LoD Jeep JK Wrangler Signature Series Shorty Front Winch Bumper Installation Write-Up

September 7, 2008 Cindy Bumper Mods, Jeep JK Write-Ups 8

LoD Jeep JK Wrangler Front Winch Bumper

 While a true ‘stubby’ or ‘shorty’ front winch bumper is something that many people would love to have on their Jeep JK Wrangler, the drawbacks of what to do with the factory fog lights has been enough of a deterrent to get most looking at other alternatives. Specifically, mounting a winch down between the frame rails on most aftermarket stubby front bumpers would require you to remove the factory fog lights or force you to buy a wider ‘mid-width’ style bumper so that you could relocate the lights to the outside of the frame rails.
However, with the introduction of the new and stylishly designed LoD Signature Series JK Shorty Front Winch Bumper, you can now have the bumper you really want and keep your fog lights too.   Constructed out of 3/16″laser cut steel plate, the LoD Signature Series JK Shorty Front Winch Bumper measures only 48″wide, comes complete with a recessed winch mount, D-Ring mounts, tapered ends for maximum approach angles, choice of textured or matte black powder coat finish and is available with or without a winch hoop that has light tabs. For those of you who have a Rubicon edition JK, LoD also offers a Signature Series skid plate designed to protect your electronic sway bar disconnect motor. And, for those of you who do not have factory fog lights, LoD will also be offering 4″ aftermarket halogen fog lights with this awesome bumper.

Installation of the LoD JK Signature Series JK Shorty Front Bumper is extremely easy to install and can be done in about an hour with the help of a friend.

What You Will Need

• 18mm Socket & Wrench
• 3/8,9/16,5/8″ Socket & Wrench
• Ratchet
• Ratchet Extension
• Phillips Screwdriver
• Flathead Screwdriver
or Small Pry Bar
• Needle Nose Pliers
• 1/4″ Drill Bit
• Hand Drill    
   

Instructions
This is a shot of everything you will get with your LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper. As you can see, I opted to get both the Skid Plate and Winch Hoop.
1. Begin the installation of your new LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper by unscrewing the 4 plastic screws securing the factory air dam to the bottom of your front bumper. A phillips screwdriver will be needed for this job.
2. Once unscrewed, you should be able to pull out both the plastic screw and insert with little effort but if you find that your screws are just spinning (as several of mine did), you will need to wedge a flathead screwdriver or small pry bar between your JK’s plastic bumper and air dam to help you force it out as shown in this photo.
3. Now, climb under the front of your Jeep JK Wrangler and using a phillips screwdriver, remove the remaining 2 plastic screws securing the air dam to the lower cross member. As before, if these screws just spin in place, use a flathead screwdriver or small pry bar to help you force them out. Your air dam should now be free of your Jeep and it can now be discarded as it will no longer be needed.
4. If your Jeep JK Wrangler came equipped with factory fog lights, climb under the front of your Jeep, look up behind the front bumper, locate the wiring harness plug, lift up the clip and then pull it off as shown in this photo.
5. Using a pair of needle nose pliers, pry off all the fog light wiring harness connectors on the back of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s front bumper.
6. Using an 18mm socket, remove the 4 bumper mounting nuts (2 on each side) located next to the inside of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s frame rails and fog light holes. 7. Using an 18mm socket, remove the 4 bumper mounting nuts (2 on each side) located next to the outside of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s frame rails. 8. Remove the backing plates off the bumper mounting studs as shown in this photo.
9. Carefully pull off your Jeep JK Wrangler’s front bumper off the frame rails. If your JK came equipped with factory tow hooks, grab and use both of them to carefully pull your front bumper off the frame rails.
10. Using a phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 plastic screws securing the top plastic cover in place.
11. Again, if you find these screws to just spin in place, use a flathead screwdriver or small pry bar to help you lift up the cover off the frame rail and force the screw out.
12. Again, if your Jeep JK Wrangler came equipped with factory fog lights, use a phillips screwdriver to remove the 4 screws securing them to the bumper. Then, pull the fog lights out and set them aside until you are ready to install them in your new LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper.
13. Place the LoD Signature Series winch plate in between the frame rails of your Jeep JK Wrangler and loosely secure it in place using the flagged nut and bolt and washer provided as shown in this pic. 14. Slide one of the steel spacers in between the LoD Signature Series winch plate and frame rail bumper mount on your Jeep JK Wrangler. Then, insert the long bolts and washers provided with the bumper through the mounting holes and spacer as shown in this pic. 15. Repeat step #14 until all the steel spacers are installed in between the LoD Signature Series winch plate and frame rail bumper mount and that all the bolts are sticking through them as shown in this pic.
16. With the help of a friend, carefully place your new LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper on to the frame rails of your Jeep JK Wrangler and slide the mounting holes through the bolts you just installed. Reaching from the back, loosely secure it in place using the nuts provided.
17. Using a 3/4″ socket and wrench, tighten up the (4) mounting bolts and nuts on the inside of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s frame rails as shown in this pic.
18. Accessing the bolts and nuts through the fog light holes on your LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper, tighten up the (4) mounting bolts and nuts located on the outside of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s frame rails using a 3/4″ socket and wrench.
19. Using a 3/4″ socket, tighten up the LoD Signature Series winch plate frame rail mounts as shown in this pic.
20. Drill out the 4 mounting holes on each of your your Jeep JK Wrangler’s fog lights using a 1/4″ drill bit. 21. Make sure that the adjustment screw is pointing down and then install your Jeep JK Wrangler factory fog lights to the studs attached to the back side of your LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper. 22. Secure your Jeep JK Wrangler factory fog lights on to your LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper using the nuts provided. You will need a 3/8″ socket for this job.
23. Using a phillips screwdriver, loosen the plastic retaining screws securing the top of your grille to your Jeep JK Wrangler. 24. Once loose, the entire plastic screw and expansion sleeve should pull up and out of their mounting holes. 25. Lean your Jeep JK Wrangler’s grille forward a bit to gain access to the indicator lights. Then, take the wiring harness plug and pull the red locking tab back.
26. Squeeze the wiring harness plug and pull it out of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s indicator light socket. You can now pull the grille off and set it aside for now. 27. Plug your Jeep JK Wrangler’s factory wiring harness into the fog lights. 28. If you are installing a winch, you will need to install your fairlead now. Most fairleads have a bolt and nut that requires a 5/8″ socket and wrench to install.
29. Carefully place your winch on top of the LoD Signature Series winch plate and then reinstall your Jeep JK Wrangler’s grille as shown in this pic. 30. Using the bolts and washers provided, secure your winch to the bottom of the LoD Signature Series winch plate. You will need a 9/16″ socket for this job. 31. Using a phillips screwdriver, secure the top of the grille to your Jeep JK Wrangler by inserting and screwing in the plastic retaining screws.
32. Hold up the LoD Signature Series skid plate to the bottom of the bumper and secure it in place using the bolts and washers provided. You will need a 9/16″ socket for this job.
33. Secure the LoD Signature Series skid plate to the lower cross member of your Jeep JK Wrangler using the bolts and washers provided. You will need a 9/16″ socket and wrench for this job.
And that should be it. You can now step back and enjoy knowing that the front of your Jeep JK Wrangler is not only armored up with an LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper but that it looks fantastic as well!   Please let me know if you have any questions.
   

Additional Photos

To see even more photos of the LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty Winch Bumper installed on my Jeep JK Wrangler, click on the link below:   LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty
Winch Bumper Photo Gallery

If you would like to see some shots of this bumper on the trail, click on the link below:

LoD Signature Series JK Front Shorty
Winch Bumper Trail Photos

 

7 Comments

  1. Definitely one of the best looking stubby bumpers I’ve seen for the JK so far. I love the new raised emblem logo on the Signature Series bumpers too.

  2. Dang it! I could have really used this Write-Up a few weeks ago! Mine didn’t come with any metal spacers except the factory ones so I put them on the back like they were stock. Also I replaced all the hardware with grade 8. Some of the bolt threads were messed up and the washers dish-panned when tightening. All in all a great bumper!

  5. I see in step 26 you have to unplug the indicator light wiring harness…
    When do you plug it back in? Can you plug it back in? Does it reach?

  6. Is the removal of the grill and unplugging of the indicator lights only necessary when you’re installing the winch? I’ll be installing the bumper soon but won’t have the winch for another few months. Thanks for a great write-up.

  7. You only need to take off the grill if you are installing a winch because it gets real tight and you may scrape the bottom of the grill. It makes it easier to install the everything because it makes it more lighted and roomier. It is really easy to take that grill off too, just get a thin flat tip screwdriver and pop up the little clamp things on top they pop out easy. Tip: With the plastic screws I found that if you turn slowly and don’t apply pressure inwards they screw right out. I messed up the first ones I took of by trying to force them out and when I put the old bumper on to trade it in they are like 6-7 dollars each. I have the full width front bumper.

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  1. Removing stock front bumper?

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