AEV Ex Front Bumper Hoop Removal

[yeti1951]

I have the AEV Ex Front Bumper installed on my Jeep a few months ago and did not opt for the off road lights. I just picked up a set and I am trying to install them on my Jeep but having trouble removing the plastic trim hoop on the bumper to access the inner hoop frame to install the lights. Does anyone have this bumper and know how to remove the plastic hoop trim? I removed the four bolts on the back of the hoop and still does not want to come off. I hope the whole bumper does not have to be disassembled to access this.

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[bRett32]

Unfortunately I believe you have to remove the 'main stamping' to remove the plastic cover and to run the wiring from the lights in the manner AEV suggests. This also means removing the end caps or 'wings' on the bumper as well.

I have the 7000 series lights and EX bumper and have never been able to get them aligned correctly - the AEV brackets have them dipping forward a fair amount and they rotate or swivel over time so I've decided to replace them with some LP6s and when I went to do the swap with a couple a spare hour or two realized it took more disassembly than I recalled from installing the bumper.

With some creativity there may be a way, but from a number of adjustments and removal/reinstallation of the lights I haven't been able to remove the plastic cover with the rest of the bumper still in place unfortunately.

bumper instructions for reference on the assembly order: https://www.aev-conversions.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/AEV30446AB-Jeep-EX-RX-Front-Bumper.pdf

 

[Slate]

I am curious about this as well. I thought it you removed the screws from the back, the plastic cover would come off. I don't recall it being held in place aside from those. That being said, if you look at the instructions on page 9, Figure 17, I wonder if you need to loosen those screw that hold that back trim piece to give you enough room to wiggle the plastic cover off?

 

[Slate]

Looking at mine, I don't see where the trim panels impede anything, but loosening those bolts might provide some clarity.

 

[yeti1951]

I am curious about this as well. I thought it you removed the screws from the back, the plastic cover would come off. I don't recall it being held in place aside from those. That being said, if you look at the instructions on page 9, Figure 17, I wonder if you need to loosen those screw that hold that back trim piece to give you enough room to wiggle the plastic cover off?

I did remove the back screw ever the post as they are only hand tightened and it still is catching on something and won’t release. I thought it would be easy but so it is not.

 

[Slate]

HT to Tech Tim.

Thought the youtube link would take you to the relevant spot. Fast Forward to 12:00 to see the hoop portion.

I really hope you just have to loosen those bolts around that hoop trim. I am looking to do something similar...

I thought maybe there was a lip on the hoop, but it doesn't really look like it.

 

[Slate]

I installed mine, drove around and realized I had the m&t%h#$f*&ing fog lights installed upside down. I had to uninstall the entire thing to pull off that main piece, swap the fogs, and put it all back together again.

So yeah, I am not looking to do it a 3rd time to mount the fogs on the hoop.

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