• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

What's holding my rear bumper on??

R

RustyBlackXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Oxford,CT
I'm trying to remove the rear bumper on my '88. It's all rusted through and I figure while I've got my gas tank out and am repairing the rust back there, I should pull the bumper off so I can clean up behind there and have good access to my tow hitch for rust treatment. The brackets are rusted through and are no longer connected to the bolts that come up through the bottom. The bumper is still on there pretty good though and I can't figure out how to get it off. It actually looks like there is a pinch weld with bolts going through it up at the top, but I can't get to them. Any ideas?
 
RustyBlackXJ said:
I'm trying to remove the rear bumper on my '88. It's all rusted through and I figure while I've got my gas tank out and am repairing the rust back there, I should pull the bumper off so I can clean up behind there and have good access to my tow hitch for rust treatment. The brackets are rusted through and are no longer connected to the bolts that come up through the bottom. The bumper is still on there pretty good though and I can't figure out how to get it off. It actually looks like there is a pinch weld with bolts going through it up at the top, but I can't get to them. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Bumper bracket to unibody; there are 4 bolts per side/per bracket.

Bumper to bumper bracket; there 2 bolts per side.
Two are under the bumper. The other 2 are near the top of the bumper bolted through the bracket into the bumper. I usually reach them from under the XJ/bumper with a ring spanner.
 
Where do the brackets bolt to the unibody? I think my hitch may be blocking my view of them. The 2 bolts on the bottom are no longer connected to the bumper because of the rot, so it looks like I'll just need to remove those top 2 in order to get it off. I saw somewhere that I can get to them by removing the "dust cover". I assume this is the piece that runs along the bumper in front of the weatherstripping at the edge of the hatch. Any idea how to get that off? All the bolts in the back are rusted really badly and I don't think I can get at them well enough from underneath to break them loose.
 
Break the plastic piece on top of the bumper (Runs on top of the bumper side to side) and you can get to the top bolts, i believe they are 15's, i used a wrench.

without the tow package installed, taking the bumper off is a breeze.
 
Yep it's a simple design, like most things Jeep, but is prone to rust unless washed out, crap collects there easily.

This pic is off a 96 which had been never off road for the first six years of its life, just road salt and oil caused the rust.
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq224/cherokeejeep/BumperMount.jpg

As for how and what should be where visit Great Lakes and down load the service and parts manuals for your year which may help. http://www.greatlakesxj.com/tech.html

There are a number of threads on this forum, do a search and check out
for some ideas.

This is a different but usefull shot of mount. http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=907275&highlight=tire+carrier+issues

Oh and you don't need to break the plastic, you just get down and dirty and go from underneath, easy enough. Go for the four bolts that connect the bumper mounts to the rear chassis. There is a possibilty they will snap, a pain but the end of the known universe. Assuming they don't, lossen off last bolt each mount, but don't take out, then get a friend to hold bumper, finishing undoing, presto it's off. There will be a whole lot of dust and rust coming down so use clear safety specs, trust me its worth it.
Have fun
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone. There's a lot of stuff going on up there so it's hard to visualize what I'm supposed to be unbolting from where. I was trying to avoid removing the hitch because the passenger side has the exhaust mount in the way and it looks like a PITA. It will be easier to wire brush and paint off of the truck though and will probably be easiest to remove while the gas tank is out. I'm still trying to figure out why this area rusted so badly. Road spray must collect up there. The hitch is not rusted through, and the floor and frame are pretty good, but the bumper and the mounts are beat. I'll go spray the bolts now and try to get them off in the morning.
 
Just unbolt your hitch first. It'll give you a nice excuse to clean it up anyway. The bolts are plain as day from the bracket to the unibody afterwords.
 
Removing the hitch is less destructive, and much easier, Btw, I just did all of this yesterday.. New tank/tow package/rear bumper.
 
Taking the hitch off seems like the best option, and was my original plan anyway. After breaking lose the bolts on the driver's side though, I wasn't looking forward to doing the passenger side. What's the easiest way to get the exhaust out of my way there? It looks like it's mounted through the hitch.

Just to show you guys, this is what I'm working with. Thankfully, there is less rust under there than I thought when I bought it a few weeks ago.
IMG_1030.jpg

IMG_1031.jpg

IMG_1032.jpg

IMG_1033.jpg

IMG_1034.jpg

IMG_1036.jpg

IMG_1037.jpg


IMG_1039.jpg

IMG_1040.jpg
 
The exhaust hanger reuses the hitch bolts. Just have to remove those bolts same as the other side. In my case I was "lucky" and the tail pipe broke off there so it wasn't in the way anymore.

I can't believe that's less rust than you feared
 
ehall said:
The exhaust hanger reuses the hitch bolts. Just have to remove those bolts same as the other side. In my case I was "lucky" and the tail pipe broke off there so it wasn't in the way anymore.

I can't believe that's less rust than you feared
Click to expand...

It looks like there's a bolt above the exhaust hanger that I can't easily get to. The rust on the hitch and bumper is really bad, but it's pretty much concentrated there. I was expecting the floor and the "rails" to be rusted out too because I've seen lots of other XJs of that age from the Northeast with the floors pretty much gone. From the rear axle forward it's pretty much rust free, including the front footwells, which is very impressive.
 
I hope you are not driving that, seems you need more than just a new bumper, brackets, shocks, springs, ...................
The rust has got you bad, put the XJ on stands after taking wheels off, and get grinding. Looks like you got the perfect opportunity to build an off roader ?
Best of lucK
 
When I took my bumper end-caps off... I could reach the top bumper-to-bumper bracket bolt through each end of the bumper.


Needed a lot of PB Blast... and it is no where near as rusted as the one in the picture.
 
I got the hitch off. One bolt just keeps spinning so I think it broke off up inside the rail. I cut the hitch off and will have to drill that bolt out or cut the head off. The hitch was too rusty for me to feel comfortable with it on there, so I just chopped it off to get it out of my way. I've got a clear shot at the bumper mounts now and will pull those off tomorrow.

lowbox said:
I hope you are not driving that, seems you need more than just a new bumper, brackets, shocks, springs, ...................
The rust has got you bad, put the XJ on stands after taking wheels off, and get grinding. Looks like you got the perfect opportunity to build an off roader ?
Best of lucK
Click to expand...

Why shouldn't I be driving it? The shocks don't leak, the springs are just rusted on the surface, and the unibody is solid.
 
WOW I thought "Dirt" sucked. but you just made my rig look brand new underneath.
Thank god My state dont use Salt in the winter.

im speechless.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

O
Rear Brake Noise Question and Hepl Please
Replies
5
Views
372
asymptonic
A
B
Drum Brake Tip
Replies
7
Views
2K
cruiser54
C
O
Brake failure light randomly coming on
Replies
4
Views
2K
RCP Phx
R
Z
Whirring sound only heard from inside
Replies
7
Views
114
Z.m4v
Z
F
Stumped on this one!
2
Replies
29
Views
4K
Bent
Bent
Back
Top