4x Plate Bumper with non-4x skid plate

Hi TW, I'm back again with another question about my new 4x plate bumper for my '04. Before I start I just want to say that Adam really makes a quality product. I'm so impressed with the bumpers and build quality (I went with both a front and rear, with high-lift cut-outs in the rear). Here's some pics of the coating and finished product. I went with a semi-gloss black.





On the truck with new blinkers soldered in and shrink wrapped. Stoked! Next up: EP-35 relay to fix hyper flash, then winch and lights!



Prior to installing this bumper I was running stockers with a Skid Row plate. I'm having trouble figuring out how to mate this plate up to my new bumper. There's a pretty significant gap. I am not running a diff drop or spacers of any kind.



Is anybody running a non-4x skid with their 4x bumper? Or would I be better off just getting a set of 4x skids and selling the Skid Row?

Other thoughts: the Skid Row, while super nice and beefy was always kind of hard to line up. Usually I'd hook up the front three bolts and middle 2 bolts, then use a jack to bend the rear of the skid up enough to thread in the rear two bolts. I still need to repeat that process.

When I dry fit the bumpers I noticed the clearance was off so I put the stock collision bar back on and the clearance looked roughly the same. Maybe I'm making too big of an issue of this?

Thanks for any help! I've been turning wrenches for some time and working on this truck for years, but I'm pretty new to the wheeling scene. Thanks for helping out a noob!

 

I appreciate your advice. I’m here trying to learn and it’s probably obvious I don’t/can’t fabricate. Was that dig really necessary?

I’m having a real shit go at life right now and that really felt like a kick in the balls while I’m down. This truck and this forum is one of the few bright spots for me right now.

I think you could have worded that in a kinder way, especially when we’re on a forum sharing information and a common interest.

 

Sorry if you took it that way it was a simple statement !

That is what i would say to anyone !

sorry I said anything !

 

You'd probably say it to their face too. Didn't seem to be a dig to me.

 

I’m confused, does this skid not bolt to the crossmember up front? Or does that get cut out for the 4x bumper?

I have a 4x skid, which bolts to the crossmember, and a Savage bumper and they do not touch.

Mine is a 2000, if that makes any difference?

 

On the ‘04 there is a collision bar/crossmember behind the bumper that bolts into the ends of the frame. That’s where the stock skid mounts are on mine.

To install my bumper it seemed I had to remove that crossmember. There are slots on the bumper that appear to be meant for a skid to attach to.

Maybe I messed up the install and took something out that I shouldn’t have, but how everything went together made sense.

If I use a floor jack to bend the lip of the skid up, the mounting holes line up with the slots in the bumper.

 

Couple of thoughts, not sure if any of this is going to be helpful but maybe it will spark something?

There is only a single 1st gen skid SKU on the 4x website, so the mounting position should be indexed the same for all years. If the skid row mounted to the crossbar and the bumper mounts are supposed to be in the same place, this ought to fit.

That said, what do the bumper mounting brackets look like? Any chance you could have them flipped around or anything?

I also need a little persuasion from my jack to get the skid aligned and snug, so is it possible to get the skid to bumper bolts started and then use the jack to get it set to the other mount points?

If all else fails some rectangle tube or beefy L brackets ought to get you sorted out.

Good luck!

 

Thank you for the ideas! I really appreciate it!

I don't think there's any way I could have flipped the brackets...it was pretty obvious they only fit one way.

I'll probably try to get the front started and then do some convincing on the rear with my floor jack.

 

One more thought, on the 98-00 you have to cut the frame horns off to get most aftermarket bumpers to fit. Don’t think yours has the horns, but maybe there is some kind of similar trimming/modification that needs to happen to the frame ends?

 

I didn't have to cut anything off the frame, but I did to do some trimming to get the bumper itself to line up.

 

Correct !!

Just the way I talk

 

Ok, you have always been cool and helpful in my threads in the past, that comment seemed out of character so I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt, so can you explain what you meant?

Because when you said:

"If you could have fabricated something yourself you would never have asked."

What I heard was:

"You don't fab and I'm judging you because you can't"

But perhaps you meant:

"If you could have made something to fix the problem this thread would have been unnecessary."

If it's the first, then my comment from before stands. If it's the second or something else like it, then I misinterpreted and I'm sorry.

 

****

 

There's no need to ask others to explain themselves. What's said is said already and can't be retract. Live with it, learn from it, and move on. Everyone have their day's.

 

I'm using the DOC skid plates with my 4x bumper. I'm very happy with them, also you can wire in some resistors and you won't need to change your relay.

 

Thank you for responding! This is what I was looking for.

 

Here's their Instagram. They're really cool guys, they also ship.

https://www.instagram.com/doc.offroad?igsh=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ==