Drooping Smile - Dreaded Front Bumper Sag

[Joe Mc]

I'm at work and have wasted entirely too much time on the "search" trying to find a previous thread on the front bumper sag.



I'm guessing there must be something out there about how to "cure" (emphasis on cure not fix) the sagging front bumper on our trucks, because "just about every one I've seen that's older than 6 months is doing the same thing"?



Haven't looked at the body section in the DC Shop Manual yet.



Anyone got a quick or easy "cure"? If not I'll take whatever way has worked for you all.



Thanks

 

[nps]

Seemed to clear up after I stopped running into the back of rice burners on the road.



Seriously this is a new one for me - what is the background? Not noticed this problem before.

 

[Bigramguy]

I never knew this was a big problem,but I have seen a few Ram's with the bumper not aligned properly,and hanging kinda low in the front,if that's what your reffering to. The bumper bracket bolts came loose on mine and the bumped was low at the front. Just a simple matter of realigning and torquing them back down.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Good deer "hit" will fix that bumper right up. Seriously, about 30 mins with a couple of wrenches and you can line it back up.

 

[Joe]

Saggy Front

Try one of those truck bras... .



Mine was sagging pretty good. There are bolts underneath the bumper that connect the bumper to the frame. Use a jack and a board to align the bumper after you loosen the nuts. Try to jack the bumper up a bit too high and then tighten the bolts. After you remove the jack the bumper seems to drop a bit. 30 minutes. You might want to pull off the negative cables to disable the airbag.



Joe

95 4x4 LWB AT

 

[1tuffram]

I've noticed this sag on mine and other trucks also. I notice it in the little area where bumper facia wraps around and meets the front fenders, just behind the headlamp/turn signal assembly. I always thought it was the fasteners for that black plastic piece of the bumper assemble. When I look on my truck I notice the sag appears to only be with the black plastic piece. I notice a lot of play in the areas where the plastic fasteners are. Wonder if the fasteners need to be replaced OR if its the bolts coming loose which hold the whole bumper on. My bumper does feel solid, in that I can not wiggle or move it when jerking on it.



I'm not sure if this is the problem of sag others are seeing I notice the gap between the front fender and the black plastic piece of the bumper has gotten wider over time (little more than a fingers width). Stange thing is I notice the gap getting larger right at the very end of the black plastic (area right below the metal of the fender)

 

[Todd G]

Loosen 6 bolts finger tight. Give big heave-ho on bumper in direction you want it to go. Tighten 6 bolts. Total time 5 minutes.

 

[RBrunson]

Bumper sag

You might want to be careful what you pull on. The cheap plastic molding on the bumper will break away if pulled on very hard. The little plastic clips that hold it to the bumper will seperate. I know first hand. My bumper is sagging at the corners also. Will try the loosen the six bolts method.

 

[Chace TX]

Best cure is to remove the pos, and put a good bumper replacement/grill guard on it. Worst part is you only have about 3" of frame to bolt to. On my 91 I used angle iron to mount the bumper replacement and it could be bolted back 10-12" and was very stout. Took out a telephone pole with no vehicle damage (other than the dent in the cab where the pole landed). It was nice of Dodge to put a $2 bumper on a $30k pickup. I saw a Kia earlier today, it had a lot better bumper than my Dodge came with.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

adjustable bumpers

I just remember seeing something about this a while back in some press release info. I believe Dodge is using adjustable bolts that are hidden under tabs in the bumper's black plastic on the edge of the wheelwell. This might be only on the 2002 trucks, but I am not sure. This is one complaint that the Dodge engineers actually tried to address.