AEV rear bumper and parking sensor failure

[Comac90]

@Comac90 - understood and thanks. Yes, I was referring to what I now know are the OEM XR tire bump stops. Was also curious if the tire would fit snug to the tire carrier frame. I watched an install video where they drilled holes into the carrier frame assembly and added bump stops ().

(22:50 mark). Of course, those wheels are 3.5 backspace versus 4.5 for the Mopar.

yes, the tire does fit snugly … but, you set that specific to your tire/rim set-up using one of those two mounting plate adjustment bolts included with the bumper.

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[guarnibl]

Thanks. I had one on a JK a had and loved it. They’re bomber, but I did run into several issues on install.

for the bump stops, I’m not entirely sure to what you’re referring. There are some stock bump stops that come on the XR (maybe other models?) that snap right into the rear door. Those are not used with the AEV carrier. I left them in because there is a hole that you’d have to fill if your pull them. However, I did have to have to cut the passenger side one down by 2/3rds because it was catching on the carrier.

As far as wheel accommodation, there is a huge range of adjustment.

There are two different lengths bolts you can choose from to set the mounting plate backspacing. You can see the larger silver bolt head in the first pic below and the mounting plate it adjusts in the second pic.

FWIW, by AEV’s guidance in the instructions, I was supposed to use the longer of the two bolts. However, it proved too long by about 1/3”. The shorter bolt was perfect.

Were you able to get the two corners level? Mine were (prior to torquing) at about 0.4 degrees on both sides. So I torqued them properly (though stopped torquing the ubolts since the tabs started to bend ever so slightly) and I went to install the tire carrier and it doesn't close. Hits below where it should when you close it.

I stepped back and looked, and you can tell it's visually lower in the center than on the right side, and I used the digital level again and it's 1.4 degrees sloping downwards.

Here's a quick picture -- I could obviously adjust where it hits to catch it lower, but I think I'm going to just take everything apart and try again. I suppose maybe I need a shim that was included. I hadn't used any since they were both at 0.4 even after torquing a few. We'll see I guess.

 

[Comac90]

Were you able to get the two corners level? Mine were (prior to torquing) at about 0.4 degrees on both sides. So I torqued them properly (though stopped torquing the ubolts since the tabs started to bend ever so slightly) and I went to install the tire carrier and it doesn't close. Hits below where it should when you close it.

I stepped back and looked, and you can tell it's visually lower in the center than on the right side, and I used the digital level again and it's 1.4 degrees sloping downwards.

Here's a quick picture -- I could obviously adjust where it hits to catch it lower, but I think I'm going to just take everything apart and try again. I suppose maybe I need a shim that was included. I hadn't used any since they were both at 0.4 even after torquing a few. We'll see I guess.

Interesting… did you seat the spindle? Mine looked a little like that, though not as extreme, until I got it seated. I had to weight the carrier to get it fully seat correctly.

For leveling, I did shim both corners which leveled them nearly perfectly. I ended up having to use the thickest shims to level each corner, though. In doing so, that created an issue where the mounting holes on the top of the center section no longer lined up. So, I ended up having to grind those out to fit the mounting bolts … especially the driver side one where I had to make the hole so much bigger the button head bolt now doesn't even cover the entire hole.

 

[guarnibl]

Interesting… did you seat the spindle? Mine looked a little like that, though not as extreme, until I got it seated. I had to weight the carrier to get it fully seat correctly.

For leveling, I did shim both corners which leveled them nearly perfectly. I ended up having to use the thickest shims to level each corner, though. In doing so, that created an issue where the mounting holes on the top of the center section no longer lined up. So, I ended up having to grind those out to fit the mounting bolts … especially the driver side one where I had to make the hole so much bigger the button head bolt now doesn't even cover the entire hole.

Yeah my carrier is fully seated or seems that way — it’s all the way in and bolts tightened— had to use grease though to get it in there. I didn’t shim either side. Guess we’ll see if I run into that issue you did re holes not lining up.

 

[guarnibl]

Interesting… did you seat the spindle? Mine looked a little like that, though not as extreme, until I got it seated. I had to weight the carrier to get it fully seat correctly.

For leveling, I did shim both corners which leveled them nearly perfectly. I ended up having to use the thickest shims to level each corner, though. In doing so, that created an issue where the mounting holes on the top of the center section no longer lined up. So, I ended up having to grind those out to fit the mounting bolts … especially the driver side one where I had to make the hole so much bigger the button head bolt now doesn't even cover the entire hole.

Yep, ran into the same issue today after I got the tire carrier side level enough where it looks acceptable. Now driver side doesn't line up.

What's interesting is I actually loosened all the fasteners to hand tight (or less actually lol) on the left steel corner -- then put the center section on to see if I could get the driver side hole (top left hole of center section) to line up -- F'KN NOPE.

This bumpers a giant piece of shit. Or so it feels that way. I know one of the YouTube guys said his AEV tire carrier is already rattling, too. Yeah, so we'll see. It still feels like the best option that ties to the frame, that also looks OEM.

Oh also the AEV touch up paint doesn't match, rofl. Just one thing after another. When you drilled out what paint did you use to touch it up with?

 

[Comac90]

Yep, ran into the same issue today after I got the tire carrier side level enough where it looks acceptable. Now driver side doesn't line up.

What's interesting is I actually loosened all the fasteners to hand tight (or less actually lol) on the left steel corner -- then put the center section on to see if I could get the driver side hole (top left hole of center section) to line up -- F'KN NOPE.

This bumpers a giant piece of shit. Or so it feels that way. I know one of the YouTube guys said his AEV tire carrier is already rattling, too. Yeah, so we'll see. It still feels like the best option that ties to the frame, that also looks OEM.

Oh also the AEV touch up paint doesn't match, rofl. Just one thing after another. When you drilled out what paint did you use to touch it up with?

interesting - so not just me. ??

I hammered the bumper/carrier on my JK and it held up great. Time will tell on this one, I suppose.

on the touch paint, I actually just used a Duplicolor Lexus black I happened to have laying around the garage. Lol. No, it doesn’t match. ? but, most of the touch up was inside the holes, so I went with it just to not have to go buy something.

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