License Plate Fastening

[Northernlites]

The one beef I have found about our new 2023 Wrangler Sport Altitude was the license plate fasteners. The dealer simply drilled a few holes in the front (front plates are required in Wisconsin) and screwed in a few lag screws, which I hate. The rear was the same way. I fixed that issue by drilling out appropriate size holes to install screw in inserts to accommodate the license plate attaching screws I purchased with a clear plate cover. Applied a little epoxy to the inserts to make sure they stayed in place. Cost me $18.00 for 8 inserts, $16.00 for a pair of clear covers/with hardware, and 20 minutes of my time. We are getting personalized plates so wanted to make them secure and a clean install.

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[aggiechris]

I just replaced the bumpers to avoid the plastic ones

 

[Northernlites]

I just replaced the bumpers to avoid the plastic ones

I like the plastic outer bumpers. Keeps the parking lot idiots from denting the metal or scratching the paint.

 

[Joe's_Roxy]

Cool hack. I think I would have opted for some nutserts. If in plastic only, put a washer on the back side before flaring the nutsert to sandwich the insert to the plastic. I used nutserts when I installed mudflaps on my Jeep and they have held very well.

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

The dealer should have the appropriate license plate holders that attach to the bumpers.

 

[Grampy22]

The one beef I have found about our new 2023 Wrangler Sport Altitude was the license plate fasteners. The dealer simply drilled a few holes in the front (front plates are required in Wisconsin) and screwed in a few lag screws, which I hate. The rear was the same way. I fixed that issue by drilling out appropriate size holes to install screw in inserts to accommodate the license plate attaching screws I purchased with a clear plate cover. Applied a little epoxy to the inserts to make sure they stayed in place. Cost me $18.00 for 8 inserts, $16.00 for a pair of clear covers/with hardware, and 20 minutes of my time. We are getting personalized plates so wanted to make them secure and a clean install.

I live in Mn and they too require front plate. But I am not and have not put it on. Talked with several people, mostly HoRod fellas. And they have not had a problem with getting pulled over for not having it. I do how ever keep the plate in the Jeep.

 

[JL Diesel]

My dealer drilled holes in my front bumper too while attaching the plate. I think they assume most people are going to swap them out for steel ones that would actually work in a collision.

 

[MesaAZGuy]

Both my Jeeps have had the lag screws in them too. Even with the steel bumper group option, the license plate area is a big plastic insert. OP, that looks really nice! Now you need to remove the dealers advert on the back corner. Takes away from the nice lines

 

[MayThe4x4BWU]

I like this idea for the back bumper til I decide on a steel bumper ?

I'm a stickler for the front plate ugliness-addon garbage that most makes have for their various vehicles and the damage it leaves if you decide to take it off (especially on painted bumpers)

I always have my dealer put in writing that they would not install the front license plate or the factory bracket for it, or it would void my deal. It's worked for me on 6/7 of the last vehicles I've bought since I started dumping the front plate. The one time they still ended up putting a bracket on, I had them repair it at their cost.

I'll keep thumbing my nose at the policy makers using my "workaround" excuse ?

 

[rcadden]

steel ones that would actually work in a collision.

Depends on what you mean by "work"

The stock plastic bumpers actually have a steel plate inside of them, along with crash cans - they're specifically designed to absorb as much of the impact as possible, to protect the driver from the extreme whiplash and other forces that can occur.

Full steel bumpers don't do much to absorb these impacts - they're steel - but do a better job of protecting the Jeep itself, attempting to serve as a barrier against said forces coming into the Jeep (pushing them back to the offending object).

Basically, steel bumpers aren't really "safer" than the plastic ones - they're just designed to handle the impact in a different way.

 

[AFD]

That's nice! Always thought the idea of screwing what's essentially a big wood screw into plastic was stupid and prone to irreversible wear.

 

[Northernlites]

The dealer should have the appropriate license plate holders that attach to the bumpers.

Exactly. Must cut into their profits adding plate holders on.

 

[Northernlites]

My dealer drilled holes in my front bumper too while attaching the plate. I think they assume most people are going to swap them out for steel ones that would actually work in a collision.

The plastic is just a cover basically. There is steel behind the plastic that meets front end collision standards.

 

[Northernlites]

I live in Mn and they too require front plate. But I am not and have not put it on. Talked with several people, mostly HoRod fellas. And they have not had a problem with getting pulled over for not having it. I do how ever keep the plate in the Jeep.

Had the dealer not installed the 2 lag screws, I would have taken my chances and not used a front plate. But I had to clean up the lag screw mess somehow.

 

[Grampy22]

Had the dealer not installed the 2 lag screws, I would have taken my chances and not used a front plate. But I had to clean up the lag screw mess somehow.

Bummer. I suppose my delivery was different. I picked up my Jeep hours after it arrived. They had to order plates. When I went to pick them up. They didn’t want to give them to me. They wanted to put them on. I had to firmly say NO. So they then did hand them over. So it was nice. No mess. But I do like what you did to fasten the plates. Clean

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