RIVAL Aluminum Bumper for Ranger Raptor

[nate.co]

How did you wire up the fog lights? My understanding was they are plug-and-play for the clear lamp but that you can also wire in the ambers separately from those lights.

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[pasali]

So I didn’t install it myself, but I asked my local shop to just plug them into the stock harness. With that you get a small white light on with DRL, you get the small light and the main light on with headlights and fog lights engaged and the amber comes on with turn signals and hazards.
Wiring them separately is explained on their website but I didn’t go that route.

 

[RIVAL 4x4]

How did you wire up the fog lights? My understanding was they are plug-and-play for the clear lamp but that you can also wire in the ambers separately from those lights.

So I didn’t install it myself, but I asked my local shop to just plug them into the stock harness. With that you get a small white light on with DRL, you get the small light and the main light on with headlights and fog lights engaged and the amber comes on with turn signals and hazards.
Wiring them separately is explained on their website but I didn’t go that route.

The plug and play is only for the foglights. Any DRL/Turn signal functionality would need to be tapped into the factory harnesses.
On our RR we opted to use the upfitter switches and not use the turn signal functionality.

 

[nate.co]

The plug and play is only for the foglights. Any DRL/Turn signal functionality would need to be tapped into the factory harnesses.
On our RR we opted to use the upfitter switches and not use the turn signal functionality.

Thanks for the clarification -- do the instructions show how to do the extra wiring? The setup that @pasali describes seems ideal. Also I am very comfortable with vehicle electrical mods.

 

[pasali]

I was wrong. I had asked the shop just to do the plug and play for fog lights, but I called them and it turns out the installer went above and beyond and tapped into the DRL and turn signal factory harnesses to achieve the functionality that I described above. I am happy with the results, but didn’t want to splice into the factory wiring. Oh well…

 

[ClickClickBoom]

Installed the bumper and winch over the weekend, here's my thoughts for anyone interested. I've been working on cars for 20+ years, swapped motors, etc. Not a pro, but not an amateur.

1. Overall impressions / fit and finish are great. It's obvious that a ton of engineering went into this.
2. I spent probably 10 hours over the course of a day and a half getting this all removed, installed, and wired with lights and grill lights.
3. You'll probably want 3 tables or workbenches to make this easier. 1 for the old bumper, 1 for new, and one for fasteners
4. Instructions are non-existent, the install video is OK; but with a bit of effort it could have made this much easier.
5. A list of tools or fastener sizes for removal / install would have saved a good few trips to the toolbox
6. If the video would pause a bit at assembly points and be bookmarked it would be so much easier. There's a lot of things that need to only be installed 1 way, but it's hard to tell because they don't pause the video or show it for more than a second
7. Items are labelled L or R, but they don't tell you which is which, just another thing you have to figure out, which eats time.
8. At a certain point before you install the winch basket, they tell you to align it, but don't tell ya how. If you've installed a bunch of these it's probably apparent what to level off of, etc, but there is not hints. I made some guesses and did the best I could to get everything level and plumb. You can't see how well you have it aligned to the very end when you install the bumper cover. I ended up being about a big 1/8 off from side to side, so not too bad.
9. I wasn't smart enough to figure out that the plastic radar mounts had a D shape, I spent waaay too much time monkeying with those.
10. There's a ton of extra hardware included, but no mention of that
11. The holes were off on both the L and R frame reinforcement plates, I had to get out the die grinder to align the holes and get them to fit.
12. You'll definitely want a thread-chase kit and do that for all brackets. Lots of powdercoating in the nuts, and you'll be swearing if you don't.

TLDR: Nice Bumper, happy with the install and end product just harder than it needed to be.

 

[PatrickT]

Did this new bumper and winch lower the ride height at all in the front due to the weight? I am already installing a pretty heavy 3/16 steel skid plate From RCI in the front and was wondering if the added weight of this would require heavier springs.

 

[nate.co]

Did this new bumper and winch lower the ride height at all in the front due to the weight? I am already installing a pretty heavy 3/16 steel skid plate From RCI in the front and was wondering if the added weight of this would require heavier springs.

Yes. I measured 1" drop up front from the bumper + winch. I also have the full Rival skid plate package.

 

[RIVAL 4x4]

 

[White willy]

Got them installed today, seem well made. Probably twice the weight of the OEM arms so I would think they are stronger? The associate on the phone said the joint had a grease fitting but just like the product photo shows, there is no grease fitting. Not sure if some of their arms do but not all? The dust boot doesn't contact the knuckle, probably 4mm above, not sure if that is by design.

Looks great!
Any updates for the non Raptor version?
So ready for a version for the standard Ranger that is winch capable!!

 

[RIVAL 4x4]

Looks great!
Any updates for the non Raptor version?
So ready for a version for the standard Ranger that is winch capable!!

Wish we could help! But we’re also just watching content from our team in Europe and Australia running their Rangers with our fantastic aluminum bumper. Unfortunately, that bumper does not fit the U.S. Ranger at all, and the differences behind the factory bumper are actually much more significant than the differences between Ranger Raptors.

We wish we had a chance to redesign it, but our R&D schedule is already completely full with RIVAL and OEM projects for the next year or more...

RIVAL Ford Ranger

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