klinger86
Moderator
How to: 01-03 front end conversion.
This is for 98-00 era trucks to convert it to the 01-03 look..
tools you will need
phillips screw driver
5/16(8mm) socket
7/32 socket
ratchet and extension
electrical tape
utility knife
and a flat head screwdriver/fork/somethign to remove the plastic plugs that hold the black plastic tunnel.
start by opening the hood
pull the old grille off by taking out the 4 7/32 bolts holding the top in. then remove the 2 clips at the bottom.
next remove the 2 screws per side that hold the corner/turn signal lights on.
remove turn signal/ corner light assembly.
at this time you can either remove one of the turn signal bulbs or as in my case the bulb holder can be disconnected to remove the bulb or you can simply hide the extra bulb somewhere the light cant be seen.
now you can start removing the 9 5/16(8mm) bolts that hold the header panel onto the core support.
there are 2 on each side behind the corner lights on each side. 2 by the airbag crash sensors on each side. and 1 behind the black plastic tunnel that's behind the grille.
now the header panel is loose. gently remove it and disconnect the headlight bulbs from the harness. i left mine in the headlights until i was ready to switch them to the new headlights.
set it aside. remove the clips from the original header panel for the 5 bolts that hold the panel in beside the airbag crash sensor and the down bar in the center.
place the clips on the new header panel and place panel on the front of your truck.line up the bolt holes and start replacing the 5/16(8mm) bolts to mount the new header panel.
after you have replaced all the bolt to mount the header panel you can start working on the black plastic tunnel. if you are using your original one you will need to modifiy it a little bit. i had to cut a couple of the corners off.
then start putting the corner lights on. i had to mod them a little bit to get the original corner light sockets to fit. i had to widen the slots to fit it.once i was done with that i mounted the corners.
then take the original clips from the original header panel that bolted the grille into place and place them on the new header panel.
now one at a time if you are reusing your headlight bulbs transfer them to your new headlights. place the bulb in the housing and then the turn signal bulb.
take the retainer bars and slide them into the back of the header panel and make sure the little clip slides into the slot that holds them.
now push the headlights into their location and get them as close to flat and stock looking as you can. it may mean you need to put them in and then pull them back out several times adjusting the black plastic pieces that the retainer bars lock into.
now that you have the headlights as close to oe as you can slide the retainer over the locking pins to lock the headlights into the header panel.
now after doing the headlights you are ready to attach the grille. start with the clips on the bottom getting all 6 of them and the corners locked into the header panel.
then take the 4 7/32 bolts that you took out of the original grille and put them into the spots for them.
now that you have the grille placed you can start aligning the headlights to get them where they need to be. once that is done close the hood and look at your handywork.
then to correct the hyper flash issue pick up a EP27 flasher unit and install in place of the oe flasher.
This is for 98-00 era trucks to convert it to the 01-03 look..
tools you will need
phillips screw driver
5/16(8mm) socket
7/32 socket
ratchet and extension
electrical tape
utility knife
and a flat head screwdriver/fork/somethign to remove the plastic plugs that hold the black plastic tunnel.
start by opening the hood
pull the old grille off by taking out the 4 7/32 bolts holding the top in. then remove the 2 clips at the bottom.
next remove the 2 screws per side that hold the corner/turn signal lights on.
remove turn signal/ corner light assembly.
at this time you can either remove one of the turn signal bulbs or as in my case the bulb holder can be disconnected to remove the bulb or you can simply hide the extra bulb somewhere the light cant be seen.
now you can start removing the 9 5/16(8mm) bolts that hold the header panel onto the core support.
there are 2 on each side behind the corner lights on each side. 2 by the airbag crash sensors on each side. and 1 behind the black plastic tunnel that's behind the grille.
now the header panel is loose. gently remove it and disconnect the headlight bulbs from the harness. i left mine in the headlights until i was ready to switch them to the new headlights.
set it aside. remove the clips from the original header panel for the 5 bolts that hold the panel in beside the airbag crash sensor and the down bar in the center.
place the clips on the new header panel and place panel on the front of your truck.line up the bolt holes and start replacing the 5/16(8mm) bolts to mount the new header panel.
after you have replaced all the bolt to mount the header panel you can start working on the black plastic tunnel. if you are using your original one you will need to modifiy it a little bit. i had to cut a couple of the corners off.
then start putting the corner lights on. i had to mod them a little bit to get the original corner light sockets to fit. i had to widen the slots to fit it.once i was done with that i mounted the corners.
then take the original clips from the original header panel that bolted the grille into place and place them on the new header panel.
now one at a time if you are reusing your headlight bulbs transfer them to your new headlights. place the bulb in the housing and then the turn signal bulb.
take the retainer bars and slide them into the back of the header panel and make sure the little clip slides into the slot that holds them.
now push the headlights into their location and get them as close to flat and stock looking as you can. it may mean you need to put them in and then pull them back out several times adjusting the black plastic pieces that the retainer bars lock into.
now that you have the headlights as close to oe as you can slide the retainer over the locking pins to lock the headlights into the header panel.
now after doing the headlights you are ready to attach the grille. start with the clips on the bottom getting all 6 of them and the corners locked into the header panel.
then take the 4 7/32 bolts that you took out of the original grille and put them into the spots for them.
now that you have the grille placed you can start aligning the headlights to get them where they need to be. once that is done close the hood and look at your handywork.
then to correct the hyper flash issue pick up a EP27 flasher unit and install in place of the oe flasher.
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