Vacuum reservoir behind front bumper (and fitting ARB bumper)

[DionM]

Well what else to do on a rainy Sunday than fit an ARB bullbar to my 01 XJ.

Course it would been sensible to do it undercover, but that's a minor detail!

Anyway, I had to remove the curiously round vacuum canister from the factory bumper and I tried to locate it on the holes that ARB provide on the bumper ... but the vacuum hose is about 5cm too short.

Suggestions? Anyone else managed to fit theirs correctly? Is it a matter of rerouting the vacuum line somehow? I looked at perhaps putting the vacuum canister in the engine bay somewhere but nowhere easy-fit springs to mind ...

Anyway, it's all on. Took me about 6hrs all up, taking it steady, and working by myself. I made up a jig to sit the bar on on my sawhorses and the Jeep up on ramps ... worked pretty well. About 3hrs was removing the old bar, the other 3 fitting it up, drilling out, etc etc.

Will post pics when it is less rainy, but the colour coded bar (green) looks a treat on my green Jeep

[Snapey]

Well done Dion. I fitted my custom made bar with the help of the wife - and that was a simple job so you have done well.

[DionM]

Okay ... a longer story.

I used the factor Workshop manual and the ARB official mounting instructions.

Removing the old Jeep bar was interesting. All was going well until I discovered one giant sized torx head bolt holding the factory front recovery point ... neither I nor the well stashed shed of my neighbour had such a size beast, and it was a size Supercheap and Repco didn't have (only places open on a Sunday). That held up progress for about 45 mins until I discovered that by drilling a hole thru the handle of my biggest flat screwdriver and wedging it in the torx hole, I could hold it steady while I undid the nut on the other side.

Mounting up the bullbar was pretty straight fwd. I ran the Jeep up on ramps and made up a jig to hold the bar on top of my sawhorses. Bolted her up, drilled out the 1/2" hole in the chassis rails and all was good. I just realised now I forgot to rustproof the hole. Will hit it with some fishoil later.

Bar is held in with 5 bolts each side - only 1 new hole required - the front 1/2" bolt on the underside. I bought all new bolts to fit it up - all high tensile from my local bolt supplies mob for $20 (with corresponding nuts, washers and spring washers). It's pretty sturdy.

[wildturkey]

That looks good Dion.

Jeep looks to be in pretty good nic.

[BennyWA]

ahh... might be a little late here but an allen key fits that torx head bolt..