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Installing new front bumper on Overland

sbach66

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Howdy all, in my continuing effort to piss away all my disposable income, I've purchased a Rock Rage front bumper for my Overland. How tough of a task is it to remove the existing plastic bumper and replace with the new, including swapping out the OEM fog lights? From doing some web research today, reading instructions and watching videos, from what I see:

Remove OEM Bumper
1. Remove plastic trim tab between bumper and grill
2. Remove skid plate
3. Unplug fog lights from harness and unplug harness from body
4. Remove nuts securing 8 bolts securing bumper and remove it
5. Disassemble bumper to remove fog light harness

Install New Bumper
1. Install fog lights on new bumper
2. Mount fog light harness on body (saw one video where he ran removed grill and ran it back behind hood)
3. Install new bumper, secure 8 bolts
4. Replug fog lights and harness
5. Reinstall skid plate

Am I missing anything? Toughest thing I saw in videos I watched was disassembling the OEM bumper to remove the light harness and getting underneath to get at nuts/bolts (don't have a lift or ramps). Seems pretty straightforward. Any advice/thoughts appreciated. Would rather do myself than pay a shop.
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ShadowsPapa

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Howdy all, in my continuing effort to piss away all my disposable income, I've purchased a Rock Rage front bumper for my Overland. How tough of a task is it to remove the existing plastic bumper and replace with the new, including swapping out the OEM fog lights? From doing some web research today, reading instructions and watching videos, from what I see:

Remove OEM Bumper
1. Remove plastic trim tab between bumper and grill
2. Remove skid plate
3. Unplug fog lights from harness and unplug harness from body
4. Remove nuts securing 8 bolts securing bumper and remove it
5. Disassemble bumper to remove fog light harness

Install New Bumper
1. Install fog lights on new bumper
2. Mount fog light harness on body (saw one video where he ran removed grill and ran it back behind hood)
3. Install new bumper, secure 8 bolts
4. Replug fog lights and harness
5. Reinstall skid plate

Am I missing anything? Toughest thing I saw in videos I watched was disassembling the OEM bumper to remove the light harness and getting underneath to get at nuts/bolts (don't have a lift or ramps). Seems pretty straightforward. Any advice/thoughts appreciated. Would rather do myself than pay a shop.
I'm being picky here, I know, but the Overland has an air dam, no skid plate..... ;)

Anyway - now you know why the second time around I bought a new harness for my fog lights and left the harness in my stock plastic bumper. What a pain to remove and that way if I ever go back, like I did with my 2020 when I traded it for my 2022 - it will be much easier! Slap it on, plug it in - done.
The air dam is attached at the front to the plastic bumper so it won't directly connect up to most replacements.
I'd consider getting a real skid plate with the 4 brackets needed to install it. Otherwise, you'll need to rig a way to connect the front edge of the plastic air dam to the new bumper or make brackets for it.
 
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sbach66

sbach66

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I'm being picky here, I know, but the Overland has an air dam, no skid plate..... ;)

...

I'd consider getting a real skid plate with the 4 brackets needed to install it. Otherwise, you'll need to rig a way to connect the front edge of the plastic air dam to the new bumper or make brackets for it.
Regarding the dam, yeah, I knew that, "skid plate" was in my head as that's what they were saying in videos. Guess I'll look around and see if I can find one compatible with the new bumper.

I did think about buying a new harness, but looks like it'll take a couple of weeks, so will probably just suck it up and take the bumper apart.

As far as the rest, does it seem like I've got it laid out correctly?

Thanks!
 

Doonan

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If you can, I like to reuse as much of the factory hardware as possible, when I installed my chinesium rubicon bumper I used the factory mounting hardware as it appeared to be a higher build quality.
Also if you're doing this at home, I would recommend aligning your headlights and foglights to have them aimed correctly for the added weight hanging off the front end of the truck.

Good luck and have a good time! I changed mine out on some BLM land last memorial day, changing the harness over wasn't a great time but it wasn't the end of the world I brought lots of zip ties!
 

redfish

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I just did mine(Sport) and it was very simple. In fact on my plastic bumper it was either two or four nuts in the center section of the inside of the bumper that I unbolted once the bumper was off and the the bumper separated and there was the fog light wiring, 5 minutes. Should have taken pics
 

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Pretty much a straight forward nuts and bolts thing. I’m with the Papa Re. the harness, bought a new one for the steel bumper as opposed to pulling the harness from the original bumper. Depending on winch plate used (if planning on a winch) you should look into the nutzerts that are used. Have fun with the project.
 

WanderingJ

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Not to hijack the thread but after I get a lift, next on list is a bumper... if I can wait. Might be safe to assume this is the harness, Mopar 68336460AD, but want to make sure.
 

ShadowsPapa

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I just did mine(Sport) and it was very simple. In fact on my plastic bumper it was either two or four nuts in the center section of the inside of the bumper that I unbolted once the bumper was off and the the bumper separated and there was the fog light wiring, 5 minutes. Should have taken pics
Overland bumper has something in the teens for the number of screws. It's a time-consuming process.

Pretty much a straight forward nuts and bolts thing. I’m with the Papa Re. the harness, bought a new one for the steel bumper as opposed to pulling the harness from the original bumper. Depending on winch plate used (if planning on a winch) you should look into the nutzerts that are used. Have fun with the project.
Not only that, but the retainers or clips are very different between the Overland harness and the steel MOPAR bumper. When I installed the correct harness in my steel bumper things clipped right into place just like factory. Holes lined up and the harness sits and is secured like factory. With the Overland harness in the steel bumper I used a number of straps - ugh.

Not to hijack the thread but after I get a lift, next on list is a bumper... if I can wait. Might be safe to assume this is the harness, Mopar 68336460AD, but want to make sure.
This is what Benny of Allmoparparts here in the forum sent me -
steel specific harness part # 68336460AD
So that matches. It was a perfect fit in my eBay steel MOPAR copy bumper.


Jeep Gladiator Installing new front bumper on Overland 20201016_160829_HDR

Jeep Gladiator Installing new front bumper on Overland 20201016_160813_HDR
 

WanderingJ

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Awesome, Thanks. I'm probably going to end up getting that bumper as well.
 
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sbach66

sbach66

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Thanks everyone, I did end up ordering a new harness. Looks like I'm going to tackle this this upcoming weekend. I'll post results.
 
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sbach66

sbach66

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Install complete. I think the biggest hassle was popping the clips for the plastic air dam underneath, they didn't want to come. Also, had to trim some of the plastic off the OEM fog light frames, they were preventing the new bumper from seating on the bolts. And I did buy a new wiring harness instead of disassembling the old bumper completely. Overall just under 2 hours with an assist from a friend.
Jeep Gladiator Installing new front bumper on Overland 20230121_132749
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