ADD Rock Fighter rear bumper installed

[Gotchaa]

I like the design. Except for that stupid logo carved into it.

But, sadly, that seems to be the thing these days. So the decision comes down to - not so much about trying to find a non-narcissistic manufacturer - but to find the least narcissistic one with the easiest to cover advertising.

Just put your favorite hitch logo in the receiver and that can at least be covered up. I looked at many bumpers and this seemed to be the best that retained the OEM LP location. It’s not perfect but I felt it was the best of the bunch. it is a very solid bumper, Just wish there were less welds.

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[ThunderFlash]

I know this thread is older, but did you guys get your back up sensors sorted out on your rear Rock Fighters? I've been battling mine on my '22 WT for a while and I can not get the middle two rear sensors to behave themselves (outer ones seem good). I've removed/installed them a couple of times making sure they were FULLY seated in the bezels and also quadruple checked the location and orientation relative to my buddies plastic bumpered WT. The sensors are not nearly as spastic on pavement as they are in my gravel driveway, but even on pavement they give a few false alerts every time I back up. I'm thinking it's the ADD bumper face angles. Has anyone tried different bumper bezels? I think I might have seen some after market bezels at one point.

I had no issues with the Rock Fighter front bumper. I had to trim a couple of the bezel tabs as ADD shows in the Bomber installation instructions. I don't think the rear bezels are configured the same way as the front, though.

Man, that stock plastic rear bumper was a total joke. Brass inserts threaded into plastic...for an off road vehicle? Really Ford? Two of the eight brass inserts stripped the bumper plastic while loosening the bolts. Catch that bumper on a stump or hook it in thicket and it was likely departing the vehicle probably ripping the wire harness out with it. I was pretty disappointed in that.

 

[Geronimo]

I know this thread is older, but did you guys get your back up sensors sorted out on your rear Rock Fighters? I've been battling mine on my '22 WT for a while and I can not get the middle two rear sensors to behave themselves (outer ones seem good). I've removed/installed them a couple of times making sure they were FULLY seated in the bezels and also quadruple checked the location and orientation relative to my buddies plastic bumpered WT. The sensors are not nearly as spastic on pavement as they are in my gravel driveway, but even on pavement they give a few false alerts every time I back up. I'm thinking it's the ADD bumper face angles. Has anyone tried different bumper bezels? I think I might have seen some after market bezels at one point.

I had no issues with the Rock Fighter front bumper. I had to trim a couple of the bezel tabs as ADD shows in the Bomber installation instructions. I don't think the rear bezels are configured the same way as the front, though.

Man, that stock plastic rear bumper was a total joke. Brass inserts threaded into plastic...for an off road vehicle? Really Ford? Two of the eight brass inserts stripped the bumper plastic while loosening the bolts. Catch that bumper on a stump or hook it in thicket and it was likely departing the vehicle probably ripping the wire harness out with it. I was pretty disappointed in that.

I still have that issue, sometimes doesn't go off, especially if on concrete, but sometimes it goes crazy even on flat and smooth. Almost always if backed up to or on grass. Frustrating, but I love the bumper. I figure on mine, it could also be that I have the RC 2 1/2" lift, and 37" tires which I am sure change out my angles 🫤. Ford plastic is a joke on a Bronco Wild track

 

[Pseudoko]

I have the stealth fighter and I wound up modifying the oem housing for the sensors. For the stealth fighter it seems to function the same as before on the oem bumper

 

[ThunderFlash]

Thanks Geronimo. Interestingly, a buddy and I were messing around putting 3M blue masking tape over the sensors trying to isolate the false indications. Low and behold, they were working better with a single layer of tape was applied. After we put three layers of tape over all four rear sensors, they were working perfectly over gravel and concrete, just like stock! BUT, I did not want the bright blue tape on the black bumper and needed something more durable/permanent. I tried to duplicate the result with other materials (3M paint protection film, electrical tape, etc) but was unsuccessful. I kept getting many false indications. Oddly, I could not even get my personal roll of 3M blue masking tape or a couple rolls of other masking tapes to work the way the first effort did. There is probably a hint to the solution in there somewhere!

It is definitely good looking with nice welds in fairly complex geometry, and reasonably stout without being monstrous/uber heavy. The fit to the body and added clearance is terrific. Some of the powder coating was wrinkled/pealing on the inside of mine, but the ecoat substrate looked intact. Hopefully the pealing wont advance to outer surfaces and rust won't become an issue. The designed bumper attachment is not near as robust as I've seen in past aftermarket bumpers (mainly ARB), but it is likely good enough. I just bought the frame horn gusset reinforcements for the front RF winch bumper. Seems to me those should have been included in the front winch bumper kit, but alas no. I'm not sure if those reinforcements will work on the rear. I might add them if they fit since the stock frame mounting plates are marginally thick for this bumper with the stout ADD recovery points. The stock frame mounts probably had a 1000X strength safety factor with the completely lame plastic bumper.

I added a second OEM frame mounted recovery loop to the passenger side since there is only one on the driver side coming from Ford, at least on mine. It was a direct fit as if there should have been one there all along.

Thanks again for the response. Let me know if you discover anything new with the sensors and I will do the same.

 

[Geronimo]

Will do. Wow, that is some strange happenings with the tape

 

[ThunderFlash]

I have the stealth fighter and I wound up modifying the oem housing for the sensors. For the stealth fighter it seems to function the same as before on the oem bumper

Thanks Pseudoko. I'll check the SF instructions and also the Bomber instructions and see if something helps.

 

[Pseudoko]

Thanks Pseudoko. I'll check the SF instructions and also the Bomber instructions and see if something helps.

I had the ford steel bumper just as a reference. On the housing I had to dremel away part of the plastic so it would sit flush against the bumper. ADD told me they had modeled the bumper based on a bronco with a non-steel bumper so the housing was different

 

[ThunderFlash]

I had the ford steel bumper just as a reference. On the housing I had to dremel away part of the plastic so it would sit flush against the bumper. ADD told me they had modeled the bumper based on a bronco with a non-steel bumper so the housing was different

ADD told me the same thing, but my bezels seem to fit the bumper cutouts fine and the outer flange bezel sits flush to the bumper. The inner retainer is tight as heck, but I believe they are fully clipped on and the senor snapped in place. The sensor snaps into the outward facing bezel. So it would seem to me it is placed properly for depth.

I think it's a bumper angle issue. That seems supported by the different system behavior between concrete/asphalt (works better, but not perfect) and gravel/grass surfaces (falsies galore).

Don't the metal bumper bezels hold the sensor at an a noticeable angle relative to the bumper exterior face? The plastic bumper bezels hold the sensor body nearly perpendicular to the bumper faces (the sensor face being parallel to the bumper face). The RF bumper face does not look to be vertical but the plastic OEM bumper was dang close to vertical. I'd say there is about a 5 degree closing angle relative to the ground with the RF. Maybe I can measure that relative to the hitch or some other structure and compare it to my buddies stock WT plastic bumper.

I just got my Eibach Stage 2 kit. I was thinking before messing with the front that jacking the rear up a 1/2 or 1 inch over the front height might help correct the bumper angle, but the front seems to be sagging appreciably on the stock springs after adding the 80 pound M8000 winch on the RF front bumper. It has noticable front low rake now. If I need more rake for that to work out, it will end up looking like a ridiculous Hot Wheels drag Bronco, after adding some monster slicks on Craigers and a giant chrome blower out the hood!

 

[Pseudoko]

ADD told me the same thing, but my bezels seem to fit the bumper cutouts fine and the outer flange bezel sits flush to the bumper. The inner retainer is tight as heck, but I believe they are fully clipped on and the senor snapped in place. The sensor snaps into the outward facing bezel. So it would seem to me it is placed properly for depth.

I think it's a bumper angle issue. That seems supported by the different system behavior between concrete/asphalt (works better, but not perfect) and gravel/grass surfaces (falsies galore).

Don't the metal bumper bezels hold the sensor at an a noticeable angle relative to the bumper exterior face? The plastic bumper bezels hold the sensor body nearly perpendicular to the bumper faces (the sensor face being parallel to the bumper face). The RF bumper face does not look to be vertical but the plastic OEM bumper was dang close to vertical. I'd say there is about a 5 degree closing angle relative to the ground with the RF. Maybe I can measure that relative to the hitch or some other structure and compare it to my buddies stock WT plastic bumper.

I just got my Eibach Stage 2 kit. I was thinking before messing with the front that jacking the rear up a 1/2 or 1 inch over the front height might help correct the bumper angle, but the front seems to be sagging appreciably on the stock springs after adding the 80 pound M8000 winch on the RF front bumper. It has noticable front low rake now. If I need more rake for that to work out, it will end up looking like a ridiculous Hot Wheels drag Bronco, after adding some monster slicks on Craigers and a giant chrome blower out the hood!

yeah for the stealth fighter … the center ones fit fine… it’s the outlets that didn’t fit the cut out because of the cut out vs the plastic housing .

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