Main Menu Vehicle Trails Mechanicals TJ/LJ Mods JK Mods Gallery
Limb Risers

Limb Risers

Part #: 000290 (Fender bracket) / 000306 (Windshield bracket)

A few of us ride through wooded areas and constantly have branches slide across the hood then smack into the windshield before snapping around and hitting us through the open side window. I was looking for something to at least take care of most of those offending branches by sliding them up and over the jeep. I remembered that the Army Rangers had a steel cable that ran from the front of their vehicles to a cutter assembly on the top to take care of any nasty surprises out in the field. I figured something like this would work well, okay without the cutter assembly. A quick search brought up the Limb Risers by Tough Stuff Products.

Additional Parts:
Double sided foam tape

Tools Needed:
Drill
3/16 & 5/16 inch drill bits
Dull kitchen knife or equivalent
Phillips screwdriver
Center punch
Hammer
5/16" Socket
1/4" Drive ratchet

Here is the Tough Stuff Install PDF files that I used. Note: These files may be updated or changed at anytime, so check with Tough Stuff Products for the latest version.

Fender Bracket / Windshield Bracket

Installation: Install Windshield Bracket
1. Lay out the parts for the windshield.
DSC03832
2. Remove hardtop or fold back soft-top to access top corners of windshield.
DSC03833
3. Using the dull knife, carefully peel off the thick rubber gasket on top of the windshield, app. 4 inches inward on each side. Carefully pull the rubber off the plastic retaining pin and tape the gasket back as pictured.
DSC03834 DSC03835
4. Hold the bracket in place; note how the top mounting surface will sit flat when properly placed. Hold bracket in place and use the 3/16 inch drill bit to drill through the lowermost hole (into the doorframe). I used a center punch and hammer to keep the drill from wandering.
DSC03837
5. Remove the bracket, use the 5/16 inch drill bit to enlarge the hole you just drilled. Insert a rubber Well nut into the hole and bolt the bracket in place. You will need a phillips screwdriver.
6. Next, drill through the topmost hole into the top of the windshield frame. Remove bracket.
Repeat above steps to install Well nut into topmost hole. Bolt bracket into place with BOTH top and bottom bolts and Well nuts. You will need a phillips screwdriver.
DSC03838
7. Drill 3/16 inch hole into CENTER hole in bracket. Remove and repeat. The bracket lines up better if you actually do drill and remount each time.
DSC03837
Note: Be very careful drilling out the holes, especially the top one. I managed to snap a 3/16" drill bit off inside my windshield frame. Just one more thing to rattle around. DSC03836
8. Remove duct tape and carefully stretch rubber gasket back over plastic retaining pin. Re-adhere the gasket back into original location. If it does not stick well, you may have to use a weather strip adhesive (available at any Auto parts store) to glue the gasket in place.
DSC03839
 
Install Fender Brackets
1. Lay out the parts for the fender.
DSC03840
2. Remove 5 each 5/16 inch bolts that secure the front of the plastic fender flares to the fenders. Lay these bolts and the plastic nuts aside. Repeat on both sides of the Jeep®. This is a really tight fit for anything larger than a 1/4" drive ratchet.
DSC03841
DSC03842
3. Pull the plastic flare out and slide the Limb Riser bracket into place as pictured. The photo that is on the instructions is at a really bad angle, but it looks like the cable mount goes towards the hood. I found that it doesn't matter which way you mount it you will scrape the side of your hood up if you lift the hood, even to only use the hood prop (not like many of us use that ).
DSC03843
This should be the correct way.
DSC03873
This is backwards
4. Cut the black foam into 2 pieces, each 6 inch long. This will be used to fill the small gap between the flare and the fender when the bracket is installed. Place the foam level with the top of the plastic flare in the area directly behind the fender bracket. DSC03881
5. Replace the 5 bolts and plastic nuts, sandwiching the bracket in place. Three (3) of the bolts will go through corresponding holes in the fender bracket. Tighten all 5 securely. DSC03842
6. Attach cable as shown in the following photos. Note that the cable goes DOWNWARD through the
top hole and comes UPWARD where it hooks the cable stop.
DSC03848
This is wrong
DSC03846
This is correct
7. Run the threaded cable end through the hole in the fender bracket and secure with the wing nut,
DO NOT over tighten. If you tighten to much and your windshield is not secured to the roll cage, you can pull it forward.
DSC03872
8. A black nylon tie is also included to attach your radio antenna to the passenger side bracket. Leave the tie loose, so the antenna will not directly touch the metal bracket. DSC03874
This is what they look like installed.
DSC03849
DSC03880

Opinion: They actually work really well. I expected them to hum on the freeway, but they are really quiet. They do take a little bit of getting used to at first since they are out in your field of vision, but after a couple of days you don't even see them anymore. I did discover a few items to watch out for.
1. If you do not have a stock roll cage in, or your cage does not secure the top of the window in place, be really careful on how tight you make the wires. You can pull your windshield forward. This can also be affected by any really large branch that you run into off road..
2. You will not be able to open your hood without scratching the sides of it up, no matter which way you install the fender brackets.
3. If you live in an area with lots of birds... well you get the picture.

I took these things off and threw them into the "Not really worth the price pile." To be fair about them, they do work for the purpose intended, but at the expense of scratching your hood every time you need to open it or having to take them off so that you don't.

Tough Stuff Products, Inc.
57 N. Davis St.
Stoutland, MO. 65567
www.toughstuffproducts.com

This page last updated: 21-Apr-2008

Content and Design © 2002-present WanderingTrail,  Ronald Seegert
Common Sense and Safety should always be observed when working on your vehicle or doing modifications. Jackstands, wheel blocks, disconnecting the battery are a few of the basic safety precautions that should be used and may not be mentioned in the write ups on this site. You are responsible for your own installation, these write ups are a helpful guideline and should not be taken as an official installation instruction. My write up may be different from the kits currently out there, so alwasy double check the manufacturers installation instructions when installing anything. I try to keep the site up to date with changes that have occured as I discover them, but may not have the latest unless someone lets me know. If you feel that an install is above your capabilities after reading my write ups, I recommend getting together with a club and getting some help. Only a few times have I needed to employe some actual help from a shop to get something done. Usually welding or A/C work. While I have spent many years working on mechanical systems, I am not an expert, nor do I pretend to be one. I hope these write ups have been useful to you.
All trademarked names & logos are property of their respective owners
This site is in no way associated with FCA.
Jeep is a registered trademark of FCA.