Okay folks, the bumper and winch are done! Takes the better part of a day, I spent about 9 hours on it, but hopefully with some of the information in this post you will be able to circumvent some of the head scratching I experienced.
First off, you will need to remove the stock bumper and here is where the All-Pro instructions are misleading, but they are okay when you get to the actual bumper installation.
I removed the grill first and that allows you easy access to the clips that hold the bumper. All Pro directs you to remove it second, just trust me.
Remove the two screws in the center:
Remove the two outside clips (use a flathead screwdriver or hook tool to pop the center pin up):
The rest of the grill is held on with pop clips, pull from the top to release the clips first:
Then pull from the bottom to release the three clips there (this is the center clip):
Now the grill is removed and can proceed to the main bumper. Here is where you remove the 5 pop clips (don't forget the center one like me and wonder why the bumper won't release) that are behind the grill on top of the bumper:
The clip removed:
Next, remove all the screws (which are also 10mm nuts) from the bottom of the bumper:
Remove the two screws from each wheel well that hold the bumper and then pull outward and towards the front of the vehicle at the same time. Repeat for both side and you should have a big hunk of plastic lying on the ground:
Next, remove the cross member that goes from headlight to headlight. Remove the three 10mm bolts and set aside:
Now this is where I reshaped the AC line. I used a screwdriver handle to support the line at the connector and flexed it toward the radiator "carefully". You will want to put a couple of bends to fit around the frame, but make sure to disconnect it from the clip on support bracket (remove the bracket and the 10mm bolt also). Just be gentle and take it slow. Here is what it should look like:
Now you need to remove the center hood latch brace. Remove all the bolts, including the one behind the latch. You will need to remove the plastic latch cover (two clips on the bottom and two on the front on either side of the latch), then remove the two 10mm bolts that hold the latch. Now you can access the center bolt for the brace:
The AP instructions do not tell you where to put the Ambient Air Temp sensor after you remove the center brace. I attached the new AP center brace after installing the latch and removed the white clip from the sensor so it could be tie wrapped to the new brace:
Next, remove the cover pieces below and to the side of each headlight. These are held in with clips and pull out easily. Just pull from the headlight side carefully yet firm:
Put the bolts in to hold the plastic fender ends. These bolts come with the AP bumper. Big washer on the inside, small washer on the outside:
This is what it will look like at this point:
Now, you can test fit the AP bumper. Unless you like scratched up fenders, put some tape over the ends, you WILL hit the AP bumper against these....
After you have test fitted the bumper, remove it and start mounting your winch if applicable. Just word to the wise, put your fair-lead on first, then the winch. The front winch bolts are a pain in the arse to get in, do these first before the rear. You will need a flex head 1/4 drive ratchet or a really small ratchet to get those two front bolts in. Small hands are a plus here.
Also, remove your winch cable. It will be much more manageable without it. Just reinstall the end of the cable before you mount the bumper and you will not have to lift all that extra weight.
This bumper is made for the Warn 9.5 and I have the M8000, so some modification of the control box was needed. The control socket is in the wrong place for this bumper. To overcome this, I drilled out the two rivets that hold the socket to the plastic control box cover and removed it. The wires are long enough to reach through the bumper access hole and I tie wrapped it there. I plan to mount it with a couple of bolts, but I need to buy those first. Here is the control box and the winch installed:
And here is the socket (not tie-wrapped) visible through the access hole:
Next, the bumper is ready to mount. Get some help, because it is pretty heavy. I did by myself, but I am bigger than the average sized human.
Prior to final bolt on, route the winch power cable along the front of the radiator and tie-wrap to the frame rail there, it is easier to do it now. Make sure you have a couple of nuts half way on to keep the bumper from slipping. I routed my cables up behind the headlight and straight to the battery.
Next, tighten the four 14mm nuts on each side of the bumper and torque them on. You are almost there...
Reinstall the grill and the plastic covers below the headlights.
Install the AP skid plate with the 9/16 inch bolts and washers included.
Now it is time to cut the wheel well covers to length. A carpet cutting tool works well as do Aviation or Tin Snips. I cut them to follow the body and installed a bolt to hold them in place:
And NOW you should have a finished looking bumper:
At night:
And finally, make sure your winch is connected to the battery and reel that cable back in.....you are done!
Excellent details, great post, awesome rig!!! Thanks for sharing your hard earned info and saving us some serious scalp abrasions.
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