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Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ 1993-1998: How to Replace Front Bumper Cover

Wear and tear takes a toll on lots of body parts, but your front bumper is the face of your car. Learn how to replace it for a new one.

By Jerry Perez - August 26, 2015

This article applies to the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ (1993-1998).

Bumpers or bumper covers used to be made out of metal and other materials many years ago, but nowadays they are made of much lighter and somewhat interchangeable materials like plastic, fiberglass, etc. Thankfully, replacing these has also become a much easier task to perform, as it's usually no more than just a couple of screws that hold the bumper in place, making it quickly to swap out for a new one or upgraded model. Here is the step-by-step guide on how to replace the front bumper of your Jeep.

Materials Needed

  • New bumper cover
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • 10mm socket and ratchet wrench
  • Hammer
  • T25 Torx driver
  • Body trim removal tool or flat head screwdriver

Step 1 – Remove grill

Use the Phillips screwdriver to remove the four Phillips screws that hold the grill in place. Two of the screws are on the top of the grill and the other two on the upper corners.

  • Figure 1. Remove screws.
  • Figure 2. Remove screws.

Step 2 – Remove headlights

Start by using the 10mm socket and ratchet wrench to remove the upper headlight housing bolt. Once removed, pull the headlight housing out carefully and unplug the wiring harness from the back of it. Then use the Torx T25 driver to remove the three screws that hold the two turn signals in place: one is located on op of the turn signal, another on the bottom, and a third one on the bottom of the horizontal turn signal. Then unplug their wiring harnesses as well.

  • Figure 3. Remove headlight housing.
  • Figure 4. The last of the three side marker Torx screws.

Step 3 – Remove bumper

Use the trim removal tool to pop out the plastic clips that hold the top and sides of the bumper in place. Gently pop them out so they don't break and get stuck. Depending on the year model of the Jeep, there may be additional clips located along the bottom edge of the bumper; if so, remove these as well. Once all clips have been removed, you are ready to fully remove the bumper.

  • Figure 5. Use flat head or trim removal tool to pop these out.
  • Figure 6. Remove clips on the side of the bumper.

Step 4 – Install new bumper

With the old bumper fully removed, you may install the new bumper in the same steps as removed but in reverse order. Follow these steps:

  • Mount new bumper
  • Replace plastic screws
  • Screw in turn signals
  • Screw in headlight housing
  • Mount grill
  • Replace four screws
Figure 7. New bumper installed.

Featured Video: How to Replace Jeep Bumper Cover

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