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Each bumper was only attached by 2 new bolts & nuts on top, so they were easy to remove. And with access to the SINGLE bolt inside each frame rail, the rear receiver came off relatively easily, too.
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The front receiver was a nightmare... These side plates are at least 3/8" thick, which is ridiculously overkill for a truck frame close to 1/4 that thickness. And I don't know why they couldn't have bolted this one on, too. I had to trace the frame contour with a cutting wheel for quite a while.
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The front receiver was a nightmare... These side plates are at least 3/8" thick, which is ridiculously overkill for a truck frame close to 1/4 that thickness. And I don't know why they couldn't have bolted this one on, too. I had to trace the frame contour with a cutting wheel for quite a while.
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Eventually, I felt like I had weakened the welds enough, and they broke with a little encouragement. I put some vise grips on this side, and went to work on the HARD side - where the steering box & track bar bracket are in the way.
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It took about twice as long as I expected (even with my knowledge of the other side) and twice as much chisel work to break this side free.
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I'll never comprehend how so many good welders can understand so little about fabricating & attaching something as common & affordable as a hitch receiver.
But it's out of my way for the suspension work to come...
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I spent some more time massaging the frame horns back into shape so the bumpers would bolt back on. Later, I undercoated all the shiny spots.
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The front bumper had been bumped several times. But it had also been painted withOUT prepping the chrome, so I couldn't do much without taking the paint off. I removed the front license plate bracket (which was NOT original or well-made), but not the light tabs (or were they for a tow bar?).
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Even my gentlest beating took the paint right off, so I quit.
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After reinstalling the bumpers, I repaired the lights so the truck is closer to street-legal.
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After reinstalling the bumpers, I repaired the lights so the truck is closer to street-legal.
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Bumpers & Receivers
