Stickman's Daily Driver/Weekend Warrior Power Wagon Build

[verdesardog]

shit happens.....seems like when you buy from a friend the stuff doesn't like the new owner and just craps out LOL

[Stickman]

That seems like the way it always goes. And thanks fyrfytr704! I was going to do the bumpers, but after seeing how much I'd have to disassemble I said hell with it for now. I'll probably end up fixing the Retro's since Jeremy is such a nice guy, and I can't seem to find anything else that looks decent compared to these.

[2wagons1driveway]

If you put a big road rhino bumper on there you won't even notice the stock lights lol there's something to be had for stock functionality sure they don't look cool but there was some time and effort put into making sure those headlights last with no troubles. Too bad their not bright though lol


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[05PWrockcrawler]

Hopefully better than my crappy stock 05 lights that are all clouded up.


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[Stickman]

I'm seeing quite a few newer vehicles with the projectors though. The newer Rams have even switched to them so they must be getting more stable and easier to maintain. I even thought about buying a set of the newer '13+ style and having them painted to match my truck before, but then I saw myoung's and figured I buy those to save some time, lol. And I'm kind of in the same boat as SheepdogOutdoorsman when it comes to bumpers. I want something clean and factory looking but still tough over some gigantic huge monsterous thing that can hit a car and only take the paint off. Yours looks cool 2wagons, but every time I see a side shot of it I remember why I don't like those bumpers.

[azracer]

If they can get the mercenary bumper to use the factory winch location and rotation I may eventually give in and buy one. I really do like the look of my OEM bumper though!


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[SheepdogOutdoorsman]

As you can see the Trail Ready bumper sits higher overall, versus the Backwoods bumper, (offering better approach angles) and it's not as wide. The bottom of my bumper is almost level with the bottom of the frame and for having a winch mounted in the bumper it doesn't sit that much further out than the Backwood's bumper.

[Stickman]

That does look a little better than the Backwoods. Lots more room on the sides in the front of the wheel wells for larger tires and no clearance issues. Sits right up to the frame, lots of lighting options. Sucks the winch mounts so low in it. I have some thinking to do. Anyway I went to town earlier today and when I came back I decided to pull off the side of the road and flex it a little. I think this is about the limit of the stock setup, it started 3 wheeling for a split second if I tried climbing up the embankment any further.







This one's my favorite


Kinda looks like this, only from a different angle, lol

[05PWrockcrawler]

Nice


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[Stickman]

Well I finally got my exhaust situation sorted out (see my thread in PW talk) and I think I'll send my headlights back in to get them fixed and upgraded with the extra money. So I guess that kind of worked out. May do a scavenger Y pipe while I'm at it. Also think I'm going to go with a Road Armor stealth bumper with the Titan 2 guard since it looks good and doesn't stick out so far (at least with the guard on there) this is going to be quite a ways down the road though so it still may change. Also thinking I will be getting a set of Hutchinson's with good AT snow tire for the winter and then the 20" Ballistic rims with the MickeyTs/Nittos/Toyos/Pitbulls that I listed in the original post. Mostly so I don't ruin the nice rims in the winter but I would also like to see what it would look like with the Hutchinson's vs. the Ballistics. We're getting some overtime at work again finally so I'm trying to save up enough to get that Diamondback with having to drain my savings or take out a small loan to help me with it. Figure it's going to be around $2200-$2500 shipped with the tool box addition and atv ramps and bars that I will need. Crazy amount of money for a tonneau cover but that thing will be very nice to have on any kind of trip. Feel like I'm forgetting something but I think that is everything I wanted to post for now!

[2wagons1driveway]

Diamond back covers are awsome! I will be really curious to see how it works out for ya!


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[Stickman]

Well after seeing 04Ram2500Hemi's bumpers I think I am gong to Line X mine also, they look so damn good I can't deny me wanting mine like that also. So I may be removing mine tomorrow night. How hard are they to remove? I know the rear is fairly easy, just a few bolts for the bumper and brackets, then the wiring stuff. But the front looks a little more in depth. I need to remove the tow hooks, then 4 bumper bolts and 2 screws on each fender well, then the fog light wiring right? Or am I missing something? And don't think I forgot about the Diamondback. Got around 60 hours last week and sounds like were heading for that or more this coming week so I should be ordering it here next month or so.

[2wagons1driveway]

Well after seeing 04Ram2500Hemi's bumpers I think I am gong to Line X mine also, they look so damn good I can't deny me wanting mine like that also. So I may be removing mine tomorrow night. How hard are they to remove? I know the rear is fairly easy, just a few bolts for the bumper and brackets, then the wiring stuff. But the front looks a little more in depth. I need to remove the tow hooks, then 4 bumper bolts and 2 screws on each fender well, then the fog light wiring right? Or am I missing something? And don't think I forgot about the Diamondback. Got around 60 hours last week and sounds like were heading for that or more this coming week so I should be ordering it here next month or so.

Pretty sure the front is easier then the rear very straight forward to remove it. Rear can't help ya haven't done mine yet! The fog lights and what not on the front is easy I can't remember taking the tow hooks off pretty sure your right though they have to come off before the bumper comes off


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[Stickman]

Took one more look earlier and looks like the rear is just 4 bolts and the wiring harness. The front is 8 bolts/nuts and then the 2 small screws on the fender wells and the fog light wiring. I'll have to take the little pieces off after it's on the ground (valence, brackets, fog lights) We'll see how it goes.

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Well after seeing 04Ram2500Hemi's bumpers I think I am gong to Line X mine also, they look so damn good I can't deny me wanting mine like that also. So I may be removing mine tomorrow night. How hard are they to remove? I know the rear is fairly easy, just a few bolts for the bumper and brackets, then the wiring stuff. But the front looks a little more in depth. I need to remove the tow hooks, then 4 bumper bolts and 2 screws on each fender well, then the fog light wiring right? Or am I missing something? And don't think I forgot about the Diamondback. Got around 60 hours last week and sounds like were heading for that or more this coming week so I should be ordering it here next month or so.

I love helping people spend their money

I just haven't found an off-road bumper I really want yet, so that's why I went the Line-X route. Eventually I'll throw some Thuren Control Arms and some 35" tires under the truck and call it good. I just really like the factory bumper lines, but I had to make the chrome go away.

[Stickman]

Exactly my thoughts and plan of attack. I have one more question for you. I looked closer and saw you removed the plastic step on the rear bumper and Line X'd under it. But did you have them spray the entire thing? From and back? Seems like it would be easier to have them do that, but it would be a pain when re-assembling everything with that thick Line X covering all the llittle tabs and holes. Same thing for the front. The front wouldn't seem as bad as the rear though. I already removed them, was simpler than I thought it would be. Only took about an hour and a half for both.

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Exactly my thoughts and plan of attack. I have one more question for you. I looked closer and saw you removed the plastic step on the rear bumper and Line X'd under it. But did you have them spray the entire thing? From and back? Seems like it would be easier to have them do that, but it would be a pain when re-assembling everything with that thick Line X covering all the llittle tabs and holes. Same thing for the front. The front wouldn't seem as bad as the rear though. I already removed them, was simpler than I thought it would be. Only took about an hour and a half for both.

That's a good question. I know the installer took everything off the bumper, but I'm not 100% sure of all the prep work. I know it's sprayed front and back, but I wasn't there when they did it.

[Stickman]

I think I'm just going to have them spray the entire front and then wrap a little ways around all the edges to the back side to make sure it looks clean. Maybe have them spray the back side a little to, just make sure it sticks. I stripped about everything off of them that I want to not get sprayed. The back in stripped bare except for the plastic step and outer brackets, front it bare except the 2 fog light bolts that I couldn't remove without taking the valence off and the little foam things for the license plate. I left the brackets on the rear bumper since they are visible when it's on there. Also leaving the lower valence on the front and having them spray all of it. Since they can spray smooth too I'm going to have them spray my hook, thought about plasti-dipping it but Line X will be much tougher and better looking. I went out earlier and removed a few little things I didn't get last night and deciced I would re-wrap my winch line since it needed it. Hasn't been used much but it still looked pretty bad, not it's much prettier

[fyrfytr704]

You make me feel guilty for not keeping my winch cable wound that nicely! Can't wait to see the after pictures.

[2wagons1driveway]

You make me feel guilty for not keeping my winch cable wound that nicely! Can't wait to see the after pictures.

Always keep a come along in your truck or a good big ratchet strap in case your winch is used a lot and not wound back properly you will have serious issues with getting that effer back out in emergencies lol ask me how I know! Keeping the winch wound nice like that is the best cable maintenance you can do and will save you a lot of cursing when you actually need it!


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[fyrfytr704]

You make me feel guilty for not keeping my winch cable wound that nicely! Can't wait to see the after pictures.

Always keep a come along in your truck or a good big ratchet strap in case your winch is used a lot and not wound back properly you will have serious issues with getting that effer back out in emergencies lol ask me how I know! Keeping the winch wound nice like that is the best cable maintenance you can do and will save you a lot of cursing when you actually need it!


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Thanks, man. Now I've officially been guilted into it. I'll get her spooled up nicely this weekend.

I've definitely experience difficulty with messy winch cable, just not on my PW. Something tells me this cable is a whole lot tougher to muscle around than the stuff on my old Jeep or ATV.

[fyrfytr704]

[Will]

I wore that factory wire out real quick. Amsteel blue on mine now.

[vanished]

You make me feel guilty for not keeping my winch cable wound that nicely! Can't wait to see the after pictures.

Always keep a come along in your truck or a good big ratchet strap in case your winch is used a lot and not wound back properly you will have serious issues with getting that effer back out in emergencies lol ask me how I know! Keeping the winch wound nice like that is the best cable maintenance you can do and will save you a lot of cursing when you actually need it!


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X2 - I've had trouble getting mine out after being in a hurry... But damn - even my best attempt doesn't look half as good as his spool job!

[Stickman]

Lol, thanks on the compliments. Mostly looks that good because I haven't used it much, I've pulled 50' out at the most, 60' max. So I think I got lucky and it wrapped itself back up neatly for the first 20' since the last pull was straight on.

Got my bumpers back yesterday before work, got them fully installed today. Now I want my Retro headlights more than ever. Ended up costing me $675 for both of them and my hook But it's premium and it is going to look good and is warrantied so I guess I can't complain. Only thing I have discovered about them is if you live in an area with a lot of bugs they make the front of your truck look like crap since they really stand out against the black (notice how my grille looks like chite?). Didn't take me any longer to physically install them, but it took me a total of 2-3 hours using a dremel and a utility knife cutting excess Line X out of the rear park sensor holes in the back bumper, cutting out the plastic that is behind the trailer plug in the plastic step In the rear bumper since the Line X was so thick it wouldn't clip in unless it only had to go through the Line X and not the Line X and plastic. Then the front bumper gave me fits trying to install the fog lights brackets. Again, Line X was so thick I had to wedge them in there in just the right spot or the bolts wouldn't line up with the catch nuts on the other side. Also had to remove the valence to get the fog lights in (since there's not nearly enough room to wedge the fog brackets in with the 2 bolts sticking out in the way in the bottom), then when I tried putting it back on I had to use some of my Honda plastic push rivets and washers in place of the cheap, crappy, brittle plastic Dodge push rivets that wouldn't do anything but break and not go all the way through, even though they were in there before I had to remove them...

Anyways other than a couple other little stupid things that were easily solved when assembling them and installing them it wasn't too hard at all. Still need to get a small, long bolt and nyloc nut to put back on my winch hook for the safety latch since they had to cut the factory rivet off to Line X the hook since it would have made the spring useless. Loving the tough look it gives it and also loving the fact I won't have to polish and shine the chrome to make it look good anymore, just hit it with the power washer with soap at the local car wash and it'll look show room new (at least for a truck with Line X on it) Also gives it a "trail ready" look. I actually used a dead blow mallet to get the rear bumper on when installing it and hit it 4 or 5 really good times and it didn't even give it a slight flex, still looked perfect, I love how tough bed liner can make even the weakest things tougher. Hell even that front valence got stronger, not just a thin weak piece of plastic anymore, it actually takes a good bit of force to bend it. And even then it will just spring right back to it's original shape (most of the time) and never have a scratch. On to the pics! Btw I only flipped the tow mirrors up to see what it would look like, I run them down everywhere unless actually pulling a trailer