Rear Bumper Install Part 1

One year ago this month I installed my Barricade Trailforce HD Front Bumper from ExtremeTerrain.com on my Jeep. ExtremeTerrain has a wide selection of bumpers to choose from for your Jeep Wrangler, but I liked the look of this bumper for my Jeep. You know -- we all have different likes, wants, and personalities. That is why I love the Jeep Wrangler so much. You can transform your Jeep anyway you want.   

My Front Bumper Install Post - Click here

Now one year later, I am able to have the matching rear bumper on my Jeep Wrangler -- The Barricade Trailforce HD Bumper with Tire Carrier. The rear bumper arrived quickly from my favorite delivery guy in the Big Brown Truck.  

The Barricade rear bumper came in a big, sturdy box, and was well wrapped with all the parts. The tire carrier arrived in another box, and again it was well wrapped. 

This bumper weighs 110 lbs, and the tire carrier weighs 49 pounds. 

I was concerned about the rear end of the Jeep sagging and losing clearance, so I decided to measure from my muffler and the rear axle. The good news is, once I installed all the parts, and put the spare tire back on, it did not drop anything from my measurements.

Now, it was time to get my Barricade rear bumper installed. The first thing I did was remove the spare tire and set it aside. 

Then I disassembled the factory spare tire mount from the tailgate. It was very simple. All I needed was a 13 mm socket, and it came right off. The bolts were not on too tight where I couldn't get them off. 

On the inside of the tailgate is a black plastic panel where the wiring harness is housed for the brake lights. I unplugged the 3rd brake light wires from the brake lights. 

Next was the removal of the factory rear bumper. It was pretty easy. First, I removed the four 15 mm bolts, two on each side. There are also two more bolts on the frame near the muffler as well.   

Now it was time to pull off the factory rear bumper. This was a little tricky. You needed to maneuver the bumper so you could slide it out from the fenders. But it wasn't too difficult. 

The last step I needed to complete before I was able to install my new Barricade Trailforce HD Bumper with Tire Carrier was to remove the factory tow hitch. I thought this would be pretty simple. But it wasn't. The rear bumper bolts weren't that tight, so I figured these would be pretty easy. But these bolts are very difficult to get off. So I had to call in the big guns. 

It would have been nice to have one of those big fancy, dancy impact wrenches or one with the air compressor, but I didn't.  Although I did buy an impact wrench kit, I ended up returning it since I was able to get the other bolts off by just a simple ratchet. However the tow hook took a lot of effort. Thank goodness for those big guns. They also come in handy when I can't get the lid off the pickle jar.  

Now my Jeep Wrangler was ready for the new Barricade Trailforce HD Rear Bumper with Tire Carrier. Tomorrow I will share with you the easy installation. 

   - Simple Living! - Enjoying Life! - The Jeep Life! -

 ExtremeTerrain provided the rear bumper with tire carrier for review. No additional compensation received. 
All opinions are my own.