Problem mounting RMW front bumper

[pomfritz]

I am trying to install the front RMW Twin Peaks bumper. There are two mounting brackets that attach to the vehicle. if you have installed these you know that you have to drill four 3/8 holes on the frame for each bracket to install the two bolts that go through the bracket and the frame.

In the instructions it says to also clamp the bottom of the bracket towards the frame and that the edge of the bottom the bracket hits the lower lip of the body. This is to make sure you have proper alignment.

So when I clamp it it take a lot of force to make sure it hits the body lip. This also will move the top of the bracket so it no longer aligns with the top holes. If I place the bolts in the top holes to hold it in place, the clamping force really binds the bolts and there is no way to pound it in and get it aligned so it goes through the bottom hole. Sorry, i am in a rush to get to work and don't have time to load a pic, but if you have installed these before you should know what i am referring to.

Did you have a hard time with clamping the bracket to the frame to get the alignment right? And how did you get the top bolt holes to remain aligned while drilling the holes and installing it.

My frame seems normal with no damage or unusual bends. I can't believe so much force is needed to clamp it into position.

Thanks, Hopefully I can get this figured out to get them on over the weekend.
_________________
83.5 233K. GW 2.3, SS exhaust, My German Frau named her Stefi

[markz2004]

fritz,

I had the same problems you described exactly. It seemed like the bracket was too narrow to fit over the bumper and would require more force than I could create to get it into the position described.

Ultimately I had to settle on a spot that was not exactly as described. Basically, my bolts did not go through the center of the frame (if looking down) and my holes were slightly more towards the front of the frame. When doing so you need to be careful that the brackets are aligned to the frame (90 degrees) ~ so the bracket face is straight up and down. Otherwise the bumber will be skewed or if the brackets are at different angles you bumper will look twisted.

I'm happy how mine turned out, but not super happy I could not follow the instructions exactly. I think the integrity of the bumper is still good.
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87 Westy, 250k GW 2.4 - 2.0 , 16" wheels

[pomfritz]

Thanks for that. I understand what you did and may have to resort to that too. If I mount it maybe 1/2" further from the frame than expected then I dont have so much preload in the bracket tag i need to deal with. I can probably keep it at 90 deg with a wood spacer between the back of the bracket and the frame.

Do you think this 1/2 difference is going to throw off holes matching up elsewhere, like on the wings?

The bumpers look great and solid but this issue seems like it may be fairly common and the instructions makes it seem like a simple procedure to just clamp and drill. It's not, unless I'm just overlooking something..
_________________
83.5 233K. GW 2.3, SS exhaust, My German Frau named her Stefi

[markz2004]

I would guess my brackets were not more than 1/2 inch from the directions desired spot and the wings fit fine. Also remember the wings get a custom drilled hole ( if I remember correctly).

I also didn't drill a hole for the wings. Just couldn't do it. You'll probably see the relative value of the wing holes when you get there.
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87 Westy, 250k GW 2.4 - 2.0 , 16" wheels

[newfisher]

When assembleing, loosely mount everything and snug up the hardware a little at a time like torqueing a cylinder head. Dont just hang a pice and tighten one.

[djkeev]

Have you contacted RMW about this fit issue? Maybe you're doing something wrong?
But......
If you aren't the only one, maybe they have some build issues to modify and if so, they need to know about it.
They should probably provide a bumper that fits, this isn't a cheap one size fits all.... VW's Chevy's, Fords' whatever and you modify to fit as needed product.

http://www.rockymountainwesty.com/Vanagon_Twin_Peaks_Front_Bumper_p/rmw-tp01.htm

Installation looks simple enough.....

http://www.rockymountainwesty.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/frontplate.pdf

Call RMW ...... That's your best bet.

Dave
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[Hybrid VW]

I had the same issue. I just clamped the brackets to fit as best I could, and the final install came out fine. I don't think I screws the wings to the body either.

[pbrown]

I also had the same issue. I bought the optional light bar. I used that bar to keep everything aligned while I drilled the bottom holes. The clamp method didn't work for me. Instead, I had my wife sit on the light bar to get the face of the brackets where I wanted and then drilled the lower holes.
_________________
Patrick Brown

1986 Westy Syncro EJ25
Flickr --> https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQNUXEF

[newfisher]

[insyncro]

Sounds to me like they don't fit as delivered....If multiple people seem to experience the same issue.

Call the vendor directly.

[Guybrush]

Exactly the same problem with mine, which I was going to try to install this weekend.

[MsTaboo]

A couple years ago, while I was installing my second RMW bumper I had a problem with one of the brackets, it was welded incorrectly. RMW makes quality stuff but shit happens.
Your best bet is to take a clear photo of the brackets and email to RMW.
They sent me a new one asap.

On the other hand, it is sorta a press fit. The brackets are made from straight stock and the Vanagon bash guard has a curve to it. If you push on the bracket to line up the two holes it should be close.
_________________
Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec

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[Guybrush]

These brackets have no defects that could be shown on photos. I think the instructions need a bit of work though.

Since I didn't want to wait around before doing the work, I figured out a way that worked for me.

On the top side of the bracket, I used some brass gauges to create a spacer that is 1-1/8 inch wide. This kept the top part in perfect alignment with the original front holes.

For the bottom, I taped together the 4 shims that are provided by RMW and used those as a spacer that is just a tad under 3/8.

Aligned the top holes with this setup, then clamped the bottom tight and it looked mostly straight, with holes just about aligned vertically.

In the end, I had a bit of trouble getting the bolts through on the driver side and I re-drilled the bottom holes to 1/2 for a bit more clearance, and it worked.

If the bottom had been pushed further, the alignments of the holes would have been completely off.

The rest of the installation went fine and I used 3 of the 4 provided shims to align the side pieces to satisfaction.

[RCWesty]

I am installing the RMW Twin Peaks on my 90 westy. There are two brackets on the end of the frame need that supported the original fiberglass bumpers. The installation instructions didn't say anything about these, but I think I need to grind these off. The sections that mount to this bracket won't line up correctly with these in the way.

Anyone else have to do this?

_________________
89 Burgundy Westy (sold)
90 Blue Syncro Westy

[MsTaboo]

[RCWesty]

It is now very clear to me now that the instructions mailed to me with the bumpers are dated or incomplete. Just like issues that pomfritz, markz2004, hybrid VW, pbrown, guybrush and others, my instructions indicated that I use a clamp to force the mounting bracket towards the van with emphasis on keeping the bracket close to the edge. Mark holes then drill. By do this, the entire bracket that the bumper is mounted to is not level vertically and the shims they provide to make minor adjustments wont make up the difference. It is impossible for me to level it now. I will likely need to drill new holes. Two new holes underneath may not be a good idea because the bumper may shift downward in time.

The instructions on the website, don't have this series of steps (step 3 on my instructions). They probably should add the need to cut of the brackets on the ends too.

https://www.rockymountainwesty.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/frontplate.pdf

self edit- removed nonconstructive comment. comments above are still relevant to those seeking guidance on installing bumpers.
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89 Burgundy Westy (sold)
90 Blue Syncro Westy

[MsTaboo]

Some things like the need to cut off the brackets which support the fiberglass bumper are self evident and a step not needed for older bumpers.

Remember that these are designed and manufactured by people who are very mechanically inclined and sometimes it's easy for them to overlook the little things that a novice might scratch their head about.

I suggest you contact RMW with any complaints, they are a very good company and open to suggestions and helpful. Without feedback they won't know people are having problems.
_________________
Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec

The information age has morphed into the age of disinformation and willful ignorance. Agnotology!
Help the fight against Truth Decay.
Defend democracy, support Ukraine.

[dobryan]

I am guilty of installing mine and modifying the instructions but not telling RMW. Their instructions would leave the bumper not level with the ground so I made the decision to not drill the hole exactly where it would go per the instructions but align the bumper with the ground and drill the hole where that alignment was used.

So Ms. Taboo's advice is good, and one that I should have done.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[87RedWesty]

While my rear Twin Peaks bumper went on smoothly, I had all sorts of problems on the front one, some of them similar to what you all have described above. But once I got the front brackets firmly on, everything was crooked. Something was way wrong. I finally figured out that I had the brackets reversed. The instructions clearly state that the one with the dot goes on the passenger side. That's how I had installed them. But once I reversed them, putting the one with the dot on the driver's side, then everything went together easily and looks great. So in my case the instructions weren't simply unclear, they were wrong. I wrote RMW about the problem and the fix.