. This will provide a tight fit and keep your tire carrier rattle free.

21. Slowly close the A-frame shut and check to see how much contact is being made on the rubber isolators. If the A-frame will not shut, remove the rubber isolators and trim them down some more.

22. The spare tire mounting bracket that comes with the LoD tire carrier is adjustable. Be sure to mount this bracket onto your A-frame in a location that will provide a tight fit once your spare tire is on it. When all is said and done, your spare tire should sit firmly against the A-frame. If it doesn't, relocate the mounting bracket back a hole.

23. If you live in a state where a 3rd brake light is required, you will need to buy and use an aftermarket light. Doing a quick search on-line, I have come across the following manufacturers that sell 3rd brake lights that should work and sell for $14.95 on up:

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Last but not least, lube up your latch pin and spring with with some white lithium grease or other spray on lubricant to help insure its ease of use. Re-apply lube to this area on a regular basis.

That should be it. You now have a functional mod that looks great too!! Please let me know if you have any questions.

FAQ's