Alien Patrol Bumper install

[wildcat]

I recently received my Alien Patrol Bumper for my Dodge truck, and couldn’t wait to get it installed.
Here are some before pics:

Here’s the bumper shortly after it arrived on 7/1 The Date on camera was wrong, I’ve since changed it.



One of the Warn 12000 I purchased for $400.00 (Without cable).



Getting started, on the driver’s side of the bumper there is a connector for the fog lights if your vehicle is so equipped. Remove the connector from the mounting hole, lift the red connector lock, remove it.



When removed from mounting hole. (Apologize for the blurry pic!)



Red connector lock lifted. (Still a little blurry)



Press where my index finger is on connector to separate



Loosen and remove 4 nuts on outside of frame horn for the bumper. 18MM



Remove 2 intercooler mounting bolts. 10mm. The intercooler is not removed for this install, the mounting bolts are removed to facilitate moving the intercooler out of the way, so bolts can be removed. The reason the intercooler is not removed for this is because the AC compressor is also mounted with the intercooler, remove it, and you will have to have your AC recharged.



At this point, it may be a good time to tell you I am working by myself, so pictures of steps that require 2 hands, or during the handling of heavy bumpers are going to be missing. I do not recommend anyone do this by themselves.

The 2 bolts that hold the bumper on are joined together with a plate. In order to remove them (They both remove at the same time) you must lift the intercooler up and angle it a little forward. This may require a little trial and error to accomplish.

When you remove the other side, be prepared for the bumper to drop.

I started with the passenger side bolts, then moved to the driver’s side, because there was more clearance and I could let go of the intercooler to place a hand on the bumper.

The stock bumper weighs 90 pounds. Be Careful!

Pics of the bumper removed, and of the removed bumper.





In order to begin installing the new bumper, loosen the 8 bolts that hold the Alien Patrol bumper to the frame horn mounts. 3/4" socket.
I then propped my bumper up on a coleman Ice chest, to adjust them to the width of the frame. Also, it is easier to lift the bumper and place on the frame from this elevated height. I don’t recommend you use the Coleman cooler to do this, and if you do, you assume all liability, just as I did if the bumper falls on you! Something a little sturdier should be used. An engine hoist comes to mind, or a come-along and a sturdy house beam…


After adjusting to the width of the frame, lightly snug the inside 4 bolts on the bumper to frame horn. The 4 bolts I’m referring to are the ones closest to where the winch goes.
The bolts I’m pointing to in this picture will not be tightened until you have the bumper fully adjusted, and removed from the truck.




At this point it is highly recommended you have someone help you. The Alien Patrol bumper weighs in excess of 160 pounds, depending on configuration.

I purchased new ½” grade 8 bolts and all hardware. I began by installing one bolt per frame rail into the frame ends from the outside, making sure they didn’t pass through the frame entirely. The outside of the frame bracket was open end slotted, so I could slide the bumper up onto the bolts, and then prop the bumper up using a board wedged between the Ice chest and the bumper. This will also make it easier for your helper to hold or move the bumper as necessary to line up the other bolts.



With the bumper secure, and with help holding it, tap the bolts all the way through the frame and inside frame horn bracket. BE CAREFUL NOT TO HIT THE INTERCOOLER WITH THE BOLT! Now put the remaining bolts in from the inside of the frame out. Place nuts on them and snug them. After that, remove the first bolts used to hold the bumper, and turn them around, running them from the inside out, like the second set. Place nuts on them and snug them .

The first adjustment you should do involves the frame horn you just bolted to the frame.

First, ensure you have an even gap from bumper to truck body. With frame horn bolts a little loose, lift or lower the nose of the bumper to achieve this. It is not too important at this point if the gap is too large.

In this pic, my bumper is slightly nosed down, and too far forward.



Next, Look at the wheel well corners of your bumper, make sure you have a smooth visual transition in from the truck’s wheel well area, to the bumper. Check both sides, and adjust the bumper in or out as necessary to achieve that.

In this photo, my bumper is too far forward.



Here’s one of it with a smooth transition to wheel well, but nosed up.



Last, check to make sure the bumper sticks out evenly on both sides (Yaw)

It is not uncommon to go back and forth on each side to dial all this in.

Once these adjustments are made, tighten down the 4 frame bolts. You don’t want them moving for your next adjustments.


You will now adjust the bumper for centering to the body, lopsided to the body and height to body.
This is done at the bumper end of the frame horn. (8 bolts, but remember, we only tighten and loosen 2 of the inside 4 while adjusting.)

If the bumper needs to go up, loosen the 4 inside bolts, and while someone lifts the bumper by the corner, snug the bolt down, repeat for the other side. Ensure you have a close, even gap to the body.






Look at the wheel well corner at both the passenger and driver wheel well. Ensure the bumper is evenly centered to the body. Adjust as necessary.
Look at the center of the bumper from the front. Compare right to left, ensued bumper is not lopsided. Adjust as necessary.




Finished adjusting.




Make sure to tighten all 4 inside bumper to frame horn bolts before removing!!

Also, Before removing bumper, mark the location on the frame by spray painting around and on the frame brackets. This will give you a quick reference of where to bolt everything back up.

After removing the bumper, tighten the 4 bumper to frame horn bolts that are inside the frame horn… Here’s the pic from earlier in the write up:



Now would be a really good time to torque all 8 bolts down. 70-75 Ft pounds for ½” 13NC grade 5 bolts.

If you have a winch, now is the time to test fit and adjust if necessary.

Doing all these things before taking bumper down for bed lining, or custom paint, will eliminate excessive handling after a finished product has been applied

I went ahead and spray-painted mine, I can’t afford to pay for custom paint right now, and I was impatient to get this on and done. I thought my spray painting skilz were up to the task, and was wrong, but I can live with it until I can afford to have it done professionally.

My recommendation for a bumper of this quality is to pony up the extra cash and have a professional do the paint or whatever final coat you desire.


Here’s a pic of my winch installed in the bumper. You'll need some 3/8" socket head cap screws (Allen head) to mount the winch to the bumper. The roller fairlead bolts on last, and covers up the lower winch bolt access holes.





Side Shot




As always, questions are welcome.

__________________
Bill Mish
2007 Dodge 3500 4X4/5.9L/48RE, KORE, SRT-10 hood, Recon, Isspro, ICEBOX/Amsoil, Walbro, SMARTY, FBD CFM+, FBD HGD, FBD 5" exhaust. FBD TC & VB 418hp/800tq
ACDC

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Last edited by wildcat : 07-04-2008 at 10:24 AM. Reason: adding misc info

[BBRam]

Nice work Bill, Great article!

__________________
03-3500, DRW, QC, 4x4, DTT Trans, Mag-Hytec, R700 BD Twins, BD IC Boots, BD Billet Flexplate, Lockup Switch, SMARTY TNT-R BETA/TS MP-8, Eliminator Fuel System, Floor It Stage 3 CP3 & Rail Cap, BIG Stix's by FTE, ARP Head Stud's, Springs, Fluidampr, ATS ARC-FLOW, AFE, Boost, Drive Pressure, Pyro, Fuel Pressure, Tran's Temp, Rail Pressure Gauge, GDP Ladder Bars, GrandRock 7" Miters. Old #'s (R/T .021, 60' 1.76, 1/4 ET 13.14 @ 100.45 mph)

[pro99]

Thats a good looking bumper and nicely done job.:thumbsup
But what I want to know is what the heck do you have in that cooler to have to have a lock on it

__________________
Charles Estep:thumbsup

[wildcat]

Originally Posted by pro99

Thats a good looking bumper and nicely done job.:thumbsup
But what I want to know is what the heck do you have in that cooler to have to have a lock on it

LOL! Aww, you know, Precious Life sustaining fluids for those long days out in the Az heat! In other words, PRICELESS STUFF!!

Actually, the lock thing started when I started Rock Crawling. I needed a way to take those precious life sustaining fluids on the trail, and I didn't necessarily want to do without them if I happened to roll. (I might get thirsty executing my own rescue mission. :thumbsup )

Afterwards, I realized everyone else ran out of cool beverages on the trail... but me...

Once, I left it unlocked... It was horrible.



Anyway, back to the topic, I was in such a hurry to get the winch bumper mounted because it was at LEAST 110 degrees out there while I was working, I was by myself, the freakin' bumper is BULLETPROOF HEAVY, and my life sustaining fluids were acting as ballast in that cooler... incentive to finish?

Yeah.

Had THAT in spades.

__________________
Bill Mish
2007 Dodge 3500 4X4/5.9L/48RE, KORE, SRT-10 hood, Recon, Isspro, ICEBOX/Amsoil, Walbro, SMARTY, FBD CFM+, FBD HGD, FBD 5" exhaust. FBD TC & VB 418hp/800tq
ACDC

[AllanP]

Is the Alien Patrol bumper (without winch) a lot heavier than the stock bumper?

__________________
'99 3500 QC SLT Laramie, Leather. 4x4 auto trans, Suncoast VB, TSC 89% TC, Firestorm2 inj, Edge w/Attitude, Raptor lp, Glacier F/W Separator Combo, 4" Str8t Exhaust, High Flow Intake, Ats Exh manifold, Super B turbo. Amsoil dual filters. Non 53. Original owner.

[dom42]

also which stock bumber did have prior to putting this AP bumber on. If you have the sportier stock bumber, i am really interested in purchasing it. could y ou pm me on a price if it is for sale.

thanks:thumbsup

__________________
2006 2500 QCLB 4x4 auto-5" SilverLine TBE - cfm plus- s&b CAI system- 6 inch superlift- kore components- 325/60/20 bfg AT's- 20" motometal- fs2500 on engine & tranny- maghytec all around- 4.10gears- edge juiced/w attitude- truckcoverusa roll out cover- rhino linings- firestone bags- Nfab 6step- Thuren trackbar
k7gsxr1000- full race bike- ohlins all around-brembo masters-full ti arata exh-pretty much everything

[wildcat]

Originally Posted by AllanP

Is the Alien Patrol bumper (without winch) a lot heavier than the stock bumper?

Stock Bumper is about 90 pounds.

The Alien Patrol bumper is about 175, so twice as much, rounding up...

__________________
Bill Mish
2007 Dodge 3500 4X4/5.9L/48RE, KORE, SRT-10 hood, Recon, Isspro, ICEBOX/Amsoil, Walbro, SMARTY, FBD CFM+, FBD HGD, FBD 5" exhaust. FBD TC & VB 418hp/800tq
ACDC

[wildcat]

Originally Posted by dom42

also which stock bumber did have prior to putting this AP bumber on. If you have the sportier stock bumber, i am really interested in purchasing it. could y ou pm me on a price if it is for sale.

thanks:thumbsup

To my knowledge, the stock bumpers all weigh about the same. +- 20 pounds tops.

Mine weighed 90 pounds on my "unnoficial bathroom scale"
It was a "sport" package bumper.

I can't PM you any pricing, I don't sell them, and this is just a tech article.

It's just a modification I did to my truck.

Alien Patrol as far as I know, isn't a vendor here yet, but is investigating the possibility.

Perhaps you should call Jim at Alien Patrol. He has a web site with phone numbers listed.

__________________
Bill Mish
2007 Dodge 3500 4X4/5.9L/48RE, KORE, SRT-10 hood, Recon, Isspro, ICEBOX/Amsoil, Walbro, SMARTY, FBD CFM+, FBD HGD, FBD 5" exhaust. FBD TC & VB 418hp/800tq
ACDC

[dom42]

i know that your not some shop, just thought you might want to get rid of it. i reall y need a new bumper.

thanks anyways.:thumbsup

__________________
2006 2500 QCLB 4x4 auto-5" SilverLine TBE - cfm plus- s&b CAI system- 6 inch superlift- kore components- 325/60/20 bfg AT's- 20" motometal- fs2500 on engine & tranny- maghytec all around- 4.10gears- edge juiced/w attitude- truckcoverusa roll out cover- rhino linings- firestone bags- Nfab 6step- Thuren trackbar
k7gsxr1000- full race bike- ohlins all around-brembo masters-full ti arata exh-pretty much everything

[Luvnacummins]

Looks damn good my friend... I can attest to how heave those bassturd's are I heaved mine up on my truck all by myself and a tow strap!! I too was like a kid in a candy store and wanted mine on... But I didn't and still don't have a winch for it... Don't know if i want one.. maybe Jim can make me a cover to go into the bolt holes or something... hmmmm... anyways awesome write up great product and trust me cause I know you can now take deer out at 93 mph and keep on going!!! well you might have to pull over to change your shorts and reset your headlight!!!

__________________
06 Mega, MPI Twin Turbos, OPIE Ultimate Tranny, ARP studs, Hamilton Springs, Flux 3.4's, Snow Stage 3 Max miledge kit, Opie Bypass, Airdog, Rockstars, Recons. ETC.... Lots of coin spend on this beast...

[Bomaster238]

wow....very nice

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94 12valve 5 speed. custom 5" single stack,AFE intake,Holset H1E, bosch 370s, TST #6, Schied Diesel DVs, HD valve springs, A-meter Pyro and boost, boost elbow, KPD killed,16.5*, 550hp clutch on the way, leveling kit

[Luvnacummins]

now go get cha some PIAA 5100's and you will light up the world!!! I hard wiered mine into the stock fog lights and then come on when you push the know... Most of the time I drive at night I don't even have my driving lights on and i get flashed to hell and back!!!

__________________
06 Mega, MPI Twin Turbos, OPIE Ultimate Tranny, ARP studs, Hamilton Springs, Flux 3.4's, Snow Stage 3 Max miledge kit, Opie Bypass, Airdog, Rockstars, Recons. ETC.... Lots of coin spend on this beast...