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TJ grill question

3K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  Ghoti 
#1 ·
How hard is it to remove the grill and has anyone powder coated one? If so, how's it holding up? I'm having my Warn bumpers redone and thinking about the grill also. Wondering how the powder coat will hold up to love big season and pressure washing
 
#2 ·
Powder coating will hold up just as well as paint but pulling the grill is a major PITA! You will find after getting all the bolt on stuff removed you have to pull the wiring harness from the passanger side thru the grill and out the drivers side. And of course there is little working room. At least that is how it works on my 2004 TJ.
 
#3 ·
Oh fun. Sounds like taping it off and painting it mat black will be the better option.
 
#5 ·
hey guys, Jeff I just got an 04' tj. I was looking to replace the fenders with some cooler looking ones, but all the ones I come across that are badass looking, theres no space for the blinker light... you know of any good brands I could look into? And you guys talking about taking out the grill raised another question, can you get lets say smitybuilt fenders and put a rubicon grill on an 04 tj and just put the blinkers in that? or would the grill not fit?
 
#6 ·
I personally wouldn't run Smittybuilt even if TransAmerica paid me to put it on my Jeep. Yes you can put a Rubicon grill on a non-Rubicon because the grills are the same. Also Jerry Bransford has a great writeup on how to put JK turn signals in your TJ grill on both Wrangler Forum and Jeep Forum. It is in a thread about Installing MCE Flat Flares.
 
#7 ·
cool beans, I messaged another guy the other day and he gave me the link to that write up. he says its a long but good read so im going to start reading that today. Also thanks because I was looking into buying a rubicon grill and wasn't sure if it would fit. Also how easy is it to take off the fenders, someone told me you needed a spot welder
 
#10 ·
just personal preference I guess, I want the rubicon grill because there is space for the blinkers and any after market fenders I get for the tj theres no space for a blinker, and everyone says just to jimmy rig something up, which Im trying to stay away from at all costs. As far as taking off the fenders it looks like its tack welded on. Pretty much you can see where the fender is and how its attached but theres literally only 6 bolts i can take off but that's not going to take the fender off its different to me. In the morning ill take a picture of it so you guys know what im talking about.
 
#12 ·
Can you link to where you are finding this grill with lights in it? Unless you are buying a used grill that someone has already cut holes in, the TJ grills do not have turn signals in the grill like the JKs do. They only have them on the fenders.

On my Jeep you can see the JK Turn signals on the grill and on the MCE fenders I have there is a little gray dot. That is the single LED turn signal that MCE sells.

 
#14 ·
Those fenders are designed for the TJ. They're MCE flexible fenders(a google search will direct you to their site). Not sure what grey dots you're talking about.

Also, all jeep TJ grills are the same. 1997 through 2006. All trim models from Sport to Rubicon. As stated before, a common mod is to use a hole saw to cut holes and add light enclosures that are made for the jeep JK. This moves the turn signals to the grill, allowing for flat fenders while keeping your turn signals. However, all stock TJs rolled off the assembly line with the turn signals in the fenders.
 
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