reference the skid plate.

The 4 bolts (2 on each side) use the rear bumper armature mounts, and the two (1 on each side) that are closest to the axle only use captured nuts. It is more likely that the captured nut isn't captured any more.

I tore mine apart more than once. I got rearended a couple of months after buying the ZJ. It bent the frame, which is what caused me to go on and convert it to 4wd. It was born a 2wd from the factory. I started with a little el-cheapo tow hitch. It was a class 2 hitch that used only the 4 "bolts" that secures the bumper armature to the rear. While at the Badlands in 2002, The ZJ slipped backwards down a staircase obstable, and the tow hitch folded under. It ripped ALL 4 "bolts" through the bottom of the frame. I got 2 new mounts from my local dealer and then also located a new factory gas tank skid.

When I got it all and tried to mount it... I found out a few things. The captured nuts were just blank holes in my ZJ. I was able to get a nut in there and get a wrench on em, but it has been a while.... dont recall exactly how I got in there. I remember that I had to magnetize a screwdriver to get the wrench back out, though. :-)

There are not that many out there making bumpers for the rear of the ZJ right now. One who comes to mind right off the bat.. A to Z Fabrication. He's a member on the Quadratec forum, and now Quadratec is a commercial supplier for him. He posted some pics of a one-off tubular rear bumper that he made for his wife's ZJ. It looked pretty good. I sent him a PM about it. He said he might be interested in making it, but I don't recall the estimate. I DO recall that I didn't have the money on me. The one I have yet to see an ACTUAL picure of is the one that Olympic SAYS they make for the ZJ.

TR, Kevins, and photo fab all make rear bumpers for the ZJ and Hansons says they are doing r&D on their own right now so there aree some out there. I just wish they didn't cost so damm much!!  

Iam looking for a hood right now as mine is rustingout under the front lip, to much to repair. Is ths comon with zjs?  

Umm i dont know if mines doin that or not. I think mine is rust free. It might be a problem where your at if ya have icy winters and salt on the roads. Here in the Northwest, we just get rain and lots of it. Mine might have a little bit of rust on it, but not a lot i think, at least yet any way.  Only issue with mine is that its losing its paint along the passenger side of it...so far its just the clear coat, but the paits soon gonna be gone im guessin.  For a new hood, if ya want new, look to maybe a fiberglass one from like Tech hoods i think it is. theres a link to them on the NAGCA website...  Or ya can find a used one from a wrecking yard. Bummer to hear about yours rusintin out...

TR meaning TrailReady?   I lost interest in their rear bumper because it is so dang large. I looked for "lighter" versions of the rear bumpre, but they kept pimping the one with the huge rear guards. That and their customer service was lacking... wait... according to some people, they had NO customer service.

Maybe things have changed since I quite checking their site... but I will reserve my hard earned cash looking for other options.

yea dont do the Trail Ready. I contacted them my self and you can get it w/o the light guards, but when i was in at my local 4wheel parts store, they said many people hated the Trail ready since it was a pain to install and if not done 100% dead on correct, it looked wobbly and loose, and even when done right still looked a lil weak. Best bet would be see if you can make your own rear bumper, to suit your needs, thats what im hoping to do.  

I'd love to have the money for a new fiberglass hood but I would be looking at around 1 to 1200 to have it shipped here to canada and have it painted etc......  

true...I know i cant afford the price of a new hood like that my self either. For me, i would just sand down the rust, and bondo over what i could or i would try to cut it out and weld in some new metal...Or find a hood from the wrecking yard  

I had actually hoped to do just that. There are 3 wrecking yards in Valdosta, and I went around to all of them to haggle.

My plan was to get two straight hoods and pull the skin off of one. Basically, at the built in crests in the hood, I hoped to cut the skin, adding some height at the very back, weld it to the second hood (and finish it), making my own cowl induction hood. I have a snorkel, so the only benefit it would pose for me is incresed cooling ability.

I abandoned the idea after trying to get two straight hoods. Every one that I came accross was bent up.

I have been in contact with a builder.... who is curently under taking a bumper build for another customer. I am waiting to see pics of the finished product. :-)

Yea my problem is that i live in one town, parents live 60 miles to the south of me. I can only do my work down there and its hard to find some ZJs that have been smashed and have decent parts, as im lookin for a couple of doors right now that i can make into half doors like "swamp boy" i think it is, on the NAGCA forum site.  

So hows the jeep coming anyways??  

well i got my upper arms on it and have drove about 120 miles so far and i hate it. It rides super stiff and has what seems to be a clunk from the front. Not sure what it is, seems that every thing is tight. Also i have about 1"-2" of clearance between the lower arm and the shock tabs. even with longer arms, which were suppost to be for a 3.5" lift, it still seems rotated down some...not sure now what im gonna do as the funds are limited...If funds could allow, i would do a custom transfer case crossmember with long arms hooked to that...but yea, cant do that one yet.  I put all new Grade 8 bolts in the upper arms and they are 3/8x3 1/2 inches rather then the stock kind, since i couldnt find any that were stock threading at the lenght i needed. So not sure if thats part of the problem or what it is. I dont think its my shocks as i still have about 3inches of down travle left in them...Uggg its just got me confused and fustrated now is all...  

well as for the ride as you know I have Tuff Countrys EZ ride  and ya they do ride stiffer compared to the factory for sure. Just one thing you have to put up with when you lift trucks. as for the clunk in the front mine dose that too from time to time. it maybe the stock swaybar endlinks. I'm planning on new ones next summer. What size tires you running now? should have room for 32"?  

i have a similar issue. there are two wrecking yards that i like to buy from.... one hates to let people walk the yard.

the rest of my issue? my neigborhood has a covenance... so if i tear it down, i got 7 days to get it running.... unless i want a law suit. i'm waiting on clearing things up with my job before i build elsewhere and move.

yea i noticed that my passenger side sway bar end is like pretty much touching the coil. and the threaded end (the top) is bent back on both sides. Im gettin an alingment done this saturday so that might fix things up a little bit. Im gonna take the torqe wrench to her this weekend also and make sure all is good and snug. im runnin 31x10.5x15 BFG A/Ts on Steel American Racing rims with about 3.5" of back space. I need to trim the front bumper a tad right now as at full, well almost full i grind it pretty good when turned. Went and tested the flex in my driveway on a hill side thats there. i still have a lotta tread left on the tires, but im thinkin that ill try to stuff some 33's under it. But also, prolly by the time im ready for new tires ill prolly be tired of this lift and lookin for more in the form of maybe a long arm then...so yea i could be goin to even 35's or more once these wear out...how much clearance do you have between the lower control arm and the shock pad that hangs out over the arm?? i can only get one finger between there...