How to Install Rear Corner Armor on a Jeep TJ (1997-2006)

Here is a complete guide on how to install rear corner guards onto a Jeep Wrangler TJ (1997-2006).  A note before we start, some small steps or parts may change based on the kit you buy, so be sure to double check with the instructions that come with your kit.  Make sure any and all screws, nuts, and bolts you remove are kept somewhere safe and separate from each other so that you know what they are, where they are, and what they're for at all times.

Electric drill

Various drill bits

Phillips head screwdriver

Heavy duty clamps

Socket wrenches

Various socket heads

Hex keys

Center punch

Wire crimps

Heat shrinks

Heat gun or hot hair dryer

Rust prevention paint or paint touch up marker with rust protection

Hardware should be provided in your kit

You can’t install anything on your jeep if you don’t buy it first, unless you are doing it DIY, in which case you probably don’t need this guide. Look around online for a rear corner guard kit that fits your budget and the look you want. WARNING, this is a big and permanent purchase, make sure you are 100% sure the kit you buy is the one you want. For this project we went with EAG off-road rear corner guards.

Inside your wheel well is a plastic cover held on by plastic inserts. Using a screwdriver, get under the cover and pull down enough that you can stick your hand inside the fender. With socket wrenches, carefully remove all the screws holding on the old fender flares. The first two screws (closest to the front of the Jeep) and the last one (closest to the back) should be threaded, so you just need to unscrew them from the outside. Once you have all the screws off, remove the old fender flares.

With a Phillips head screwdriver, remove the outer cover of the taillights then using a 10 mm socket wrench. Pull off the taillight housing and you should see three wires. Take a picture of the wires and their connection to the lights. Now, cut these wires and make sure there is enough wire on the light to reattach and on the Jeep itself so that you can still grab it without hassle. Take a picture of the wires and what side of the Jeep they are on. Make sure in all these pictures you can tell what color each wire is. After that, remove the license plate and its holder with a socket wrench and keep it in a safe place with all the bolts.

Using a Phillips head screwdriver, remove the 4 machine screws on the inside of the gas inlet and the 4 on the outside of the gas over to fully remove the gas cover. Finally, we are done removing things.

Bring the armor up to the respective side and use clamps with rags or towels under them to hold it in place, so you don’t ruin the finish. You can also use the screws provided that go into the predrilled holes if they fit. Make sure the armor is fitted exactly where it will be when done so that you do not mess anything up. You are going to want an even gap all around and to be flush with the wheel well. When it’s in place, check the fitting with other parts such as a tire rack or rock sliders. Also make sure that all the holes are aligned or at least close enough that it will not make a difference after you drill. Once you're sure everything is matched up correctly, mark the very center of the holes across the top of the armor with a Sharpie.

Photos provided by Morris 4x4 Center on YouTube from this video.

Note: Check the instruction booklet for drill bit sizes, they vary heavily per kit!

Grab your center punch and punch a divot where you marked, this will ensure that your drill stays in place. Once you punch all the holes, look behind where you are drilling to make sure there are no wires, carpet, or anything that you might hit when drilling through. One place of note is the hole you might have to drill near the seat belt, be very careful of that. Once you have cleared anything in the way, grab the drill bit recommended for your top holes and begin to carefully drill into the body. Do that for each hole, going slowly to make sure you don’t damage anything. For the lower holes, check to see if the hardware provided will fit in the preinstalled holes. If not, use something like a ¼” drill bit to bore out the hole a little.

Photos provided by Morris 4x4 Center on YouTube from this video (except the seatbelt).

If you do this step with the armor still mounted on clamps, be careful to not get paint on the outside of the armor. Using rust prevention paint that is safe for cars/metal, paint the inside edges of every hole you drilled. Doing this prevents rust and further damage. It is possible to use a paint touch up marker, but I would be careful unless it specifically says that it will prevent rust. Once done, wait for the paint to dry, thought it shouldn't take very long.

Photos provided by Morris 4x4 Center on YouTube from this video

If you removed the armor for the last step, mount it again with clamps and rags. Begin putting in the bolts on the upper holes and tightening them down. For our kit, we used a __ hex key and a socket wrench on the back to hold the nut while tightening. Make sure to go back around for each of them to make sure they are on as tight as possible. Once all of those are on tight, you can remove the clamps. If you have new fender flares or want to put on the old ones again, mount the flares and then install the screws. You will have to reach under the plastic wheel well cover again. Make one last check all around to see if everything is on tight, then move on to the other side.

Grab your taillights, making sure they are the correct ones for each side. Strip about a half inch of wire on both the light and the wire poking out of the body. Twist the exposed wire and put it in a heat shrink all the way to the middle with the matching-colored wire on the light and crush the middle till you can’t lightly tug out the wires. Once done, use a heat gun or a hot hair drying to shrink the plastic of the heat shrink, making even passes till it looks formed to the wire. Do this for every wire on both sides. Once done, mount the lights back up to the body, there is a chance that you might need longer bolts because of the thickness of the armor you just installed, so look out for that. Once they are fitted and mounted you need to check the taillights. Use the right and left turn signals, hazard lights, and brake lights to check. If one or both are dimmer than they should be or are blinking much faster or slower than they should be, you may have messed up the wiring, so make sure to check again.

If your license plate holder and gas cover are faded or grey looking and you would like to make them look like new again, do this before you reinstall them (works for the old fender flares as well). Take the cover and license plate holder and place them on a table. Take your heat gun or hair dryer and hold them about a foot away from the parts. Keep sweeping the heat gun over the pieces at a somewhat slow pace, making sure you are very careful not to melt the plastic, till they become black again. Do this to all sides of the pieces. If you see that the plastic has not changed color after a short while, move slightly closer to the plastic, you should never get closer than about 6-8 inches from the plastic though, too close and you will damage them. Once done, reinstall the gas cover and license plate holder.

When everything is reinstalled and working, take a drive around your neighborhood. Part of this is to show off your new install, but it is mostly so you can see if anything is wrong. Ride around with no music or loud noises for a while and listen for any strange noises. Noises such as rattling, clanging, or banging could be signs that something is not installed correctly. Find a place to stop and check on what might be the issue. If driving on a flat road seems fine, find somewhere with a few speed bumps. Go over them at various safe speeds to make sure your armor won’t just be shaken off when on the trails. Once everything sounds good, you're all done, congratulations on installing your rear corner armor, have fun!