Got the lights mounted on the JCR's. Definitely not a "bolt on" job. I'm not one to complain about a little fitment issue, but in this case none of the lights fit without modification. I had to re-drill the pattern on the brake/tail light. Then up the hole size and do a bit of filing on the side marker and turn signals.
Eventually got them to fit to my liking. You can see the stock pattern on the brake light, and how I had to drill a new pattern to fit the guards.
I removed the stock tail lights, and was pleased to find late models not only label the lights, but also the wiring. Wiring the LED's should be a no brainer.
In order for the JCR's to seat correctly, I had to remove the rear bumper end caps. This was a simple task of two bolts, and sliding the end caps off their mounts.
Then I had to remove the rear fender flares. I started loosening the mounting hardware. Like most fender flare bolts they weren't going to come off in one piece. I managed to loosen them enough to slide the JCR's behind them.
After everything was out of the way the guards could be fitted up. I marked the first hole to be drilled, and paced around the garage for the next 30 minutes trying to talk myself into drilling into the body. Commitment.
Continued on, and eventually got all the holes drilled and hardware installed. Honestly not too impressed with the fit, but what do you expect from a mass produced product. They're bent on a brake vertically, but the length wise body line isn't taken into account. This leaves a small gap in the middle.
With the guards bolted into place, I moved onto wiring the LED's. Turn signals were pretty straight forward with a ground and power wire. With the LED's you need to convert to an electronic flasher otherwise your blinkers will act like they're on meth.
I turned on the hazards, and followed the clicking to track down the flasher. Of course it had to be located up in the dash where my hands barely fit.
Success.
Next was wiring the side marker and tail/brake light. Late models only use one plug for this, so some splicing needed to be done. I shared the tail light power and ground for the side marker.
Success.
At this point I pulled the guards back off, RTV'd around the bolt holes, and wrapped up the wiring.
Cover plates took some filing to get them to fit.
Got the bumper end caps put back on, and the flares reinstalled. Project complete.
The paint in the day light is pretty close to the factory. I'm really happy with how they "blend in" to the body.
Overall, I'm satisfied with the turn out. They're super stout, and I have no doubt they'll protect the rear quarters. Now I'm kind of itching to make an Evans Creek run...
I discovered he was in fact telling the truth.
