How Do You Change Shrockworks Back-up Light Bulb?
07-27-2010, 02:16 PM
#1
JK Jedi Master
Thread Starter
How Do You Change Shrockworks Back-up Light Bulb?
Wondering if anyone can give me some advice on changing the Shrockworks back-up light bulb. I spoke with Jim at Shrockworks and he said it might be possible without removing the bumper--squeeze some wires together and pull and rotate. But, looking at the area very closely, I can't see exactly what he's talking about. I can get my hands on the light housing, but nothing squeezes together and nothing comes close to rotating. It appears there is a screw that must be removed first, but it may just hold the wire lug in place. Anyway, if anyone has an experience at this or, better yet, if anyone has this light kit not yet installed and could post a few pic's of how the bulb comes out, that would really help. I hate the thought of pulling the racks/bumper just to change a bulb. Cannot believe that the housing, which appears to have a screw-on lens, just uses the screws for decoration--the glass lens is sealed in place and will brake if pried. 
07-27-2010, 07:21 PM
#3
yeah it was a hassle to change mine... i ended up taking the bumper off to change the bulbs .. thats the only way i could see to do it.. seems like thier should be a easier way..
07-28-2010, 02:57 AM
#4
JK Jedi Master
Thread Starter
BTW: I just KNOW that this is my Jeep's way of paying me back for this ...
Going Rogue
In fact, to add insult to injury, it was this friend who told me about the burned out taillight. And, while installing the bumper, a radiator protector bar fell on my mouth, busting a tooth and resulting in $147 worth of dental work!
08-05-2010, 01:59 PM
#6
JK Jedi Master
Thread Starter
Closing the Loop
Alright, got the bulb changed. Just want to close the loop for those who run into this ...
The bulb is a Halogen H3. In order to remove it, you need to unscrew a small Phillips head screw that holds the metal plate of the bulb into the lamp assembly. The other side of the bulb is held in by a small metal tab. So, unscrew the screw (which releases the black ground wire), tilt the bulb and pull it out. Good luck doing that with the bumper installed, and even more luck will be needed to get it back into place. If it's not clear what I'm talking about, go buy a 55 watt H3 bulb (about $7). The bulb comes as an assembly with one wire (white, for 12 VDC), and the metal plate. Don't try to remove it from the metal plate--the bulb is one entire assembly. It should be clear from there what you're trying to do.
If you decide that you want to remove the bumper, here's what I did:
1. Remove license plate light/3rd brake light. There's an electrical connector just behind it for the lamps. Pull the license plate and light assembly free. Feed the electrical connector through the back of the license plate adapter plate (it is snug, but can be forced through). Pull the wiring through through and place out of the way.
2. Remove the spare tire.
3. Remove the jerry cans.
4. There are eight bolts/nuts holding the jerry can/trail rack as an assembly to the swing gate. Remove three bolts on each side, leaving one in place. With the help of at least one other person, remove the last two bolts on each side and carry the jerry can rack/trail rack off to the side. If you have difficulty reaching the farthest left and right bolt heads, be aware that the slit in the metal above it allows for a socket extension to reach the top of the bolt head. Use a short 3/8" drive socket with an extension through that slit and removal should be easy.
5. Remove the pivot screw for the swing gate, then remove the three screws that hold the bracket for the swing gate in place. Remove the bronze washer that was under the bracket. Now, with someone to hold the swing gate, pound with a large hammer (I used a 32-oz ball peen) against a piece of wood (to protect the finish) from the bottom of the swing gate. The person holding the gate should lift it to minimize torque pressure against the pivot pin. He can swing it back and forth gently. After a few minutes you should be able to work it off. Those last few hits be prepared to help him by grabbing the other end of the gate. When we did it, that last one quarter inch of so was easy enough for us to work off by moving the swing gate gently back and forth.
6. The bumper is held on by eight bolts, three different sizes. Remove all of those bolts. The two bolts (one on each side) that go into the frame from the bottom also go into a plate in the bumper. Be sure not to move that plate (mine were "stuck" in place--probably from the mud I've been through, LOL). You can now remove the bumper, but the wiring is still connected. I set two small stools just below the bumper, then pulled the bumper out and laid it on the stools. If you have the trailer hitch, you'll need to tilt the bumper in the front down, raising the rear a little, so that you can work the bumper free of the tow hitch. Actually, having that made it nice because the bumper could rest on it when needed.
7. Remove the screw in the back of the lamp assembly with the burnt out bulb. Tilt the bulb slightly to clear the metal tab opposite the screw. The bulb is connected with a white wire to your vehicle wiring through a push-in type connector. Pull it out and install your new bulb. I went ahead and replaced both--what the heck. I also had to replace the connectors that came on the new bulbs--old one was a round pin, and new one was a flat-spade shape. I ended up using a blue flat-spade connector on the wiring harness (leaving the one on the new bulbs in place). I probably should have used a red one (color indicates wire gauge), but was out of them in my benchstock.
8. Reassembly is opposite. I recommend checking that both lights are working several times during install to ensure you don't pull some wiring out, etc--it's easy to do, and you don't want to have everything back together and realize that it doesn't work!
I apologize for no pictures. I wasn't thinking of writing anything up, but afterward figured I would give folks an idea of what I did. And, anyways, anyone doing this probably put the bumper on themselves, so just needs a little refresher on what's involved. If you need more pictures, check out the Shrockworks rear bumper install instructions here on the forum.
The bulb is a Halogen H3. In order to remove it, you need to unscrew a small Phillips head screw that holds the metal plate of the bulb into the lamp assembly. The other side of the bulb is held in by a small metal tab. So, unscrew the screw (which releases the black ground wire), tilt the bulb and pull it out. Good luck doing that with the bumper installed, and even more luck will be needed to get it back into place. If it's not clear what I'm talking about, go buy a 55 watt H3 bulb (about $7). The bulb comes as an assembly with one wire (white, for 12 VDC), and the metal plate. Don't try to remove it from the metal plate--the bulb is one entire assembly. It should be clear from there what you're trying to do.
If you decide that you want to remove the bumper, here's what I did:
1. Remove license plate light/3rd brake light. There's an electrical connector just behind it for the lamps. Pull the license plate and light assembly free. Feed the electrical connector through the back of the license plate adapter plate (it is snug, but can be forced through). Pull the wiring through through and place out of the way.
2. Remove the spare tire.
3. Remove the jerry cans.
4. There are eight bolts/nuts holding the jerry can/trail rack as an assembly to the swing gate. Remove three bolts on each side, leaving one in place. With the help of at least one other person, remove the last two bolts on each side and carry the jerry can rack/trail rack off to the side. If you have difficulty reaching the farthest left and right bolt heads, be aware that the slit in the metal above it allows for a socket extension to reach the top of the bolt head. Use a short 3/8" drive socket with an extension through that slit and removal should be easy.
5. Remove the pivot screw for the swing gate, then remove the three screws that hold the bracket for the swing gate in place. Remove the bronze washer that was under the bracket. Now, with someone to hold the swing gate, pound with a large hammer (I used a 32-oz ball peen) against a piece of wood (to protect the finish) from the bottom of the swing gate. The person holding the gate should lift it to minimize torque pressure against the pivot pin. He can swing it back and forth gently. After a few minutes you should be able to work it off. Those last few hits be prepared to help him by grabbing the other end of the gate. When we did it, that last one quarter inch of so was easy enough for us to work off by moving the swing gate gently back and forth.
6. The bumper is held on by eight bolts, three different sizes. Remove all of those bolts. The two bolts (one on each side) that go into the frame from the bottom also go into a plate in the bumper. Be sure not to move that plate (mine were "stuck" in place--probably from the mud I've been through, LOL). You can now remove the bumper, but the wiring is still connected. I set two small stools just below the bumper, then pulled the bumper out and laid it on the stools. If you have the trailer hitch, you'll need to tilt the bumper in the front down, raising the rear a little, so that you can work the bumper free of the tow hitch. Actually, having that made it nice because the bumper could rest on it when needed.
7. Remove the screw in the back of the lamp assembly with the burnt out bulb. Tilt the bulb slightly to clear the metal tab opposite the screw. The bulb is connected with a white wire to your vehicle wiring through a push-in type connector. Pull it out and install your new bulb. I went ahead and replaced both--what the heck. I also had to replace the connectors that came on the new bulbs--old one was a round pin, and new one was a flat-spade shape. I ended up using a blue flat-spade connector on the wiring harness (leaving the one on the new bulbs in place). I probably should have used a red one (color indicates wire gauge), but was out of them in my benchstock.
8. Reassembly is opposite. I recommend checking that both lights are working several times during install to ensure you don't pull some wiring out, etc--it's easy to do, and you don't want to have everything back together and realize that it doesn't work!
I apologize for no pictures. I wasn't thinking of writing anything up, but afterward figured I would give folks an idea of what I did. And, anyways, anyone doing this probably put the bumper on themselves, so just needs a little refresher on what's involved. If you need more pictures, check out the Shrockworks rear bumper install instructions here on the forum.
Last edited by Mark Doiron; 08-06-2010 at 02:22 AM. Reason: Added connector info.
Trending Topics
09-20-2011, 04:48 PM
#8
JK Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Port Charlotte, FL
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know this is an old post, but for those who need to change out the bulb in the future, here is the easiest way.
The light and mount is held on by one 10mm nut on the bottom. I happened to have a set of thin wrenches (V8 tools part #8109 about $25) from when I used to work on my sportbikes. You should be able to borrow or rent a 10mm thin wrench in your area (or just buy the set rather than take the rear bumper off).
Just loosen the nut, spin the light/mount almost 180 degrees (so you can access the back of the light) and remove the light bulb. Using this method, you can change the bulb in 5 mins.
The light and mount is held on by one 10mm nut on the bottom. I happened to have a set of thin wrenches (V8 tools part #8109 about $25) from when I used to work on my sportbikes. You should be able to borrow or rent a 10mm thin wrench in your area (or just buy the set rather than take the rear bumper off).
Just loosen the nut, spin the light/mount almost 180 degrees (so you can access the back of the light) and remove the light bulb. Using this method, you can change the bulb in 5 mins.
10-03-2011, 07:31 PM
#9
JK Junkie
Join Date: May 2008
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 3,386
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rear Bumper - Bulb Replacement
I know this is an old post, but for those who need to change out the bulb in the future, here is the easiest way.
The light and mount is held on by one 10mm nut on the bottom. I happened to have a set of thin wrenches (V8 tools part #8109 about $25) from when I used to work on my sportbikes. You should be able to borrow or rent a 10mm thin wrench in your area (or just buy the set rather than take the rear bumper off).
Just loosen the nut, spin the light/mount almost 180 degrees (so you can access the back of the light) and remove the light bulb. Using this method, you can change the bulb in 5 mins.
The light and mount is held on by one 10mm nut on the bottom. I happened to have a set of thin wrenches (V8 tools part #8109 about $25) from when I used to work on my sportbikes. You should be able to borrow or rent a 10mm thin wrench in your area (or just buy the set rather than take the rear bumper off).
Just loosen the nut, spin the light/mount almost 180 degrees (so you can access the back of the light) and remove the light bulb. Using this method, you can change the bulb in 5 mins.
10-04-2011, 04:44 AM
#10
JK Super Freak
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
Ouch. I gotta wonder about a design that requires removing the bumper to change a halogen lightbulb. You'd think that if they were going to design something where the bulbs would be that difficult to change, they'd stick an LED in there so that you wouldn't have to change them frequently.