My experience installing Fab-Tech ladder bars.

[Opz01]

On 4-29 I ordered and was billed $332. 38 for a set of Fabtech heavy-duty ladder bars from National Tire and Wheel. They finally arrived yesterday 6-12. I inventoried all associated hardware and it was all there. Later that night after returning home from work I started my new project. First thing that had to happen was to remove the rear stabilizer bar. Then unhook the emergency brake cables so I could route them through the new ladder bars. All was going well until I went to line up the new ladder bars. They wouldn't fit because of the bumper stop is in the way. I phoned Fabtech but the guy I needed to talk to," Eric" wasn't in. But left a message to call me back. What to do… I decided to go for it, so I notched a piece out of the top aft bracket of the new bars to clear the bumper stop. (Which is where my air-bags are going to be mounted later. ) The front bracket that the hiem bolt attaches to mates to the frame in a place where the frame has a small transition. So it isn't a flush fit, I shimmed a piece of metal stock. This was probably the wrong set for my 2001 SWB 4X4 Cummins truck. (p/n received FAB100-350X) but there is no way I want to wait six weeks for another set. I just hope that the piece I cut out doesn't compromise the bars. They are pretty beefy but only time will tell. However, if they do fail I have some machinist friends and a template to work from! Next week the game plan is to come up with a solution for getting the rear stabilizer bar back on. Is it too much to ask for? Ladder bars that are truly a bolt on and don't require loosing the stabilizer bar. BTW according to caller ID Fabtech did call me back but didn't leave a message on the machine.