KP's JKUR Build

[Kenny-g]

Yeah I'm not a big fan of ARBs stuff mainly because it's so expensive for something so generic (they've been making the same designs for years now and haven't changed them much). I got a Rough Country Hybrid Winch Mount front bumper that required a brake pump relocation braket which was cheap so whatever, I got it...but then when i get it in it says I need to cut the original brake pumps bracket off to mount the winch plate properly. I was kinda pissed but it was my fault for not reading the instructions first. Luckily my buddy has offered to help me cause he has a cut off wheel we can use.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide to do. Sorry for the random story haha

 

[dstock]

Nope, I didn't have to relocate the vacuum pump. But please please please test thread all the mounting bolts on the ground before you have it lined up on the Jeep.

I actually had zero issues installing my ARB front bumper on my 2010 so I am hoping not to have issues re-installing it on the 2013. I am picking up a rear ARB at a discount from a friend that just bought a 2013 JKUR that came with it installed. I've got the tow package on mine as well, so your issues are concerning about the fit.

On a side note, put a Smittybuilt tube rear bumper on my gf's 2006 Unlimited a few months back and that didn't line up right either.

Good luck!

Update: Just checked my friend's 2013 and he does have the tow package as well and the ARB is on there. Unfortunately it was put on by the dealer so I can't ask him how it was installed.

 

[KPM171]

Yeah I'm not a big fan of ARBs stuff mainly because it's so expensive for something so generic (they've been making the same designs for years now and haven't changed them much). I got a Rough Country Hybrid Winch Mount front bumper that required a brake pump relocation braket which was cheap so whatever, I got it...but then when i get it in it says I need to cut the original brake pumps bracket off to mount the winch plate properly. I was kinda pissed but it was my fault for not reading the instructions first. Luckily my buddy has offered to help me cause he has a cut off wheel we can use.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide to do. Sorry for the random story haha

Thanks man. I'm gonna stay the course despite being a little upset with their install issues. I've surfed the interwebs, I think I'm not alone in my "Love the product when it's on, but it sucks getting it there" thoughts. Also, there's really no other bumper/tire carrier on the market I have found that does everything I'm looking for. One hand operation, fender width, light weight, integrated d-ring mounts, fits up to a 37", & works with the OEM hitch. I like the poison spider set up, but it won't work with the OEM hitch and is way heavier.

I actually had zero issues installing my ARB front bumper on my 2010 so I am hoping not to have issues re-installing it on the 2013. I am picking up a rear ARB at a discount from a friend that just bought a 2013 JKUR that came with it installed. I've got the tow package on mine as well, so your issues are concerning about the fit.

On a side note, put a Smittybuilt tube rear bumper on my gf's 2006 Unlimited a few months back and that didn't line up right either.

Good luck!

Update: Just checked my friend's 2013 and he does have the tow package as well and the ARB is on there. Unfortunately it was put on by the dealer so I can't ask him how it was installed.

If you've already installed it once, I don't think you'll have any problem getting it on again. One thing comes to mind, how are you planning on getting the cage nuts into place for the bumper on the 2013 when you reinstall? Those were a little tricky to get into place and when they were new and you probably snapped off the extra metal so it didn't stick out.

I'll keep you posted on the rear bumper. I'm hoping that maybe when I lined up the bumper it wasn't quite set, so perhaps it'll fit after all? If not, after staring at a picture of it for a while, perhaps I can just bend the one piece back and out of the way. We'll see. Either way, I'm tucking my tail between my legs and taking the Jeep to a custom shop not far from my house to get the frame work drilled out correctly. I guess I'm gonna move forward with this product b/c I really like ARB products when they are on the Jeep. But getting them on there often fcuking sucks!

Something I just learned is that it took ARB one full week to take my tire carrier off the shelf and put it onto a delivery truck. They had the part in stock, just couldn't be bothered to ship it. What the hell?

 

[dstock]

If you've already installed it once, I don't think you'll have any problem getting it on again. One thing comes to mind, how are you planning on getting the cage nuts into place for the bumper on the 2013 when you reinstall? Those were a little tricky to get into place and when they were new and you probably snapped off the extra metal so it didn't stick out.

I'll keep you posted on the rear bumper. I'm hoping that maybe when I lined up the bumper it wasn't quite set, so perhaps it'll fit after all? If not, after staring at a picture of it for a while, perhaps I can just bend the one piece back and out of the way. We'll see. Either way, I'm tucking my tail between my legs and taking the Jeep to a custom shop not far from my house to get the frame work drilled out correctly. I guess I'm gonna move forward with this product b/c I really like ARB products when they are on the Jeep. But getting them on there often fcuking sucks!

Something I just learned is that it took ARB one full week to take my tire carrier off the shelf and put it onto a delivery truck. They had the part in stock, just couldn't be bothered to ship it. What the hell?

The cage nuts still have enough stem on them I can get them into place, but I may get a couple spares just in case.

My ARB stuff has all come from Northridge4x4, free and fast shipping.

Hang in there! Will be watching to see how it all works out.

 

[KPM171]

The cage nuts still have enough stem on them I can get them into place, but I may get a couple spares just in case.

My ARB stuff has all come from Northridge4x4, free and fast shipping.

Hang in there! Will be watching to see how it all works out.

Lol... I'm sure you get fast shipping. Shipping from the west coast to the west coast, usually not much of a hold up there.

 

[dstock]

Lol... I'm sure you get fast shipping. Shipping from the west coast to the west coast, usually not much of a hold up there.

Haha! True, but they usually ship within a day of ordering which helps speed things up! Especially since we are all so patient when awaiting our JK parts!:cheesy:

 

[KPM171]

Haha! True, but they usually ship within a day of ordering which helps speed things up! Especially since we are all so patient when awaiting our JK parts!:cheesy:

Ain't that the damn truth!

 

[KPM171]

The Stock Bumper lives to fight another day

Oh ARB, our relationship really is a complicated affair, isn't it? I really, really want to love your products but you make it difficult when 100% of them don't actually bloody fit like you claim they should!



With the matching tire carrier already on the way, I’m really at a loss for what I should do. Do I stick with the ARB product and make it work? I can’t imagine the tire carrier is going to be any easier than anything else that I’ve gotten for the JK from this company. Nor can I guess ahead of time what part of the install is going to be a complete cluster. Or should cut my losses and shop around for a different bumper/tire carrier set up? I like the look, and I want it to work but ARB… your fitment and instructions are the absolute worst. In the meantime, I guess I’m rolling west coast style with no bumper at all.

After considering all possible courses of action with regards to my ARB Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier over the weekend, I ended up putting my factory bumper back on and deciding that perhaps the ARB rear bumper/tire carrier combo just isn't the right product for me at this point in time. The fit I’m looking for just isn’t there and when I got my hands on the instructions for the tire carrier (shipping now); it just looked like more of the same. At the $1400 price point, the kit should show up at my door ready to go. Why would I cut parts off of my Jeep that I'm happy with in order to make an aftermarket piece work? A bolt on solution should use existing frame mounting locations imho, not instruct me in a half a$$ way to cut some new holes to make the part fit.

Looking around the market, Hyline OffRoad & Warn Elite Series rear bumper/tire carrier combos also fit the bill and appear to be more along the lines of what I'm thinking when I order a bolt on product. Although the Hyline OffRoad is the front runner, for the time being I'm not ordering anything and plan to continue to run a stock rear bumper. After this latest adventure, I think I'm also taking a break from anything from ARB for a bit based on several off-line emails & phone calls that I'd rather not get into.

 

[cozdude]

After considering all possible courses of action with regards to my ARB Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier over the weekend, I ended up putting my factory bumper back on and deciding that perhaps the ARB rear bumper/tire carrier combo just isn't the right product for me at this point in time. The fit I’m looking for just isn’t there and when I got my hands on the instructions for the tire carrier (shipping now); it just looked like more of the same. At the $1400 price point, the kit should show up at my door ready to go. Why would I cut parts off of my Jeep that I'm happy with in order to make an aftermarket piece work? A bolt on solution should use existing frame mounting locations imho, not instruct me in a half a$$ way to cut some new holes to make the part fit.

Looking around the market, Hyline OffRoad & Warn Elite Series rear bumper/tire carrier combos also fit the bill and appear to be more along the lines of what I'm thinking when I order a bolt on product. Although the Hyline OffRoad is the front runner, for the time being I'm not ordering anything and plan to continue to run a stock rear bumper. After this latest adventure, I think I'm also taking a break from anything from ARB for a bit based on several off-line emails & phone calls that I'd rather not get into.

for that price i would look at the LOD shorty bumper/tire carrier combo. i think its $200 cheaper

 

[KPM171]

for that price i would look at the LOD shorty bumper/tire carrier combo. i think its $200 cheaper

There's a lot to like about the LOD bumpers, especially all the mounting points for accessories & considerably less expensive, but they won't let me retain the OEM tow package which has been a deal breaker for quite a few bumpers. While I'm sure the LOD bumpers can haul quite a load, most smaller companies don't take the time to get their bumpers properly tow rated. Since I do plan to tow (mostly cargo, but perhaps jetskis or a small boat) with this Jeep, I want to make sure the products are designed & rated to do so.

 

[cozdude]

There's a lot to like about the LOD bumpers, especially all the mounting points for accessories & considerably less expensive, but they won't let me retain the OEM tow package which has been a deal breaker for quite a few bumpers. While I'm sure the LOD bumpers can haul quite a load, most smaller companies don't take the time to get their bumpers properly tow rated. Since I do plan to tow (mostly cargo, but perhaps jetskis or a small boat) with this Jeep, I want to make sure the products are designed & rated to do so.

im in the same boat, i trailer a jet ski, golf cark, and pull the boat from time to time. when i contacted LOD about it being integrated they actaully told me it would be stronger than the factory/aftermarket receiver. the reason is because it is attached to the same 4 bolt hols the factory receiver goes into but also since the bumper is attached to the frame rails it reenforces it as well making it stronger.

im still a little unsure of it even after they called me but it is on the top of my list. They atleast took the time to call me to explaine how it all works with the integrated receiver rather than the wrap around design.

 

[KPM171]

im in the same boat, i trailer a jet ski, golf cark, and pull the boat from time to time. when i contacted LOD about it being integrated they actaully told me it would be stronger than the factory/aftermarket receiver. the reason is because it is attached to the same 4 bolt hols the factory receiver goes into but also since the bumper is attached to the frame rails it reenforces it as well making it stronger.

im still a little unsure of it even after they called me but it is on the top of my list. They atleast took the time to call me to explaine how it all works with the integrated receiver rather than the wrap around design.

I fully believe the explanation and think there's probably some truth to it. I pinged them to ask again. Who knows... maybe they've had them tested recently.

 

[cozdude]

I fully believe the explanation and think there's probably some truth to it. I pinged them to ask again. Who knows... maybe they've had them tested recently.

hopefully they have. let me know what they say.

 

[Kenny-g]

Hey could you do me a huge favor and take a pic from the side/angle of that OR-Fab skid? It should work extremely well for me and won't leave any gaps if it bolts to that cross member or whatever it's called thats just bellow the winch?

 

[dstock]

After considering all possible courses of action with regards to my ARB Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier over the weekend, I ended up putting my factory bumper back on and deciding that perhaps the ARB rear bumper/tire carrier combo just isn't the right product for me at this point in time. The fit I’m looking for just isn’t there and when I got my hands on the instructions for the tire carrier (shipping now); it just looked like more of the same. At the $1400 price point, the kit should show up at my door ready to go. Why would I cut parts off of my Jeep that I'm happy with in order to make an aftermarket piece work? A bolt on solution should use existing frame mounting locations imho, not instruct me in a half a$$ way to cut some new holes to make the part fit.

Looking around the market, Hyline OffRoad & Warn Elite Series rear bumper/tire carrier combos also fit the bill and appear to be more along the lines of what I'm thinking when I order a bolt on product. Although the Hyline OffRoad is the front runner, for the time being I'm not ordering anything and plan to continue to run a stock rear bumper. After this latest adventure, I think I'm also taking a break from anything from ARB for a bit based on several off-line emails & phone calls that I'd rather not get into.

Sorry to hear this isn't working out for you. I see that a couple extra holes need to be drilled, similar to the front bumper, and that the plastic fender liner needs to be trimmed, is there something else I am missing here? Was looking at my buddy's rear ARB this weekend (soon to be mine) and it looked pretty straight forward. I will agree their instructions aren't the best, although they are not alone in that regard.

 

[KPM171]

Hey could you do me a huge favor and take a pic from the side/angle of that OR-Fab skid? It should work extremely well for me and won't leave any gaps if it bolts to that cross member or whatever it's called thats just bellow the winch?

Sure thing. I hope to have my new custom fab'd air damn in a week or so and will take some pix when I pull it all apart. But based on the pix of your bumper, I think you are going to end up with the same gap that I currently have.

Sorry to hear this isn't working out for you. I see that a couple extra holes need to be drilled, similar to the front bumper, and that the plastic fender liner needs to be trimmed, is there something else I am missing here? Was looking at my buddy's rear ARB this weekend (soon to be mine) and it looked pretty straight forward. I will agree their instructions aren't the best, although they are not alone in that regard.

Nope, not really missing anything. Drilling/grinding the frame is the holy grail of things I don't like to do this early in my Jeeps life. That's why I stick to bolt on solutions. Despite planning out my build, I can pretty much undo everything I've done and go back to a blank slate with just some man hours on my part. The difference is I am not comfortable with frame modifications of any type and wasn't expecting to. You are expecting to drill the frame and have no problems with a little trimming and drilling so, I think you'll be just fine.

 

[paychex.308]

I think that you are really limiting your choices with the idea that you wont drill, grind or cut anything on your jeep. There are far superior products on the market that do require a grind or cut than the ones that dont. good luck with your search though...

 

[dstock]

Nope, not really missing anything. Drilling/grinding the frame is the holy grail of things I don't like to do this early in my Jeeps life. That's why I stick to bolt on solutions. Despite planning out my build, I can pretty much undo everything I've done and go back to a blank slate with just some man hours on my part. The difference is I am not comfortable with frame modifications of any type and wasn't expecting to. You are expecting to drill the frame and have no problems with a little trimming and drilling so, I think you'll be just fine.

Understand. All my mods are done in the same manner, being able to revert back to stock. Just pulled my front ARB off and put the stocker back on for when I trade it in, and the lift, and all the lights, and, and......no wonder I'm so tired!

I'm assuming ARB is adding extra mounting points due to the fact that it's a Hi-lift jacking point, but who knows. Drilling two holes I am good with, cutting or grinding my frame, not so much! Plus I am getting a the bumper for half price, and won't be needing a tire carrier in the future, so my situation is a lot easier.

Looking forward to seeing what you decide to go with, lots of good options out there!

 

[KPM171]

I think that you are really limiting your choices with the idea that you wont drill, grind or cut anything on your jeep. There are far superior products on the market that do require a grind or cut than the ones that dont. good luck with your search though...

While the Jeep is still under full warranty, I won't grind/drill/cut the frame. Once it's got many thousand more miles on the odo, then I have no problem widening my search for products that are a little more involved.

 

[paychex.308]

While the Jeep is still under full warranty, I won't grind/drill/cut the frame. Once it's got many thousand more miles on the odo, then I have no problem widening my search for products that are a little more involved.

so, not so much anti-grind/cut, as much as anti-warranty-loss. I can see that...