It took 3 Front bumper installs to provide this much info. The stars of the show are MC's Silver lightning X, Turtles Yellow X and MCampana's Black X. And, the people themselves plus Jeff L.
1st If you intend to order a bumper, you can do this install with 1 helper and some basic tools. Keep in mind that Oak trees don't grow overnight, It's a custom bumper and it takes time to fab up. So order way early. Use this post to make your plans for your arrival, have a SHROCKWORKS shower, take a trip to 4 Wheel parts, surf for a Winch, Driving lights to mount on top, run the wires for them, A set of fog lamps from our vendor Yournissan parts is highly suggested, use your waiting time wisely and install day will go a lot smoother.
When it arrives, Here is how it looks on a 4X8 trailer. This is a Shrockworks bumper, MM PE8000 Winch and a Remote for said Winch.
Um, no, your wife can't take this off the truck or pick it up for ya.
Not what
you may get but what I ordered. Bumper, Skid, (2 parts) Shackles I ordered extra, and Decals I order extra (2) Bracket next to shackle is to mount Winch. In my case it was useless. I highly suggest a
Winch with internal solenoid I had a few hours trouble with my external because the clearance is not too good. The Ramsey MCampana seemed to be the best choice for fit and ease of install. Great deal on it!
On to getting the old trash off.
EDIT 02-07 Dpatton posted detailed Factory bumper removal instructions that are absolutely great here: Thanks Dpatton! http://thenewx.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=40356These are the only hidden fasteners. This is a shot laying under looking up at front corners. 3 each side. Philips screw on ours.
This is from side with inner fender pulled back, (You won't hurt it, you cut it later on anyways)
This hidden screw you will remove and re use later, it will go through the inner fender and into same hole you took it out of and securely hold your inner fender to the fender.
Onto the grille, You pop up the center of the fasteners on top, (These fasteners have a center pin that pops up with a small flat screwdriver, then they can be removed) get it loose and then the bottom has some clips that clip into the top of bumper.
These clips have a sort of lever you press to release. but they are a lot harder to get at. It was the last thing I did in removing all the old stock parts.
This is a good tip and may even pay for half your bumper. DON'T hack up your bumper Like the directions say. Take the time to copy the top of it using a stretch of 1X1 X 3'L aluminum angle as seen here. ($6 at lumber store such as Lowes) Use it NOT your Bumper, sell that to someone who respects their X. (Going price is $200 + Shipping) Notice slots for bottom of grille clips. You are basically copying the top of your bumper where the grille plugs in.
(The 1x1x36"long aluminum angle that prevents cutting old bumper so you can sell and offset the cost of your Shrockworks bumper. it is held to body cross member by the round push pin clips you clearly see, and the bottom of the grille has clips not so clearly seen that just clip into slots cut in the other surface of the angle. Presto! Sell your bumper or put it back on someday! If your bumper is crap, go ahead and cut it! You see in this picture the bumper saver mounted to the thin cross member Notice the two slots cut into the aluminum near each end to allow the Angle to follow the curve of the cross member? Once mounted like this, the bottom of the grille slides into and clips into the slots shown being cut in a few pictures down.
You CAN clearly see Turtle crafting his MC Bumper saver here and clearly see the slots the bottom of grill clips into.
I do stress, this angle needs to be 36 inches long. Takes about 45 minutes to make it. 30 min if you just drank a 5 hour energy drink!
Here is the MC Bumper saver clipped to the bottom of the grille and ready to install. I think you get the idea now eh?
Ok more on how that looks later on when we install that part.
Right now you have the front bumper off, the front skid and move over to some prep work on the bumper to break the ice.
If you have a winch, (Hope so hard to install later on.) Install that now.
This winch and bumper with fog lamps weighs in at 195 lbs.
I use this trick, (Above Picture) it's that sticky stuff found in dollar store that hangs up posters, you put your washer and nut in, put in the bolt and snug, then stuff the hole with that stuff, it will hold the nut and washer in place during assembly and keep water out of there for easy dis-assembly when you burn up your winch running it too long.
Kinda how we ran the winch wires, before we neaten it up and zip tie.
I suggest you run the remote plug to the drivers side, and the cables have to go to the battery, there is a nice hole below the headlamp for that.
How to connect the winch cables, Pos is easy, Neg will require a new bolt as the one that comes with the x is Junk. I suggest fine threads.
Shown is standard threads, Fine would be better.
BTW If you have OR lights for on top of the bumper (Look cool factor) It is best to mount them loosely now, You can reach nuts when on to align and tighten but a PITA to put on once the bumper is on. (Although it can be done, I have done it 2 times) Back to the pictures of the Posts.
I surely hope you spring for the extra bucks and order your Fog lamp kit from Yournissanparts.com. Comes with everything you need, You have had enough time to have installed the fog lamp switch (Stalk on column) prior to getting your bumper I hope. Here is a picture of what you get minus the turn signal stalk this was previously installed.
Look up! The top two parts are as ready to install on the bumper, the bottom light is how it comes from factory, you remove that one part and make it look as top one and then. install,
Below is pictured in order as they go on bumper, !st is the ring Shrockworks supplied! Then your light minus the part you took off, going on with the adjustment screw towards BOTTOM of bumper. Next the Bolts shrockworks gave you go in from under up with the nuts going on facing the Rear of the vehicle as bumper installed on X. Snug em down, Done!
Installed correctly.
About the last thing you do is plug these in ok?
This is what it looks like looking up after you have secured top of grille, clipped bottom into Aluminum angle, lined it up with headlamps as guide and drilled holes into angle from bottom up and secured with same fastener that was there to begin with. (See round thing with center that pops up just as on top) Do all 4 this way.
If you have fog lamps Now is the time. On the right you see a factory foglamp. SHROCKWORKS provides the ring on the bottom left and the bolts to secure. You need to remove 4 screws and dump that thingamagig at the top #20 Torx needed. You then put the ring to the bumper surface aligning with the holes THEN install fog lamp with the adjustment knob to the bottom of bumper, glass to front, then put bolts in with nuts to the rear, snug up nuts , use Blue threadlocker. I reccomend removing laps with a twisty, DON't Touch the glass but set aside so if you whack em, your lamps don't break. You can easily install lamps after bumper is mounted. DON'T touch the glass!
If you do, clean it with alcohol to remove oil from skin.
Now you loosen front stabilizer bar and put this bracket under it and secure. Real Easy.
Gee I was so busy I forgot to take a picture of how I got bumper on. I used a 2 in ratchet strap, tossed it over a rafter and hooked it to the shackles and lifted bumper (With Winch) into position, a floor jack topped off with an ammo box as a spacer tipped it right into place to loosely bolt up.
Next part is easy, just install the skid, you can't mess it up. Now, using jack, line it all up and crank it all down.
Now you will notice you have some extra inner fender well to get rid of, Mark it off, I used a cutting tool to detach it, the heat keeps it smooth and looking factory, plus it is easy!
Now then, in OHIO you must have a front plate, It looked SICK on top of Roller. So, I used old bracket and this run of metal with holes in, fastened it to bracket with stove bolts and as you can see here, when you draw the winch up it sucks license bracket into place to cover winch roller. Nifty eh? Average crook don't even know it is there! Easy to re attach hook for a pull.
This is what you will have left over. A unmolested bumper ready for local body shop sale or e bay, Interior and exterior, Skid, corner brackets, what you chopped off of inner fenders, old recover hook, and the fasteners.
This is the old way to mount your Shackles, sloppy, noisy, it will do.
This is the quiet no rub MC way! I used 3 glad hand grommets two black and one red for color. Same as my o ring trick, you get the idea! Crank it on and it stays where you put it! No Rattles! And makes it impossible to get off without a tool.
And this is what it looks like after install.
Here it is after I installed a section of a plastic notebook to cover the Cable peep hole. Using some blk plastic fasteners. And with some driving lights, I went with these so as not to block air flow to the radiator. I tow alot.
Shot of oil filter access with skid installed.
All Done! All lights installed.
Added: Save the bumper 1x1 angle instructions.
The bumper is a real good template, I cut like 3 slots in one side of angle so it makes the bends, (Contour) and then when it sat pretty flat on slots I used a scratch Owl to make precise marks, BUT when you cut, you use the center of the with of the 1" ....that will put you slightly ABOVE the marks you made. (Because something gets in the way when marking.) Use a drill on both ends center, then cut out center with a saw, and then I used a dremel tool and file to polish it up so it don't cut anyone servicing it. To install, you snap it into grille 1st, Install top of grille, have someone line it up to headlamps while you drill new holes for the push pin fasteners from underside going up... using existing holes as a guide. Drill one, install one do ends first, then centers. MC
Not done yet at all. I guess I have to get some fog lamps, driving lamps, mount my Air horn, you get the idea! As always, I will update as I go! So if you do this install check back just prior to and see if I added anything! At least you know a LOT more than I did before you begin and know what to expect. Not just a "Look at my bumper!" post.
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