INSTALLING ARB BULL BAR
FOR 97 AND NEWER XJ'S
BY: TREVOR P. HANSON
This can be a one-person job, but it will be very helpful if you are able to have two people for about 10 minutes. When my bumper came in I was happy as can be. I have been waiting for almost two years to get an ARB and it finally happened.
To get things rolling, I laid out all the hardware and made sure that everything was in the kit that came with the bumper.
After double checking to make sure all the hardware that is required is there, it is time now to start removing the stock front bumper.
Tools required for removal of stock front bumper
The front bumper on the 97+ XJ's are a little bit of a pain to get off, since the new end caps are also secured to the fenders. Once you know where these bolts are it is very easy to get the bumper off. They have 2 10mm bolts holding each end cap to the fender. This bolts are located right near the fender well, all you need to do is pull back the rubber matting the lines the well and you will see them. After you remove the 4 bolts total, you only have 6 more to go. These are the main bolts that secure the bumper to the frame. Be Sure To Disconnect the vacuum line from the pump on the right side before taking the bumper off.
As you can see, I have already moved the vacuum canister to a new mounting location. If you click on the pic it will be more visible. I figured this would be the best and easiest spot to place the unit, since the ARB does not have a specific place designated for it.
Now that you have that taken care of, time for the next step.
Required Tools
I know, I know, what is the big hammer for. Well it is to flatten out a lip in the crossmember bar for the ARB to sit right. It needs to be pounded flat on the frame rails. The scrapper is used to remove any loose paint or dirt that might have chipped off during you pounding stage. After cleaning the area thoroughly, make sure to spray the area with some type of rust preventive to keep the metal from rusting.
After you have that accomplished, it is time to mount the new bumper. This can either be done with the use of jack stands, a cherry picker, are two healthy people + one more to install some bolts. Once you lift the bumper into place, line up the holes and install the new hardware. Be sure to install the right bolts and washers to the right holes. (The front two holes take the 3/4-inch bolts, while the back takes the 17mm bolt).
After you have the bolts through, you can now begin to add the nuts to the 3/4-inch bolts. The 17mm bolt use the existing nut plate. Once you have all the nuts started, make sure the bumper is level to the body and tighten all the bolts down. Now that you have the bumper properly secure, it is time for a little drilling.
Tools Required
The reason for this is that you have to new holes to drill in the frame rail. (It is under part of the bumper). If you want to you can remove the bumper for the drilling of these two holes or you can leave it on. (I upped for the latter)
After drilling the two holes you will have to place the supplied nut plate in the frame rail and use 4 3/4 inch bolts (2 per side) to secure the bottom down.
Now that the bumper is installed, it is time to hook up the new turning signals.
This is a very simple project to do, since all of the required hardware that is needed is supplied in the kit.
Tools Required
Since the kit provides you with all the needed splitters, all you have to do is locate the proper wires for the turn signals and parking lights. I found the easiest ones to do are the side marker lights. (It is easier to find the passenger side marker light first, that way you know what to look for on the drivers side).
Once you have the wires spliced in, all that needs to be done now is to tape up the exposed connectors and zip tie out of the way.
