CBI Covert Front Bumper

Has anyone completed a Covert bumper install? If so, just wondering ~ how much time it required and also what cutting device (reciprocating saw, cutting wheel, harsh language, etc) you used for the cutting. Any feedback would be welcome.

 

I haven't done a covert but I have done a slimline (SSO) and they are going to be mostly the same. Plan on a couple hours. I used a 4.5" grinder with a cutoff wheel.

 

I just installed my covert bumper today. Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

They say it takes ~2 hours to install it, but it took me ~4 hours of crawling around the garage floor. Some takeaways that would probably make the install easier/quicker (in no particular order):

1) Lifting the truck off the ground a bit (e.g., onto jack stands). Accessing your skid plate and installing the side braces would be a lot easier with more clearance. I did not do this and it made wrenching very difficult.

2) Making larger cuts on the inner flares/plastic. If you watch the CBI installation video, there are several points where you need to cut away some of the plastic behind your bumper and wheel wells. I erred on the side of caution, cutting smaller pieces. This made accessing bolts and mounting points difficult and I had to go back and cut more so that I could actually get my wrench in position.

3) Getting all bolts mounted and into position before tightening. This is admittedly a rookie mistake. When I installed the side braces, I made the mistake of tightening my sway bar bolts before sliding in the top bolt of each brace. I had to undo everything after realizing that the top of the side braces were misaligned.

4) Cutting the factory tie-down point all the way flush to the frame. On my first cut, I left about a half-inch of metal protruding off of the frame. Only after hoisting the bumper into position (almost onto the crash beam bolts) did I realize that it wouldn’t slide all the way into position due to the insufficient cut.

5) Having adequate cutting tools for the plastic behind the bumper and wheel wells. I thought my battery powered dremel was enough, but surprisingly garden shears were better suited after some experimentation.

6) Watching the CBI installation video all the way through at least once before you begin. I had glanced at it a few times before starting, but didn’t watch it all the way through in one go. They kind of skip around, so you should watch it to determine the order of events that make the most sense to you.

Tools that I used:

1) Angle grinder with metal cut-off wheel for:

• First cut of the bumper/valance and cutting off the factory tie-down loop

2) Battery dremel with plastic cutting disk and sanding disk for:

• Cleaning up the bumper/valance cut and cutting some of the plastic behind the bumper

3) Full socket wrench set for:

• All bolts

4) Channel lock pliers for:

• Bending the metal tabs behind the crash beam (to make room for side braces)

5) Garden shears for:

• The remaining plastic that I couldn’t get with the dremel

Another important thing to note, which might also save time:

1) You don’t necessarily need to drop the whole skid plate to install the bumper. I have the TRD Pro skid and was able to get away with just removing the front two bolts instead of removing the whole plate. This gave me just enough clearance to slide in the covert bumper. Also, the CBI installation video states that you need to drop the plate so you can unbolt your sway bar brackets. I had plenty of clearance to remove the sway bar brackets without removing the skid.

All of this said, the installation is manageable for someone with basic tools and know-how. Getting into some of the tight spots is a real pain and my hands are pretty chewed up, but I’m happy with the end product and glad to have saved some money on the install.

 

@Overlake Thanks for the detailed write up and info with compatibility with our Pro skid plate. I was wondering if the Covert would fit our trucks.