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View Full Version : Plastic truck bumpers/front ends



dakotashooter2
03-02-2015, 03:48 PM
Who's brilliant @*&$#% idea was it to construct the front end of a pickup mostly of plastic? Must have been some yuppie engineer who has never driven one off the pavement.....

I'm tired of busting air dams and lower bumper assemblies every winter trying to drive through a little snow. And the problem is they seem to put it closer to the ground every year.

I've been looking for a new vehicle and was looking at a new Chev Colorado the other day. While I like the vehicle I decided I'm not willing to spend $500 -$1000 replacing front body parts every year...........

JonB_in_Glencoe
03-02-2015, 03:53 PM
sounds like it's time to build a custom brush guard.
I built one years ago for my 87 Jeep commanche,
Best this I ever did for off-roading and stump jumping in the woods.
when I sold that truck, I removed the brush guard and mounted it on a 88 Cherokee,
I got TWICE the life out of that project :)
thats my 2¢

geargnasher
03-02-2015, 04:15 PM
Blame the safety maids at the NHTSA for mandating the 5mph crash test. Plastic and styrofoam pass, steel bumpers do not. Fortunately, for the time being, it is still legal most places to rip all that garbage off and put a full-replacement steel bumper/grille guard. This is such standard procedure here in Texas that most dealerships offer aftermarket products such as Ranch Hand and will install them on brand-new trucks to be financed in with the purchase price as a dealer-installed accessory.

Gear

waynem34
03-02-2015, 05:00 PM
Maybe wrong trim package. I also dont like the ground effects. I'm looking for clearance. I get mad when the hogs head drags the ground. sincerly uncle ruckus

waynem34
03-02-2015, 05:16 PM
Trying to use my leister heat gun to weld my atv plastic back together,ymmv.

labradigger1
03-02-2015, 06:36 PM
Been their, done that many times. Tear off my air dam couple times a year. Stove bolts and fender washers to the rescue

dakotashooter2
03-02-2015, 06:45 PM
My experience has been that Chevy has the cheapest plastic. Ford holds up a little better and Dodge has been the strongest of the 3.......But my newest truck is 10 years old so that may have changed.

Freightman
03-02-2015, 06:50 PM
no problem with my F250 oh that is right it is 27 years old -- sorry

Rick Hodges
03-02-2015, 06:57 PM
The lower air dam on my 07 GMC Canyon is only 40 bucks and snaps on pretty easy...lol...don't have to ask how I know...at least it isn't one piece and priced sky high. Check to see if they changed the brake system on the Colorado/Canyon on the new ones...the old ones cost a grand for front brakes....a better idea GM got from Isuzu....I would buy another if they have more reasonable brakes but I doubt it.

freebullet
03-02-2015, 07:10 PM
If yer truck is new enough to have a plastic bumper then......

bhn22
03-02-2015, 07:51 PM
My '01 Explorer has a plastic bumper. There's some chrome on it, but it's chrome-ish plastic.

Gear nailed the reason for it. My oldest son was in a slight accident a few years back. A moron in a Geo was zipping down a residential street and hit the 78 Oldsmobile 88 head on. I removed the fan from the Olds and drove it home. The Geo was wadded up in a ball and never moved on it own again. The roof was even buckled.

Houndog
03-02-2015, 08:16 PM
I've been a GM man all my life, but not anymore!!! ALL the new GM trucks are ***, and before anybody says anything I was a GM certified tech for many years. I do own an 07 Colorado and an 04 Silverado and the Colorado is a bad as the old Silverado is good! I've done the brakes twice, replaced the front spindles once (NOT readily rebuildable and $$$$!!!), done the AC, rebuilt the rear end, replaced the transmission, (LOTS of plastic parts), the rear window fell out and the windshield blew out at speed The body panels that are steel are beer can thin and like another poster said, MOST of the front panels are plastic. The worst part is I bought the thing used for a REAL good price and no warranty in 2010. It didn't take a brain surgon to figure out why it was cheap after I had it awhile. I've put the last $$ in it I ever will. My replacement for this lemon will either be an older truck I can rebuild or I'll go Toyota or Nissan.

Leslie Sapp
03-02-2015, 08:33 PM
The air dam on my last two chevy 4x4 silverado trucks each lasted about a week into deer season. Each time, I got out, stomped it the rest of the way off, threw it in the bed, and continued on with the deer chase:guntootsmiley:

I've never bothered to put one back on.There aint' a lot of resale value in one of my trucks when I'm done with it, anyhow. :bigsmyl2:

Terrain like this may have something to do with it.132613

smokeywolf
03-02-2015, 08:57 PM
Haven't owned a vehicle new enough to have plastic bumpers; probably never will. The newer vehicles have GPS and computers that are accessible/controllable by OnStar and the like, which allows any gov't or law enforcement entity to ascertain your location and disable your vehicle. Just prefer to give the fewest people the least amount of control over my life.

Whenever I hear people speak of how crummy the newer cars and trucks are, I think of mom's 1958 Buick Roadmaster 78. Air bag suspension, 430 CU Buick engine with four 2-barrel carburetors. Now that was a car. It was a COPO car; "Corporate Office Production Order".

smokeywolf

geargnasher
03-02-2015, 10:27 PM
And a '58 Roadmaster had a back seat like a living room sofa, lots of legroom......

Gear

Artful
03-02-2015, 10:33 PM
And a '58 Roadmaster had a back seat like a living room sofa, lots of legroom......

Gear

And storeage under that rear seat :razz:

Hickory
03-02-2015, 10:37 PM
Cars & trucks are built under federal mandates for gas mileage and safety.
Don't blame the engineers.

Mtnfolk75
03-02-2015, 10:56 PM
I have lived in a small cabin in the Southern Sierras for 15 years, in June 2007 I bought a new Colorado. The 1st winter when I went to move it after a snow, the air dam stayed in the snow. Never replaced it and didn't notice any difference in fuel mileage. I drove it until October 2012 when it had 145k on it, gave it to my Grandson in Oregon. Was there last month and drove it again, has 155k on it now. It wasn't really a bad truck, I just won't buy another one. I replaced it with a 06' Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with 43k on it, has 85k now and is a much better unit for what I do.

Beau Cassidy
03-02-2015, 11:05 PM
I am kinda partial to Bodyguard Bumpers. Very similar to but a little lighter than Ranch Hand. I just didn't want all that extra weight hanging out front.

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/OrthoNP/2-7-09TruckBumper085.jpg (http://s437.photobucket.com/user/OrthoNP/media/2-7-09TruckBumper085.jpg.html)

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/OrthoNP/2-7-09TruckBumper078.jpg (http://s437.photobucket.com/user/OrthoNP/media/2-7-09TruckBumper078.jpg.html)

It sure was fun putting it on but hey- I did it myself!
http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/OrthoNP/2-7-09TruckBumper066.jpg (http://s437.photobucket.com/user/OrthoNP/media/2-7-09TruckBumper066.jpg.html)

Cmm_3940
03-02-2015, 11:09 PM
The lower air dam on my 07 GMC Canyon is only 40 bucks and snaps on pretty easy...lol...don't have to ask how I know...at least it isn't one piece and priced sky high. Check to see if they changed the brake system on the Colorado/Canyon on the new ones...the old ones cost a grand for front brakes....a better idea GM got from Isuzu....I would buy another if they have more reasonable brakes but I doubt it.

I have an 05 Colorado. The front air dam has been cracked since about a week after I got it. It was icy and I decided the ditch was a better target than the telephone pole. I wouldn't mind replacing it if they're that cheap, though. I've also roundly cursed the idiot engineer who decided it was appropriate to have to tear out the entire front end of the truck to replace the $20 rotors. I'll just keep replacing pads as they get ground up, thank you very much.

MaryB
03-02-2015, 11:13 PM
I T-boned a full size dodge pickup at 40mph in a 2005 Chevy Aveo. Pushed everything back 12 inches, offset front end 2 inches to the right... I drove it back to my yard and parked it! Not all small cars are built like junk.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd248/maryalanab/2013-11-03_17-22-11_398_zps261e6fbd.jpg


My '01 Explorer has a plastic bumper. There's some chrome on it, but it's chrome-ish plastic.

Gear nailed the reason for it. My oldest son was in a slight accident a few years back. A moron in a Geo was zipping down a residential street and hit the 78 Oldsmobile 88 head on. I removed the fan from the Olds and drove it home. The Geo was wadded up in a ball and never moved on it own again. The roof was even buckled.

Mtnfolk75
03-02-2015, 11:17 PM
Cmm 3940, That is exactly what I did, changed the front pads every 30k and the rear shoes every 60k. It is a 8 mile 13% grade off the mountain east and 6 mile 15% off the west, have to take care of your brakes here.

bob208
03-02-2015, 11:51 PM
I have a 83 chevy c10 wife hit and killed a deer with it not even a scratch. fuel pump went out took me 15 min. to put a new one on. the radiator is real copper and brass . no plastic tanks to go bad. no computer to worry about. I open the hood I can see the engine.

waynem34
03-03-2015, 12:53 AM
I've a 85 dodge power ram 4x4.And a ,2007 v6 4 door taco 4x4,and 2009 taco manual 4banger 4x4. I've both small trucks on rocks and loose dirt they handled well. the old dodge is a different story.Lock it into low low range. Great trucks. Like the old chevys too.

geargnasher
03-03-2015, 01:17 AM
You guys are preaching to the choir here, I drove a '46 Chevrolet half-ton pickup for the first six years of my driving career, still have it and it still runs. I may or may not have put a 320 horspower mouse under the hood [smilie=1:

It will start and run with just three electrical wires.

Today I drive late-model Toyotas because I'm a mechanic and hate fixing my own stuff.

Gear

smokeywolf
03-03-2015, 04:08 AM
Cmm 3940, That is exactly what I did, changed the front pads every 30k and the rear shoes every 60k. It is a 8 mile 13% grade off the mountain east and 6 mile 15% off the west, have to take care of your brakes here.

13% grade for 8 miles? That's serious. Wouldn't want to attempt dragging my 5th wheel down that without a jake brake. The Cummins in my Dodge doesn't have one.

Even though my first car was a '63 Chevy Corvair, I've never felt comfortable in small cars. Have had nothing but El Caminos, a Camaro, trucks, vans and SUVs since the Corvair. About to put a new injector and lift pump in the Dodge truck.

smokeywolf

dakotashooter2
03-03-2015, 11:00 AM
Honestly I cant bring myself to buy a new vehicle anyway..... I just can't justify the cost.......... If one reasonably maintains a vehicle, even having to spend a few grand on it every few years works out to be far cheaper operational cost than a new vehicle..... Will probably just my 95 Dakota running again then do a rebuild on my 03........