Front Bumper Adjustment ??? Bad Day At The Lake

[TMRoper1669]

Ok so I got stuck launching the boat at the lake After about 2 hours finally got tugged out, except we really had to tug and now my front bumper is tweaked to the driver side. It's like the whole thing shifted towards the driver side and it is down a little but only on the driver side. I was getting tugged on the tow hooks. Is there anyway to adjust the bumper back to the passenger side??

 

[HBarlow]

Bend the supports the other direction.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Buy a bumper from Reunel. I welded for them for a while. No bumper on this planet that is stronger!

 

[AEdelheit]

I have not looked closely at the 4th gen fronts but I would suggest starting by looking at the mounting brackets and find out what is actually bent, if there are adjustments that can be made and if the bumper itself is also bent.

 

[RVTRKN]

Ok so I got stuck launching the boat at the lake After about 2 hours finally got tugged out, except we really had to tug and now my front bumper is tweaked to the driver side. It's like the whole thing shifted towards the driver side and it is down a little but only on the driver side. I was getting tugged on the tow hooks. Is there anyway to adjust the bumper back to the passenger side??

Its the only reason I have a 4X4. If you used the tow hooks, why did the bumber move?

 

[Missouri Mule]

The tow hooks are probably hooked to the bumber brackets or on the other side of frame from them, bolts could of been loose.



My mechanic had one of his workers tow my Mule to his shop. The worker hooked to my brakcet. The bracket got pulled forward which moved left side of bumber forward and down.



Take a look at your bumber brackets.

 

[TMRoper1669]

Its the only reason I have a 4X4. If you used the tow hooks, why did the bumber move?

I have a 4x4 and I don't know why the bumper moved the chain was hooked to the tow hooks. I plan on taking the bumper off today and see what it looks like. Check the Pic.







Before the Tug

 

[AH64ID]

Something in the recovery process must have hit the bumper, the tow hooks and the bumper share the same mount, the frame. . so for the tow hook to be the only thing contacted and to move the bumper the frame would have to be tweaked.

 

[TMRoper1669]

How would I be able to tell if the frame is tweaked. It drives fine. Now I'm really nervous.

 

[AH64ID]

A frame shop would have to put it on a jig. . I don't recall my mounting holes having much slop for the bumper/hooks. . but its worth a look for sure!



Chains should really never be used, they are weaker than ropes and transfer all the shock load to the trucks.

 

[rscurtis]

After you figure out the bumper, you may want to check the axles for water contamination.

 

[mwilson]

X2 for Missouri Mules response... .



I did the same thing to my '06 pulling my son's CTD out of a snow drifted road that he was plowing. Hard to give him several hard jerks from behind with a 20ft tow strap to get him out.



I thought I was going to throw up when I walked to the front of the truck to take the strap off the tow hook and saw the bumper out of place, down and to the front same the same as yours.



Then my sense of reason returned and I got to looking things over.



The tow hooks share the same mounting bolts as the bumper supports thru the ends of the frame, the holes in the frame are slotted for bumper adjustments.



If you snap the tow hooks hard enough it will slide the bumper out to the ends of the slots.



That is how the 3rd gens are, I bet the 4th gen is the same way.



I loosened the bumper to frame bolts and slid the bumper back into alignment.



Worth a look see.....



Mike.

 

[RVTRKN]

I have a 4x4 and I don't know why the bumper moved the chain was hooked to the tow hooks. I plan on taking the bumper off today and see what it looks like. Check the Pic.







Before the Tug

I assumed you had a two wheeler because you could't get up the ramp. Happens all the time when launching your boat and rear tires go into the slime line, especially with low water levels from the drought in some States. So how did it happen?

 

[Regcabguy]

More evidence to justify a real bumper on mine. Now I just have to find real money. :-laf

 

[Hummin Cummins]

ditto what mike said. i was pulling out some shrubs and pulled mine down the same way. had to loosen two bolts on the bumper / towhook mount and line it back up.

 

[AH64ID]

I went out and checked mine out again, there is defiantly enough slop in the OEM holes to take the bumper out of alignment if the tow hooks slip a little.

I would have thought it would have gone the other way being pulled up a hill, but apparently not!

 

[MisterBean]

Here, here!!!

More evidence to justify a real bumper on mine. Now I just have to find real money. :-laf

AMEN, Brother!!! To BOTH parts!!!

 

[The patriot]

I know my truck is old, but I love my UTE bumper.



#ad

 

[TMRoper1669]

I assumed you had a two wheeler because you could't get up the ramp. Happens all the time when launching your boat and rear tires go into the slime line, especially with low water levels from the drought in some States. So how did it happen?

OK it's not a "TWO WHEELER", it is a 4x4, you almost can't even own a 2 wheel drive in Utah. So here's what happened, this beach launch spot had 4 boats launch from it right in front of me, not of of them spun there tires getting out. However my boat was a little longer than their's and I had to get out a little further. Once I was off the trailer with the boat the truck didn't even get a chance to move 1 inch and it was over. We even hooked 2 trucks on it and tried to get a smooth straight pull on it and both of those trucks dug holes. So we had to pull from an angle and had to tug (ie. BUMPER TWEAKED). So now you know the story. FYI I took the grille, bumper, and right tow hook off and the bracket attaching to the frame was bent. Got me a chain winch and straightened it out put it all back together and all is better. Lesson learned maybe it's worth driving 20 miles to the boat ramp ----- Yeah right forget that, now I have a good excuse to get wheels, tires and a winch bumper. HAHA

 

[gtoli]

After you figure out the bumper, you may want to check the axles for water contamination.

My 2010 4X4 came stock with axle vent hoses mounted way up from the axle, BUT, still worth checking.