First you are going to have to take a trip to your local hardware store and pick up a few things. I went to Home Depot and walked around for an hour before I came up with this idea.
You need:
-Saw- I used a reciprocating saw (not the best, but that’s what I had)
-Drill
-Hack saw or bolt cutters.
-¼” Ratchet
-Pliers
-Vice is suggested, but I didn’t use one.
-1- ¼” aluminum rod
-2-¼”synching rope claps
-Sand paper
-Spray paint
1. Remove the front bumper, and the grill.
2. You will be cutting the plastic brace right in front of the lowest bend and right after the highest bend. But before you make any cuts, you want to bend the aluminum rod into the correct shape.
3. Line the rod up from the bottom bend to the top bend. Give yourself 1- 1&1/2 inches of slack on both sides. Then cut the aluminum rod. I used a heavy duty set of bolt cutters. Once you have the rod cut to the approximate length, bend the bottom part of the rod so it is flat against the lower part of the old brace. You want the bottom part flat against the brace and the top part to run up to the top bend. (To bend the rod, I used a set of pliers and the ground. Grip the rod just above or below where you want the bend, then use the floor or a vise for leverage.)
4.Make a bend in the center to conform to the original shape of the plastic brace. (Or you can leave it straight if you are installing a deeper grill) Once you have established your center bend. You will bend the top part of the rod so it is flat against the top section of the stock brace. You will probably need to cut a little bit of the excess off.
5. Now that you have established the proper shape of your brace, you will need to cut the stock brace out. I used a Reciprocating saw with a fine toothed blade. I cut just before the bottom bend. Make sure you have enough of the flat section to mount your bracket. Now cut the top portion just above the top bend. Again, make sure to leave enough room to mount your bracket. After cutting, you may want to sand the ends down for a cleaner look. After sanding I taped off the bumper and painted the tabs black.
6. Now line up the rod in the proper position and make any necessary last minute bends. The most important part is to make sure that the flat bends are flush against the brace.
7. Line up the ¼” clamp set on the bottom side of the lower brace. Drill the two mounting holes, and then check for proper fitment. Place your new brace in the clamp and make sure it fits and the top of the brace is still flush with the top part of the brace. If it is not, make the necessary bends. Then repeat this step for the top brace, but you will want to put the metal plate back on before to mount your clamp.
8. After you have your new brace in completely mounted, you will want to disassemble the brace and paint the parts what ever color you want. Once the parts are dry, mount and enjoy.
Article by: Infantry1327
