New Lower Billet Installed!

[03 Explorer Iowa]

Finally got my bumper billet installed today. Purchased a Viogi grille set, both lower and upper, and will never buy from them again! Instructions had me using tinnerman nuts, which are basically U-speed nuts. These were not included in the kit, and the ones that I could find at the hardware store would not work. Tried also using drywall anchors in the holes so that I would have something to screw everything in to, but those didn't work either. Ironically, the holes that I drilled for the upper bolts worked perfectly, but the pre-drilled holes in the support bar for the lower bolts would not hold.

I ended up buying a ton of things at the hardware store (anything I found that might work) and ended up with these:

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...drive-wood-inserts-1-pcs/p-1445513-c-8921.htm

I used one of these in each hole, and sunk a screw and a washer on top of the grille, with a nut behind it to hold it into place. This also took some manouvering (sp?) but eventually I got it to work. This was one of the worst installs that I have ever done on a vehicle! I even spent 3 hrs dremeling out part of my dash on my F-150 a few years back in order to fit an in-dash 6-changer in there, and I was still way more frustrated with this install than that!

Grille looks good, although I did notice that the passenger side of it is pushed in a little more than the driver's side, but I am hoping that with the license plate bracket back on there that you won't be able to notice (not that it matters, because I am definitely not dicking around with that again!). Here are some pics of before, during, and after:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...073741827.100000475815545&type=1&l=5bab5be894

 

[zerodevil]

Nice job, One of the first things i did to my truck was the billet grilles, that lower one was such a PITA.