My Trans4mer arrived yesterdayearly afternoon. I was debating whether I would have time to install it before I had a meeting last night at 7:00 and whether my healing knee would be able to do this kind of work or not. I opted to go for it. Hell it's only a few bolts here a few bolts thereand I'm done. Well everything started wrong but once I started picking up speed I kept slowing down, from my own device. First off I could not get the pigtail disconnected from my stock fog lights on my truck and after about 10 minutes of trying I said eff this and pulled all the wiring out of the bumper itself.


Step 2, remove bumper. Really easy.

Step 3, remove old bumper mounting hardware and install new WARN hardware. Also remove black plastic insert between the bumper and the painted to color plastic piece mounted to to top of the bumper, DISCARD. I missed the part where it said it was going to be discarded andkept trying to take it out with the minimum damage. I reread the instructions again and saw the DISCARD word, comm'ere dremel! Easy.

Step 4,add WARN frame supports onto the frame including drilling 4 holes 1/2" to mount these supports. Shoot, I only go up to a 3/8" but I canenlarge it that little bit to make it fit easily,yeah right, this is not wood here it's structural steel. I tried and tried to ream out the holes to getthe1/2" bolts to go into the holes but it was not working with a drill bit. I am out of transportation because my front bumper is completely off so I can't just run to the hardware store and get a 1/2" drill bit. I call a buddy and see if he can jet over here to help me and pick up adrill bit on the way, sure but I am not going to be off work for another hour or so. Eff eff effity eff eff! I see a1/4" tap that been in my drill index for forever. I wonder it I can make this work? After about 30 minutes I get the holes reamed to 1/2"

Step 5,remount the bumper. I just added 20 pounds to the bumper and it's not going on right. I check the alignment and I still can't make it work. I have to wait for my buddy to arrive at 5:30. He arrives as the light is starting to fade fast. We get the bumper back on and I finish the upper half of the grill guard and decide to call it a night as I still need a shower before my meeting.

Step 6, (this morning) attach the lower half of the grill guard including cutting 2 small groves into the lower black plastic wind deflector.

Step 7, winch foundation.

Step 8, winch. This wend flawless except I am not a fan of the way WARN uses their nuts on the winches. They are definately not made for people like me with huge hands. I get everything hooked with little resistance, aside from the huge hand issue. Now the achillies heel comes into play. I go to hook up the electrical and the positive lead it 2" too short. Eff effity eff eff! I had planned on going through my bumper and making the wiring invisible but this would not have worked with the length of the leads. I end up having to go over the top of the bumper between the bumper/hood contact area and diagonally up across the radiator area and then to the battery. Thisdefinately is not my prefered method but I will rewire it completely later making thewires invisible, probablytomorrow afternoon.

The last little note, they did not have the brush guards I wanted in stock so thesewill be arriving in about 2 weeks or so. Here are the pics of the finished product.

[IMG]local://upfiles/59786/4F10BEA6B0E14315B008F0A50380E97E.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/59786/BEB6D09306CD451DBE665E8F459195F9.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/59786/CEA64DF9B3E84A81AF51A01CE6AFECD0.jpg[/IMG]

 

PS, my knee is hurting really bad and I keep thinking that the week before last I had promised myself to take it easy on my knee until my doctor cleared me to be active again but NO, I had to push it. Oh well, the damage is done now and I can relax.

 

WOW! That looks sweet!! Good Job!

 

Look's good!!

Now you will have to get a new sig.

Why did you not go with a chrome one?

 

Very nice, IMHO I like the look of black on the red. But I am biased.

 

Wow that looks real good. I like the black as well. I have never been a chrome guy.

 

How much did that run you?

 

Trans4mer, grill guard, brush guard, winch base and 9k winch ran about $1700. I had debated about stainless vs black and I hate to say it but I really like the black better. Chrome would have made my truck look to bling bling on the front. Hell, I really liked the look of the older rams that had the front painted to batch the vehicle rather than chrome. Maybe one day I will get a painted to match front end and then grab a set of black nerf bars so my truck is strictly black and red.

 

Yeah i agree, I don't think there is anything more ugly than when someone puts chrome stuff all over their truck. I like color matched, or black.

 

I am probably going to buy a cover for my winch to keep it from corroding. http://www.clemson4wheel.com/p-2666-...nch-cover.aspx