Well, my Fab Four Vengeance bumper came in on Monday, so yesterday I installed it. Fairly easy install. I couldn't believe how cheap and lame the plastic rear bumper was. There isn't any metal backing in it like in the front. One of the nutserts stripped out of the plastic. Cheap. Junk.
The FF came in a box that was beat up but the FF people package it well. The bumper was wrapped in a blanket!
Removing the old bumper was easy. I started by putting painters tape on the body near the rear bumper to protect the paint. Disconnect the wiring harness from both sides. Remove the tow hook (my BB only had one). and the two bolts from the other frame rail. Remove the two bolts in the back of the bumper. Lifts off, very light.
Take out the sensors and the wiring harness. This is also pretty easy. I used tape and a pen to indicate which sensor went where.
Install the sensor mounts. The two outside mounts leave overhang. I might try a heat gun to bend the plastic to match the bumper. The FF people included a small packet of epoxy to glue the sensor mounts into position. I guess with at least two types of rear bumpers, Ford has different mounts for each? I had to carve one of the tabs off so that the mounts would fit flush. The outside holes are just big holes so epoxy will certainly be needed to keep them from moving. You also have to expoxy the license plate light. I had to whittle some of the plastic tabs to get it to fit flush.
The wiring harness did not fit the bumper well. Maybe you are supposed to remove some of the tape to relax the wire? Well, I had an unused adapter wire from the front bumpers Rough Country winch mount. No sensors up front so this was a spare. Plugged in and that made it fit.
The bumper, I believe is said to weigh 80 lbs. Two people lift. I had me, myself and I...and a cart with a lift. I discovered at this point it would likely be easier if I removed the spare. So I removed it. I lifted the bumper up with the cart and then lifted up one side and then the other. Pushed up on the bumper and once I had one screw installed with out the tow bracket, it was clear sailing from that point.
I did not reinstall the black tow hook. I replaced it with two red Ford tow hooks. Now I have some symmetry. I need to find the torque numbers for the tow hook bolts.
This was much easier than the front bumper install.
Comments/Dislikes? Well, my Bro-Flaps no longer fit. No place that I can see to put them. Just running with the front flaps for now. Sensor mounting holes seem generic and you have to cut your own mounts to fit on the two inside mounts. The two outside mounts are just a big hole, so the mount can move around. Thus the glue they give. The glue is not much. You are supposed to glue before installing the bumper but I wanted to make sure the sensors seemed to work before gluing them down. I think that's about it.
The FF came in a box that was beat up but the FF people package it well. The bumper was wrapped in a blanket!
Removing the old bumper was easy. I started by putting painters tape on the body near the rear bumper to protect the paint. Disconnect the wiring harness from both sides. Remove the tow hook (my BB only had one). and the two bolts from the other frame rail. Remove the two bolts in the back of the bumper. Lifts off, very light.
Take out the sensors and the wiring harness. This is also pretty easy. I used tape and a pen to indicate which sensor went where.
Install the sensor mounts. The two outside mounts leave overhang. I might try a heat gun to bend the plastic to match the bumper. The FF people included a small packet of epoxy to glue the sensor mounts into position. I guess with at least two types of rear bumpers, Ford has different mounts for each? I had to carve one of the tabs off so that the mounts would fit flush. The outside holes are just big holes so epoxy will certainly be needed to keep them from moving. You also have to expoxy the license plate light. I had to whittle some of the plastic tabs to get it to fit flush.
The wiring harness did not fit the bumper well. Maybe you are supposed to remove some of the tape to relax the wire? Well, I had an unused adapter wire from the front bumpers Rough Country winch mount. No sensors up front so this was a spare. Plugged in and that made it fit.
The bumper, I believe is said to weigh 80 lbs. Two people lift. I had me, myself and I...and a cart with a lift. I discovered at this point it would likely be easier if I removed the spare. So I removed it. I lifted the bumper up with the cart and then lifted up one side and then the other. Pushed up on the bumper and once I had one screw installed with out the tow bracket, it was clear sailing from that point.
I did not reinstall the black tow hook. I replaced it with two red Ford tow hooks. Now I have some symmetry. I need to find the torque numbers for the tow hook bolts.
This was much easier than the front bumper install.
Comments/Dislikes? Well, my Bro-Flaps no longer fit. No place that I can see to put them. Just running with the front flaps for now. Sensor mounting holes seem generic and you have to cut your own mounts to fit on the two inside mounts. The two outside mounts are just a big hole, so the mount can move around. Thus the glue they give. The glue is not much. You are supposed to glue before installing the bumper but I wanted to make sure the sensors seemed to work before gluing them down. I think that's about it.
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