It's 10PM and I made the mistake of thinking it would be a simple affair to split the grille apart to install the Raptor style lights.

HOW THE HELL do you get the damn thing back together with those absolutely useless black clips that retain the 10mm "bolts"??? Every time I try to thread in the "bolt" (really just threaded rod with a captured nut on it) it pushes the black plastic POS into the grille.

Super frustrated. Someone help. Please.

 

Lol those kind of fell apart when I did my grill swap also. Just don't over tighten them. Or use new hardware.

 

I can't get them to stay put! They're intact but the space they slide into is hollow behind them, so if you push the louver and grille assemblies together the "bolts" just push these stupid clips into the hollow cavity. This has got to be the absolute worst Mickey Mouse retention solution I've ever had the misfortune of coming across.

The "bolts" that are retained by the louver section sit in an elongated slot as if to suggest you preinstall the black clip on the threaded rod, then slide them into the retaining pockets. The slots aren't long enough to move the bolts laterally to do that.

 

Never mind, figured it out. Set it right side up on a pair of sawhorses and let gravity help. They finally went back together but it was a LOT of dicking around. I would really like to see how the dealerships do it.

 

I crammed popsicle sticks into the recess behind them to make them sit flush for reassembly. I think they are still in there actually. Can't see them though.

 

Yep. You got it. I've changed my grill 3 times. The first time was very frustrating with those things!