Rubicon Express Rear Bumper

Part #: RE 9700A (Don't remember)

I had been looking around for a really stout rear bumper to handle a 35" tire, hi-lift Jack, gas can along with CB antenna, and a mount for a GPS antenna. I had a lot of bumpers on my list and the Rubicon Express bumper was one of them. A friend was selling his so I jumped on the chance to pick it up cheap. My first thoughts with the bumper were "OMG this thing is freekin heavy." Second thought was "Oh that hurt, maybe I should have worn steel tipped shoes.." Seriously this is one heavy bumper. To bad RE no longer makes them. This was definitely a monster.

Additional Parts:

Tools Needed:
T-30 Torx
13mm socket
18mm socket
18mm Combo Wrench
Lug Wrench
Phillips Screwdriver
Needle Nose Pliers

Installation:

Pieces Parts

Gas Can Carrier

Assembled Bumper

1. Remove Rear bumper. If yours is stock remove the 8 screws from the plastic end caps with a T-30 torx bit. Be careful you don't get a face full of dirt. Now remove the 4 nuts and 2 bolts holding the rear bumper on. The top nuts are right next to the body bushing, so a socket doesn't fit very well. I loosened it up first with a box end and then backed it off with the socket. I needed to remove the Tow hook also. The back nut is attached to a metal tab, so it just pulls right out of the frame.

2. Remove the spare tire. Hopefully you remember where you put that key for the locking lug on your spare tire.

3. Remove the 3rd brake light. Open the tailgate and remove the cover over the contactors. This should be held in by a phillips screw.

3. Disconnect the wires. They pull right off of the metal buttons. I pulled the pins out of the rubber grommet and stuck them back in the wires once I had removed the 3rd brake light.

4. Feed the wires back through the hole in the tail gate. You will need to pull out the rubber grommet from the tailgate. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to get a good grip on it.

5. Unbolt the 3rd brake light from the tire carrier. I used a 10mm socket and extension to get to the back ones. On the Rubicon's there is a spacer underneath the 3rd brake light. It is 2 pieces and should be screwed into the 3rd brake light. You will need to feed the wires up behind the spare tire carrier to remove the 3rd brake light. I reinstalled that plastic cover on the inside.

6. Unbolt the Spare tire carrier with a 13mm socket. There are 3 bolts on top and 2 on the bottom holding this on.

7. Clean up the tailgate since you have plenty of room at the moment. I had removed the 5 rubber bumpers earlier because I was carrying the 35" Tire on the factory carrier.

8. The RE bumper came in pieces so I installed the bumper first. The bumper sits really close to the frame and originally came with a reinforcement bracket but the two side pieces had become lost so a set of bumper tie-in brackets from Raingler were used instead. Sorry no Pic.

As you can see the bumper tucks in really close to the rear of the Jeep. This reduces part of the leverage force against the rear cross member. You can also see the hole for the latch. I put a little bit of anti-seized in this hole just in case.

9. Now lift the tire carrier up and onto the bumper. Insert the large bolt through the bracket, tire carrier and then screw into the bumper. The bolt is a fine thread and takes a little to get started. Once you get the bolt started and screwed almost all the way in, install the two bolts that hold the bracket to the bumper.

10. Now bolt the gas can carrier supports to the bracket on the tire carrier. And then bolt the plate to the top of the supports. The plate uses allen screws to hold it on.

11. Now just check swing and clearances. I ran into a problem with the tire carrier hitting the rear light guard, so I needed to remove my guards so that this would work. It did sit close to the tail light, but with the reinstallation of the rear bumpers I didn't think I would have any problems.

N-m

Ft. Lbs.

In. Lbs.

REAR BUMPER BOLT

REAR TOW HOOK BOLT

This page last updated: 26-Apr-2018

Content and Design © 2002-present WanderingTrail, Ronald Seegert
Common Sense and Safety should always be observed when working on your vehicle or doing modifications. Jackstands, wheel blocks, disconnecting the battery are a few of the basic safety precautions that should be used and may not be mentioned in the write ups on this site. You are responsible for your own installation, these write ups are a helpful guideline and should not be taken as an official installation instruction. My write up may be different from the kits currently out there, so alwasy double check the manufacturers installation instructions when installing anything. I try to keep the site up to date with changes that have occured as I discover them, but may not have the latest unless someone lets me know. If you feel that an install is above your capabilities after reading my write ups, I recommend getting together with a club and getting some help. Only a few times have I needed to employe some actual help from a shop to get something done. Usually welding or A/C work. While I have spent many years working on mechanical systems, I am not an expert, nor do I pretend to be one. I hope these write ups have been useful to you.
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