How to fix my Rear Bumper?

[CharlesHoward]

Ouch, I backed into the hitch of a large utility trailer and put a golf ball size divot in my silver steel bumper low and almost at the very end and right where the brackets attach near where the curve begins.

I can fill and "bondo"/repaint that problem, but that end (drivers side) of the bumper is now over half an inch closer to the truck body than the other "unaffected" passenger side end.

Can I bend the bracket back out (after removing the bumper)? Assuming that is the problem...

Should I get a new bracket?

Take to body shop (how much would that cost??)?

I assume I "engaged" some function of the low speed minimal damage or the collision energy dissipation design.



Your suggestions are appreciated!

 

[jelag]

If you bumper is a painted bumper than your bondo idea is fine... its its got a layer of chrome its just going to flake off...

On more than one occasion when one of my employees would hit something and bend the bumper like that we'd take a 4" ratchet strap and run it from the end of the bumper to a power pole, or a tree depending on where I was at the time... We'd take tension up on the strap and use a large faced hammer to tap the crease where the bumper was bent. . pull a little, tap the crease, etc... until we had pulled the bumper back and past it original shape... it will spring back as you release tension... if we could get to the back side of the bumper as well as the front we'd use a sledge hammer to back up the tapping to do a better job of relieving the stress in the crease...

Hope this gives you some idea's... .

 

[CharlesHoward]

My Bumper is painted silver and its not bent so maybe I will try that.
Other ideas?

 

[mwilson]

Ouch, I backed into the hitch of a large utility trailer and put a golf ball size divot in my silver steel bumper low and almost at the very end and right where the brackets attach near where the curve begins.

I can fill and "bondo"/repaint that problem, but that end (drivers side) of the bumper is now over half an inch closer to the truck body than the other "unaffected" passenger side end.

Can I bend the bracket back out (after removing the bumper)? Assuming that is the problem...

Should I get a new bracket?

Take to body shop (how much would that cost??)?



I assume I "engaged" some function of the low speed minimal damage or the collision energy dissipation design.



Your suggestions are appreciated!

The bumper may have simply slid in the mounting holes. The truck frame is slotted in the front for bumper adjustment, been there done it. I assume that the rear of the frame may be the same. Loosen the bolts on the affected side and see if it will slide back to where it was.



Mike.

 

[CharlesHoward]

I will try that, but right when it happened I was able to pull bumper back out a ways, so that might have been the "adjustment" limit after "compression"...

 

[seafish]

Have you thoght about using this "oppurtunity" to purchase a real bumper, like the Reunel or others???

 

[CharlesHoward]

Alas, DW lost her job day after Labor Day so no more big expenditures unless necessary!