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Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper? Pictures?

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Chocolate Thunder

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Yes, I have the bumper off and it’s super easy to remove them. Just wanted to see if anyone with OEM steel bumper had done it already and what it looks like.
 

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I’ve wondered this myself. I’d like to see it with them off. They look rather easy to remove.
 

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I plan on taking my rear bumper off to install the oracle backup lights. I will take some pictures with them off. Im Hoping I can get to that in the next few days
 

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3 screws hold the plastic fender to bumper filler panel, and 2 bolts holding a sheet metal bracket to the frame. I put the frame bolts back in the holes, sans the bracket. I gave the end of the factory steel bumper a nice whack with a rubber mallet before and after removing that bracket, and didn't notice any loss of bumper support. That convinced me that the bracket is more for supporting the plastic than the bumper itself.

1st two pics are more recent, 3rd and 4th are back with the Dynatrac lift and still waiting on the rear liners.
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200813_083211
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200813_083309
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200628_201143_resized
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200701_095511
 

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3 screws hold the plastic fender to bumper filler panel, and 2 bolts holding a sheet metal bracket to the frame. I put the frame bolts back in the holes, sans the bracket. I gave the end of the factory steel bumper a nice whack with a rubber mallet before and after removing that bracket, and didn't notice any loss of bumper support. That convinced me that the bracket is more for supporting the plastic than the bumper itself.

1st two pics are more recent, 3rd and 4th are back with the Dynatrac lift and still waiting on the rear liners.
20200813_083211.jpg
20200813_083309.jpg
20200628_201143_resized.jpg
20200701_095511.jpg
Thanks! I knew someone out there would be running their Jeep this way. I can’t tell whether I like it better without it or not. The bottom looks kind of “unfinished”. Maybe adding the corners of the Rusty’s rear fascia... :idea:
 

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I wonder how the Rustys rear fascia works if you trim the rear pinch seam
 
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I wonder how the Rustys rear fascia works if you trim the rear pinch seam
There’s a YouTube video of a guy who did that. Don’t remember who. He trimmed the corner piece and relocated the hole.
 

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Thanks! I knew someone out there would be running their Jeep this way. I can’t tell whether I like it better without it or not. The bottom looks kind of “unfinished”. Maybe adding the corners of the Rusty’s rear fascia... :idea:
I've yet to do a real focused search, but have been keeping an eye out in my online travels for an armor panel that wraps all the way around the lower 3 or 4 inches of the body. JL Life did a video about the Rusty’s rear facia panels. It left me wondering if a 1-piece option exists. Check it out.


And if armored protection isn't quite needed, a matte black vinyl strip would clean it up and can be redone if needed.
 

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I wonder how the Rustys rear fascia works if you trim the rear pinch seam
Check out the video I just posted above. It's a trim to fit kinda piece.

There’s a YouTube video of a guy who did that. Don’t remember who. He trimmed the corner piece and relocated the hole.
Lol! I spotted this post right after hitting the post button.
 

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That’s the video I was talking about. That seems to be an extraordinarily half-assed job IMO, but you can get the point.

@Headbarcode yours looks kind of weird with so much of the painted metal visible beneath the rear fender of the back side. Did you remove the lower edge of the fender for practical clearance reasons for your big tires or just like the way it looks? Do you gain any clearance with the rear corner of the pinch seam as the closest point to the tire?
 

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I wonder how the Rustys rear fascia works if you trim the rear pinch seam

Here’s mine. It’s a bit dirty but you get the gist.

I cut the pinch seam with an angle grinder/cut off disc, filled seam with the putty type jb weld (worked awesome), sanded, painted red, then installed the Rusty’s fascia, marked the cut line on the fascia, removed the fascia, cut it with an angle grinder with it secured in a vice, sanded the cut edge, touch up paint, and then reinstalled.

Was a bit of work but went pretty smoothly

image.jpg
 
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So the bottom of the pinch seam on the rear wheel well causes issues with tire clearance with bigger tires is what I’m getting from this. I just put on 37s and it hasn’t left pavement yet so it hasn’t caused me a problem yet.

How big an issue is it? Enough to cut down a tire? Is it an issue that can be avoided with bump stops? I have 2 MetalCloak pucks in back, about 3.5” to upper bump.
 

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So the bottom of the pinch seam on the rear wheel well causes issues with tire clearance with bigger tires is what I’m getting from this. I just put on 37s and it hasn’t left pavement yet so it hasn’t caused me a problem yet.

How big an issue is it? Enough to cut down a tire? Is it an issue that can be avoided with bump stops? I have 2 MetalCloak pucks in back, about 3.5” to upper bump.
Another factor is the length you set the control arms to. You may be able to pull the axle forward enough to clear the rear pinch seam, but that has potential issues as well.

I have 3” bump stops in the rear and was still hitting the pinch seam enough that I was afraid I would pierce a tire. I have 37” Milestar Patagonia’s. I haven’t heard of anyone actually piercing a tire, but the interference was enough for me to think it was a real possibility. I think it would take an unreasonable amount of bumpstop to fix it with bumpstop alone.

I know @Roky did this as well and may weigh in.
 

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That’s the video I was talking about. That seems to be an extraordinarily half-assed job IMO, but you can get the point.

@Headbarcode yours looks kind of weird with so much of the painted metal visible beneath the rear fender of the back side. Did you remove the lower edge of the fender for practical clearance reasons for your big tires or just like the way it looks? Do you gain any clearance with the rear corner of the pinch seam as the closest point to the tire?
I had to remove the plastic filler pieces, that your thread is about, immediately after leaving the shop that mounted my 38's. Even the bump in the bottom rear of the liner was getting caught by the tread, just normal driving on road.

I chopped all 4 fenders, to help minimize the bump stop spacers I'd need. That gained about 3.5" in the front and about 2" of clearance in the back.

I already knew that the corner would need to be trimmed for 37's, courtesy of members like MarkY3130 and Roky, but the 38's require a bit more than the corner. I've got to take a pie slice, that'll run all the way up to top dead center. That's pretty straight forward, but the hitch in the giddy up is having to artfully modify the AAL liners and their mounting plates to match the larger arch. I've got a couple game plans, but am first wanting to complete the Gamechanger by swapping out the synergy control arms with Metalcloaks. I'm gonna take Brett's advice and adjust the new rear upper and lower ca's by a 1/4", than re-evaluate how much pinch seam needs to go.

As mentioned earlier, I still need to search the possible existence of a one piece facia panel, which will tidy up that area, while adding more protection to that area.

Here's a shot of the new rear bumper, and a couple to show how high I can get a front wheel before the rear pinch seam robs the last at least couple inches of rear wheel up travel. Once the pinch seam is trimmed and the synergy arms (which don't flex nearly enough, and are fighting it) are swapped out, I should get the wheel up to at least 44-45" off the ground.
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20201223_135529
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200831_111107
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200831_110905
Jeep Wrangler JL Has anyone removed the plastic end/transition pieces on the OEM rear bumper?  Pictures? 20200831_111646
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