Crossing Lake Tahoe's famous Rubicon Trail didn't come without a cost. At some point, I dropped off a large rock so hard that was so steep that my rear bumper kissed my right rear corner leaving a small dent! Rather than fix that dent, I chose to take the opportunity to buy some new rear corner armor to 1) dress up the JK a little and add round LED tail lights, and 2) hide the body damage.
The selection for rear corner armor for JK 2-doors is not very big, especially if you're trying to stay on a budget! I really wanted the Poison Spyder Crusher Corners, but they are no longer produced for 2-doors, as aren't the PS Trail Corners. The other choice would have been GenRight, but they were just too expensive, plus I didn't like the recessed tail light holes. I found a couple of reviews on Amazon for the PS 4-door Trail Corners, where purchasers claimed that the 4-door panels fit the 2-door just fine. Pictures from a distance were included. Although I was warned by PS that the 4-door Trail Corners armor would leave a unprotected gap of sheet metal along both sides of the tail gate door, against my better judgement, I went ahead and bought them anyway, figuring that if they indeed did not fit my vehicle, I could return them for a refund- I really wanted them to fit! The PS armor showed up and sure enough, they were too short! I could have just used them, as they fit everywhere else just fine, providing ample protection, but I knew that if I installed them, eventually that OCD part of my personality would get to me. Now, choice of armor is not to be taken lightly- once you commit to a specific brand/model, if you're installing round LED lights, you're going to have to cut new round holes in your rear body panels, so you can't just try one out, then change your mind later. (Actually you could if you were willing to buy new OEM rear panels, weld and swap them out.) I contacted Amazon, who in turn reached out to the vendor to process the refund. It took a couple of weeks, but I got all of my money back. No harm, no foul. I had also already purchased the PS LED light kit from Morris4x4, but I was also able to return those no problem.
So enter Plan B. I went with the
Warrior Products LED Corners. I know they're not as form fitting as the
Poison Spyders, but they're only a fraction of the price! Some of the old stock of the PS armor is still out there, but come on! $688 vs. $162?! Hmmm...me thinks it's a no-brainer. I bought the
WP LED round light kit (with reverse lights) as well. Through Morris4x4, both products together with coupon code only cost $260!
The panels themselves are pretty beefy (but not quite as beefy as the PS Trail Corners). When first matching the armor corners up to the body panels, I could've sworn that they must've sent me the wrong parts! I had to go and double-check my order against the box they sent me! The armor seems like it's going to bolt up an inch too short! But with some serious persuasion through leverage by 2x4's, it became more believable that they would eventually fit. WP supplies 8 aluminum pop-rivets per panel, but there are only two pre-drilled holes per side! To get the job done, you will need your own pop-rivet tool, as none is provided. Instructions are sparse- one page of typed text is all you get. Not even one single picture! The instructions for the LED lights wiring is just as bad. By careful deduction, you'll be able to figure out the wiring. No harness is included, so be prepared to cut, splice and solder. Also no resistors come with the kit, so you'll need to source your own. I happened to have a couple that I salvaged from my last pair of LED tail lights that I abandoned.
You will need to cut two new round holes per side to accommodate the LED lighting. The instructions do not even suggest a best practices method. YouTube is your friend, although most of the demonstrations are for PS. As a matter of fact, there is hardly ANY information on how to get the Warrior armor installed! No one ever puts up any comments or reviews! Amazing! I bought hole saws that were the appropriate sizes. I was able to line up the armor and trace the outlines of the holes on the panels, then plan on cutting a little outside the lines so the rubber grommets can seat properly. The small holes were easy to cut away, because you'll still be able to center the drill bit on metal. As for the larger holes, I clamped a small piece of wood in the center of the large radius so that the hole saw could stay centered. After the holes were cut out, I sprayed the exposed metal with Rustoleum to protect it from oxidation.
Next I did all the splicing and soldering. I tested the lighting, then moved on. That portion of the job took about an hour in itself!
The riveting was the part I was least looking forward to. With the combination of C-clamps, 2x4'sand ratchet straps, I was able to force the metal to the angles that I need to complete the riveting. I used an inexpensive Arrow pop-riveter, but every time I cut the end off the rivet, the excess piece would not fall out, so I had to disassemble that rivet gun after every rivet!! Thank God there were only 12 rivets to pop into place! I ultimately returned that shitty pop-riveter.
The LED lights were easy to hook up, although I had some small problems with the small reverse rounds. I was expecting the reverse lights to sit flush just as the larger red LED's did. I called WP to ask if there was a trick in getting them to snap in further. He told me that was the best rubber grommet they could source and they have been looking for a while. He then told me I was free to find any 2" LED round rubber grommet of my choice if I pleased- that they should swap out just fine. Basically, "You're SOL. That's what you get. If you don't like it, tough shit- change it yourself". The lights function fine, so for now, I'll just stick with the stock grommets. If they bug me, I'll change them out later.
I must say that I am quite happy with the end results. For $260, I couldn't be happier! The appearance
is cleaner and the curves remind me of the older CJ's. The armor fits nicely and the LED lighting is actually quite awesome! There is a 3mm gap at the top of the corner where the armor meets the OEM panel. I have read others have sealed that gap with silicone, but for now, I'm not too worried about it. We'll see how I feel after the first rainy season. The protection seems to be substantial enough to protect the vehicle, but I do have reservations about the pop-rivets- stainless steel rivets would probably have been a better choice- I'm concerned that a good bump might shear some of the aluminum rivets. If I have to replace any rivets, I'll replace them with SS.
