Vanlife Northwest

INSTALLATION - Pluto Bull Bar - LH V2 FLAT FRONT

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INSTALLATION - PLUTO BULL BAR

LH V2 FLAT FRONT

COMPATIBLE MODELS:

  • LH V2 FLAT FRONT Bull Bar fits all year Toyota Hiace vans with the following chassis and the FLAT FRONT grill/bumper configuration: LH109, LH110, LH113, LH117, LH119, LH123, LH125, LH129.

COMPONENTS:

  • Bull bar

  • (4) M14 x 1.5 x 45mm hex bolts

  • (4) M14 x 1.5 hex nuts

  • (4) M14 flat washers

  • (4) M14 split lock washers

  • (4) M14 large gold round washers

  • (2) rubber patch covers

  • (1) license plate adaptor with fasteners


TOOLS:

  • #2 Phillips screw driver

  • Long and wide flat blade screwdriver

  • 10mm socket with ratcheting wrench 

  • 12mm socket with ratcheting wrench 

  • Sharpie marker

  • Drill motor

  • 2” sanding drum

  • 1-3/4” hole saw

  • 2-1/4” hole saw

  • Cutting oil

  • Razor blade

  • Center punch

  • Hammer

  • Angle grinder with cutting wheel

  • Rat tail file

  • Flat file

  • Spray paint

  • Telescoping magnet tool

  • Jack stands (2)

  • Blue lock tite thread locker

  • Long 22mm or 7/8” box end wrench

  • Torque wrench and 22mm or 7/8” socket

  • 3/16” standard drill bit

  • 1/2” steps drill bit

  • 5/8” standard drill bit

  • Rag

  • Rubbing alcohol

  • Plastic prying tool

  • Tape measure

  • 4”x4” wood black

  • Clamps


DIRECTIONS:

  1. Remove the bumper.

    1. Remove license plate

    2. Remove blinker assemblies

      1. Identify and remove phillips head screw in passenger door jam.

      2. Shut the door and pull the blinker assembly towards the front of the van. 

      3. Disconnect the electrical connector, and remove the blinker assembly, pulling it outwards

      4. Repeat steps to remove drivers side blinker assembly

    3. Remove side cornering lights

      1. Identify and remove phillips head screw fastened to the bottom corner of the passenger cornering light

      2. Pull the cornering light towards the front of the van. 

      3. Disconnect the electrical connector to the cornering light

      4. Repeat steps to remove drivers side cornering light

    4. Remove grill

      1. Identify and remove (2) phillips head screws at the top corners of the grill

      2. Use your long and wide flat blade screwdriver to pry apart each of the (2) lower clips.

      3. Gently, but firmly, pull grill off towards the front of the van.

      4. NOTE: the lower grill clips will likely remain in the van body when the grill is removed. Be sure to remove them from the van and reinstall them into the grill.

    5. Remove the plastic bumper cover

      1. Using your 12mm socket and wrench, remove the (5) bolts fastening the bumper to the van.

      2. Pop off the lower side corners of the bumper by hand.

      3. Remove the bumper cover by sliding the bumper cover up and then forward

      4. Remove bumper

  2. Cut slot reliefs in bumper fairings

    1. Approximate and mark the center point of the front crossmember, referencing the existing center hole.

    2. Make (2) additional marks on the bumper fairings, each 19-3/4” out from your centerline mark, and 1” up from the bottom edge of the bumper fairings.

    3. Remove bumper fairings

      1. Identify and remove (2) 12mm head fasteners, and (1) phillips head fastener on passenger side bumper fairing. 

      2. Slide forward and remove the bumper fairing

      3. Repeat for drivers side

    4. Clamp the fairing to you workbench with a 4” x 4” wood block underneath.

    5. Using the center punch, make a corresponding divot with the punch at your marks. These will be used to center your drill bit. 

    6. Drill a pilot hole with the 3/16” drill bit in the center of each of the corresponding divots.

    7. Using your drill motor and a 2-1/4” hole saw centered in your pilot holes, drill a hole in each of the fairings.

    8. Using your grinder and cutting wheel, complete slot cuts by cutting straight down from the outer edges of each hole.

    9. Remove an additional 1/4” of material from the inner sides of the lower lip of the bumper fairings. This will allow clearance for the bull bar’s mounting plate flange.

    10. Deburr and touchup the cuts with matching touchup paint. 

  3. Prepare frame

    1. Cut lip from lower edge of front cross member.

      1. Make a mark 4” and 11” inches from the outer edge of the inner drivers side frame rail.

      2. Repeat marks on the passenger side.

      3. For both drivers and passenger side, cut out area between your marks (7” total for each side). 

        1. NOTE: If your cuts are near AC lines, use a sheet of wood or metal to shield the lines in case your blade catches.

        2. ALSO NOTE: Do not accidentally cut into your frame rails.

      4. Debur with a flat file, and paint edges of cuts.

    2. Remove drivers side recovery point

      1. With your grinder and cutting wheel angled downward, cut through both sides of the recovery point being careful not to cut into the frame member.

      2. Cut through the front weld of the recovery point, and use a hammer to knock it loose. 

      3. Debur and paint the exposed metal.

    3. Cut access holes.

      1. For each of the (2) outer frame members, use a straight edge and mark the center of the outer frame members on the face of the front cross member.

      2. Make a mark 1-1/2” up from the bottom of the face of the front cross member.

      3. Using the center punch, make (2) corresponding divots at the marks. These will be used to center your drill bit. 

      4. Drill a pilot hole with the 1/8” drill bit in the center of each of the (2) divots.

      5. Using the holes to center your bit, cut a 1-3/4” access hole with your hole saw, on both drivers and passenger sides. NOTE: Have the drill motor oriented squarely towards the rear of the van.

      6. Debur the holes with a rat tail file.

      7. Paint the holes.

  4. Install bull bar

      1. Using a friend and (2) jack stands set level with the lower edge of the front crossmember, place the bull bar assembly in place, with the mounting brackets aligned with the outer frame members. 

      2. Insert (1) M14 bolt in the rear most mounting hole of the drivers side and passenger side mounting brackets. This hole corresponds with an existing hole in the frame member. 

        1. Bolts should have (1) split lock washer and (1) flat washer.

        2. Bolts should have a small dab of blue lock tite on the threads.

      3. Using your telescoping magnet tool, install (1) large gold round washer on the TOP side of the M14 bolt. NOTE: you’ll need to hold the bolt in place to keep it from falling back through the hole.

      4. Using your telescoping magnet tool, install (1) M14 nut on the TOP side of the M14 bolt, finger tight. NOTE: be sure not to cross thread the nut.

      5. Tighten the (2) mounting bolts to 120 ft/lbs. NOTE: have a friend push the bar towards the rear of the van while tightening the bolts.

        1. Using a 22mm (or 7/8”) box end wrench to secure the upper nut, torque the bolts with a 22mm (or 7/8”) socket and torque wrench to 120 ft/lbs.

      6. Drill (2) remaining mounting holes NOTE: For best results, use cutting oil on your drill bits.

        1. Using the center punch, approximate the center of the (2) holes and make (2) corresponding divots with the punch. These will be used to center your drill bit. 

        2. Drill a pilot hole with the 1/8” drill bit in the center of each of the (2) corresponding mounting holes.

        3. Using the 1/2” step drill bit, drill a 1/2” hole in each of the (2) corresponding pilot holes. 

        4. Using a 5/8” drill bit, widen the 1/2” holes to 5/8”. 

        5. De-bur the holes with the rat tail file.

        6. Using compressed air and your magnet, remove all metal shavings inside the unibody frame members, and between the frame and bull bar mounting brackets.

        7. Clean the oil with rubbing alcohol and a clean rag.

        8. Paint the holes.

      7. Insert the (2) remaining M14 bolts in the recently drilled holes. 

        1. Bolts should have (1) split lock washer and (1) flat washer.

        2. Bolts should have a small dab of blue lock tite on the threads.

      8. Using your telescoping magnet tool, install large gold round washers on the TOP side of the M14 bolt. 

      9. Using your telescoping magnet tool, install M14 nut on the TOP side of the M14 bolt. NOTE: be sure not to cross thread the nut.

      10. Tighten the (4) mounting bolts to 120 ft/lbs. 

        1. Using a 22mm (or 7/8”) box end wrench to secure the upper nut, torque the bolts with a 22mm (or 7/8”) socket and torque wrench to 120 ft/lbs.

  5. Reinstall the bumper.

    1. Install adhesive backed rubber covers over the 1-3/4” access holes.

    2. Install bumper fairings

    3. Install the bumper cover

      1. Slide the bumper cover on, down from the top

      2. Connect the driver and passenger front blinker electrical connectors 

      3. Snap on the lower side corners of the bumper by hand. 

      4. Using your 12mm socket and wrench, reinstall the (5) bolts fastening the bumper to the van.

    4. Reinstall the plastic grill

      1. Carefully align and snap on the grill.

      2. Reinstall the (2) phillips head screws at the corners of the grill

    5. Install the cornering lights, reversing the removal process

    6. Install the blinker assemblies, reversing the removal process

  6. Install license plate adaptor

    1. First install the license plate adaptor using the standard hex bolts.

    2. Install your license plate using the flange head hex bolts.

    3. NOTE. Use the provided spacer washers between your license plate and the plate adaptor.