Having a bumper custom built for my 2002 D2. The grill drops in the middle. The bumper I am making was designed to run straight across. What have ya'll done to adjust for this?

This is the new bumper style on a 2003 model. This will be my new bumper. Custom made.


This is my truck style

 

Some people do a dip in their bumper, others trim the grill. I'd offer to trade grills if I hadn't hacked mine to pieces, I'd love a 99-02 style grill for my 03.

 

This is channel iron. No dips. :-)

I was thinking a parts yard to get another grill like mine to trim, or get one from a 2003. Will an 03 fit on my 02?

 

I've got an 03/04 Grill on my Kalahari. Just had to cut the headlight finishers, and secure them to the original 99-02 Grill supports. For the TF front bumper and a winch on a 99-02 I highly suggest the 03/04 grill vs hacking the 99-02 grill to pieces!

 

I like that plan. Think i'll pull my grill, keep it intact and modify an 03-04 grill like you say.

 

I too used an '03-'04 grill on my '99 DII when I installed a Terrafirma front bumper last summer.

One of the advantages of the '03-'04 grill is that it can be easily removed and reinstalled, but as Best4x4 said that requires modification and alternative installation of the '99-'02 headlight finishers. Some others have been able to use their original '99-'02 grills with Terrafirma and other "straight across" bumpers without undo trimming of their '99-'02 grills. Success with that approach seems to depend upon vagaries of how the bumpers fit.

Also, you say you are interested in the Terrafirma bumper. Be advised that while most TF bumpers "bolt right up" (we're told) there are several instances of that not being the case and "modification" of the TF bumper has been required (my case included, perhaps most prominently). I like my TF bumper but it was a PITA to install and required cutting with my angle grinder. My advice is to be very, very careful when choosing from whom to buy your bumper and do your best to identify a seller who will stand behind their products and not blame installation problems on their customers or claim that their customers' trucks are somehow defective. A simple search on this forum will yield ample related information.

 

Not sure how TerraFirma came into play. I am not using a TF. I am having my bumper custom made for me by a welder friend. Going to be a single piece of 8" channel iron. Can't make any dips, only bends. It will be custom tailored to the truck. The pic in my original post is the bumper I used as a model.

One thing I maybe can do is cut out the top middle and allow the grill to slip behind the bumper

 

This seems like a great idea to me.