Yup, I ended up using a small flathead and a rubber mallet to basically stuff them in there. Turned a 15 minute job into 45. Still have scratches on my gate from that experience . .

 

Try using dishwashing soap and water to install rubber parts works well.

 

So after reading mixed reviews on Amazon decided to pull the trigger. I had Amazon credit and only paid $9. Removed the stock bump stops and proceeded to install the daystar ones. I used a trim upholstery tool to get them installed. They are semi snugged.





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Multiple reports of the Daystar bumpstops being junk is what led me to trying a DIY solution first. It ended up costing less than the Daystars, and looking better IMO. I used radiator hose:






More details: Custom Extended Spare Tire Bumpers for Aftermarket Tire/Wheel Combos - Jeep Wrangler Forum

 

Wow not bad at all are you using the radiator hose on top of the stock bump stop? Wish I stumbled upon this before purchasing my daystars.

 

Yes. All covered in more detail in the link at the end of my post.. I guess I'll just copy/paste that entire post from th other forum here:


Upgrading to different wheels/tires that have less wheel offset than stock gives you this problem:






Those bumpers are important. They are supposed to apply pressure to the spare tire to absorb/dampen vibrations, reducing stress on the tire carrier and tailgate. One option is the Daystar Tailgate Bumpstops, but I've heard unpleasant things about them (lightweight rubber foam, sometimes damaged while trying to install).

I decided to go DIY with...




Radiator hose! I found some radiator hose that fit tightly over the stock bumper (the stock bumper pulls right out so you can take it into the auto parts store), and has some usable straight sections. I found this particular hose at Pep Boys for under $12.

At the furthest point, the gap between the tailgate and the new tire (in the vicinity of the stock bumpstop) is about 4 inches. I cut two 4 inch straight sections out of the radiator hose. I wrapped/taped a strip of paper around the hose to serve as a guide to keep my cut somewhat straight, and used a utility knife to make the cut.




The cuts were not perfectly straight, but close enough. Then I simply pressed the custom bumpers over the stock bumpers:








End result:






The part of the tire that is closer to the tailgate firmly compresses the radiator hose, creating a similar effect as the stock bumpers. I think it actually looks better than the more expensive Daystar bumpers too.

 

Considering this is an old thread (2013) most should know the early versions of the Daystar bumpers had issues, yes. Those were remedied shortly after.

 

I used Black Racket Balls From Dicks Sports. It worked ok for 3 years. Then I noticed some sagging on the gate then about 2 months later I broke the Tire carrier on a Trail so. I just went with the Smitty Kit for $499 I got it because it works with my RotoPaX bracket.

 

For the most part yes. I didn't have an issue with installation. I did have a trim upholstery kit that I used to help me with the install.

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A friend of mine had issues with the Daystar bumpstops breaking during installation just last year. I suppose it's possible that he may have been unlucky and received old stock from the vendor.