ARB Rated Recovery Point

The step bits self center pretty well and it wasn’t an issue for me. Just go slow and check as you go to make sure you don’t make the hole too large.

 

The instructions do leave a little to be desired…
I have the bumper and still had to step the square hole. Maybe it was round in the first years of 3rd gen production?
@tgoff
Also didn’t have trouble opening the square with a step. Bought and used one for the first time just for this project and everything lined up great! I’d recommend using the parts list to identify all of the individual parts and familiarizing yourself with where they go and which spacer you need. It’s easy enough, but having all the hardware lined up and laid out definitely helped me

 

Did you all use any black rustoleum spray paint on the hole after enlarging? I bought some, don't know if I need it!

I was going to do this tomorrow but step bits at the HD are stupid expensive (cheapest is $50). Ordering one online. So now I need to wait for it to arrive.

 

I did hit mine with some paint I had from cleaning rust off the trailer hitch. Certainly won’t hurt anything.
I do remember the bit being expensive and thinking about it, I don’t even know where that stupid thing is now. Impact made it really simple.
Sounds like you already ordered but I’m pretty sure Lowe’s had one for $35

 

OK I spent an hour to 90 minutes just now scoping it all out. Took my BPF Recovery point off, found the rear hole, removed the plug to expose the square opening, and even cut away the inner fender liner.

Going to give this a go tomorrow.

All looks pretty straight-forward EXCEPT that damn nut on a stick. I can see the plug on the outer side that needs to be removed and that looks somewhat accessible with the liner cut. I know I need to remove part of the inner liner to make it more accessible.

The inner plug? I can see it, can barely feel it, didn't try to get a pry tool up there but think I can, but for the life of me I cannot see how I maneuver that nut on a stick into that opening while trying to thread it from the other side. I do have a TRD Pro skid plate. Does removing it make it easier?

 

I can’t be much help here I’m afraid. My bumper was completely open on the bottom once I removed the skids from it and my fender liner was already trimmed up pretty high in the front. I was able to easily locate the plug to feed the nut stick though and holding it in place while threading from the other side was a snap.
Hope fully someone with a stock bumper will chime in. I would definitely try removing the trd plate to see if it would make more room, couldn’t hurt. But I also don’t have that plate or know where it mounts

 

Did this today - all except the nut on a stick. Everything is pretty straight-forward, maybe cramming hands and wrenches into tight spaces, but all do-able with the right tools. Even cutting the fender lining made sense.

But damn that nut on a stick. I had a hard time getting it in it is such a tight fit. Once I got it in it was impossible for me to get it threaded. It all based on feel, you can't see jack shit since it is all enclosed. Gave up after spending an hour on it and the stick is all mangled now because once I got it on the hole, I couldn't get it out (tight fit!).

Anyone consider buying a longer bolt and an oversized washer and just expending the darn thing thru the opening? That has to be better than not using it at all?

 

Stripped, sandblasted, zinc primer'd, then powdercoated semi-gloss black

The red was obnoxious

 

Turned out great.

 

Installed. the black finish hides it pretty well

 

Did you install it as red, hated it, removed it and did this, than re-installed? Or did you do this before even installing?

I ask because of the nut on a stick. Like who would wat to go through that pain again? I still haven't been able to get the nut on a stick installed. I'm sure it compromises the rating but I just can't figure it out.

 

Maybe you can rattle-can in place with generous amounts of plastic sheeting ... you can get enough covered so that at 5+ft away you do not see the "red" clearly.

 

I did a partial paint on mine. I still wanted the front to be visible to be easier to find if I actually needed to use it. I didn't want to see it in the fender from the side.

 

No sir, I have no red on my truck and knew I'd get annoyed by it, so I blacked it out beforehand.

As for the nut on the stick, I pulled 2 or 3 of the fender liner bolts to get access from that side and stuck a light in there (I had the wheel off already). Then dropped the skid plate and was able to fish it in there pretty quick. After install I used some bolt cutters to cut off half the stick, which made it small enough for me to bend the rest back and forth until it broke off at the nut. If you plan on color changing I would definitely do it before you install that bolt/nut. Trust me man, I am the most amatuer wrencher there is, took a little over 3 hours to install this thing, but once I had the area all opened up it only took me 5 min to fish that thing into place and thread the bolt in because I had my working light right in there and could see exactly what it was doing. If I can figure out, you can for sure.

 

Your actions are vague …. What did you cut out exactly? The nut on stick is terrible … very very hard to thread on …. I feel there is a much better way of going about this but shocked ARB chose this route

 

After i torqued down the bolt into the nut on the stick, i didnt want the stick attached anymore. So i cut off half of it, then was able to bend it back and forth a bunch of times until the rest of the stick snapped off

 

Sorry I thought you cut something to get better access … but like I said the nut on the stick is terrible in every which way

 

Oh I don't mind the red. I was more curious if he installed, hated it, removed, painted black and reinstalled. He posted later that he painted if black first.

 

I installed my ARB in January and gave up on the nut on a stick. It is in my garage as a "Need to do this" and I hated the experience so much I haven't retried.

 

Yeah, I still have yet to get that done.