97+ bumper and factory fog light

[JZLAJeep]

Came across a 97+ bumper and factory fog lights at the local junk yard that I couldn't pass up. Now trying to decide what to do with it.

 

One of the fog lights is broken, but we have identical fog lights pulled off of a ZJ from a previous junk yard trip that we haven't been able to use because the brackets were wrong for a MJ/XJ. The fog light bracket is the win with the lights.

 

What there is to like:

1. The fog lights recess into holes in the bumper end caps
2. Straight bumper with both end caps in good condition

 

What's not to like:

1. Bumper end caps are not compatible with 84-96 front fender flares without modification
2. The bumper appears to be the same shape as an 84-96 bumper, but with several extra holes and slots, making it less than ideal to repurpose with 84-96 end caps

 

Options to make this work:

1. Install the factor fog lights under an existing 84-96 bumper and cut the air dam
2. Keep the factory fog lights on the 97+ bumper and acquire and install 97+ front fender flares
3. Keep the factory fog lights on the 97+ bumper and cut the bumper end caps to not interfere with the pre-97 front fender flares.

 

Leaning toward option 3, but wanna hear how others have tackled this. I suspect that most of you that install a 97+ front clip also replace the front fender flares with 97+?

 

 

[89 MJ]

I think I would trim the rear most part of the 97 bumper end caps off like you were thinking.