Actually my brother-in-law had the corner brace in his shop. It was similar to this one from Home Depot:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardware-Essentials-3-1-2-x-3-4-in-Zinc-Plated-Corner-Brace-5-Pack-851129-0/203809826
What I did was to first purchase the LOD license plate kit, put it together...
I installed the LOD license plate bracket with my Smittybilt rear bumper. The shop had put the plate on the spare tire - we hated the look. The LOD comes with a mounting bracket, but to make it fit I had to purchase a standard corner brace and widen the holes a bit to get it to fit. It came out...
Agree with Texag. Totally normal. This has happened on every toad I've owned over the years. It's well-documented on various RV forums. As noted above, it's due to rubber on the road being deposited on the vehicle and then burned off.
Thanks lightsout. I also found this bar from Lumen which is 17.5". I might give it a try as it seems to be a bit better quality than the amazon bars. I checked Inspired Engineering as they are a forum sponsor, but they don't offer anything in the 16-18" size...
BRAND NEW - Only $950!!
I will be picking up a 2019 Rubicon tomorrow (April 26) and will be selling the stock wheels and tires. They will have 50-100 miles on them.
17” x 7.5” polished aluminum wheels with black pockets
33" stock all-terrain tires
(I will post pictures tomorrow from the...