Our Nissan Xterra project rig is finally starting to look like an off-road-capable vehicle. OK, to be fair the vehicle has always been off-road-capable, which is one of the reasons we chose to even take on this project. But in the eyes of a wheeler, you need certain modifications before your vehicle is prepared to take on the unknown. After sliding our way through numerous rock gardens, we realized chunks of our rear bumper were slowly disappearing. Mother Nature's appetite for bumpers and door panels is unparalleled throughout most of the trails we choose to travel.
Knowing the quality of our rock sliders, we gave Jim at Shrockworks a call again to see what products he had that would help us keep our rear end safe and secure. He told us about a new rear bumper and tire carrier that would be perfectly suited to our needs: a strong, durable rear bumper that would also allow us to carry a fullsize spare tire and a Hi-Lift jack and still give us full access to the rear cargo area. Jim quickly sent us the bumper, and after opening all of the boxes we could tell the installation was going to be a breeze. We decided to see if it could be done solo in a garage with basic tools and maybe an extra hand just to negotiate the weight.
This is the installation procedure that the author followed to install the Shrockworks rear bumper and tire carrier. Please consult the included instructions with your product before attempting installation. If you are not sure you can install this product yourself, please give Jim a call and he will walk you through the installation process. You may also want to seek out a local four-wheel-drive shop to perform your install if necessary.
When I received the boxes containing all of the parts, I laid everything out to be sure no parts were missing. The bumper section is made of 1/4-inch steel, and the swing-out tire carrier is made of 1-3/4-inch DOM tubing. As always, Shrockworks products are extremely well built and very durable. | 
I lowered the spare tire and got it out of the way. If you don't plan on putting the spare tire back under the vehicle, you can remove the lowering mount from the frame. There are two bolts holding it on, and it comes off easily. | 
Depending on if you have the factory tow package or not, you will either see four bolts holding the stock rear bumper and tow package to the frame or three. You will reuse these same bolts to install the Shrockworks rear bumper and tire carrier, so don't lose them. Since I was doing this alone, I loosened the bolts and then placed a floor jack under the rear tow package to support the weight when it was finally removed. Better safe than sorry. |