Ute Bumper - Size difference???

[schu777]

After readint about Steve's mishap with a car just 15 days after getting his nice bumper installed... I've been considering this Ute bumper more from Denver Off Road... however, I'm one of the lucky guys that can park the truck in the garage. Anyway, I've got plans to put stuff in front of where I park the truck, but adding another 6 to 10 inches to the front of the truck might make it tougher to do...



So for those that have this bumper already, can you run out to your truck and measure from the front of the grill to the front of the bumper?



I'm ready to call and place my $500 deposit, but just need to confirm how much space I'm going to lose...



Michael

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

TDR member Jason Hansen should have this information at his fingertips..... check the readers rigs section. Alternatively the guys at DOR perhaps will be clued up?

 

[Jetson]

8. 5 inches from the bottom center of the grill to the most forward portion of the bumper.

 

[schu777]

THANKS

Originally posted by Jetson

8. 5 inches from the bottom center of the grill to the most forward portion of the bumper.

Cool - now to figure out this weekend if I should order or not...

 

[kscheffler]

So how much of additional length does the Ute add over the stock bumper. The stock bumber must stick out at least 4 inches so are saying it has a total overall length increase of 4. 5 inches? Another concern I have about the Ute bumper and the DOR bumper is if they do not give in an accident what are we going to do to our frames?

 

[Jetson]

I don't know how far the stock bumper sticks out. But you can measure yours and subtract from the Ute measurement to get the increase in length. If you hit something with a stronger bumper hard enough to bend the frame, you would have REALLY bent the frame with the stock bumper. The stock bumper is almost non-existant. It only weighs about 50 lbs. including all of the plastic. It bends so easily that you are soon into the intercooler, headlight doors and frame.

 

[Sregorb]

I'll second Jetson on that. If you hit something hard enough to bend the frame with an aftermarket bumper you would've CREAMED the front end with the stock.....

Aftermarket bumpers are MUCH more protection before serious damage occurs. My $. 02



Brian

 

[kscheffler]

My point is that the new bumpers are not energy absorbing and all of the energy is transmitted to the frames. Not to say that the OEM bumper is either. But if you tweak the frame it could be big problem. Radiators can be replaced. For a deer or small objects the after market is the way to go I agree. But If you ever hit a center barrier or something solid you can do some serious damage.

 

[Sregorb]

Actually the DOR and the Ute offer decent 'give' balance with the mounting brackets (these will bend with the bumper in a strong enough impact). True the impact is stronger and earlier with aftermarket, but if you are talking the same impact amounts (speed, weight, etc) between aftermarket and crumple stock if you hit with aftermarket with enough force you'll see the bumper, mounting bracket bend, THEN the frame bend if balanced correctly. I would say that most of the time damage would probably be limited to bumper, bracket, grill, and maybe the front cooler if outfitted with a winch and a sufficiently strong enough hit occured. Probably driveable to nearest help.



The same force on stock would take out bumper, grill, push thru all the coolers,would take out front fenders, headlights/turnlights, fan, hood, batteries, crossmember, frame bending, and have internal engine compartment damage. Probably NOT driveable to nearest help. If it came down to it I'd rather have my frame straightened alot after an impact than to fix all of that and still have to have the frame fixed even if the frame damage is less by crumpling. Basically, the other stuff is giving it's life to lessen frame damage.



Also I would think that the majority of all 'accidents' concerning the front bumper with these trucks tend to be less than 5 mph pole tags or other taps on objects. And of course most 1-5mph pole tags are survivable over and over by the aftermarket whereas the stock will suffer considerably more damage and require expensive repair cost/time after each one.



So, that said, the answer to your original question is "the bumper/ mounting brackets have been bent on impact prior to damaging the frame. " This from Layne at DOR talking about accidents and someone doing a 90 degree truck retrieval from the ditch using the integrated winch. It's possible to bend the frame without bending the bracket or bumper but you would probably have to constantly hit stuff over and over again at low speed to achieve this effect but at that point it'd have balanced out since you didn't have to fix the crumple zone each time either. It's just a matter of answering one question, "Is it worth it for you?". Good luck!



Brian

 

[onestackdram]

If you want to see what happens to the front of the truck with a stock bumper and hit someone that pulls out in front of you when you are doing 60 mphs check out My Stackd Ram in the readers Rig. Trust me I know. . then you will see what i did to fix that little problem... lol. . let her pull out in front of me now...

 

[Sregorb]

OUCH! What was the whole list of damaged goods from that hit??? It looks like the fenders pushed back into the doors even...



Brian

 

[onestackdram]

Well over all cost was $10,500. Since her Insur. paid for it I didnt care... But quick run down of major parts. A completely new front clip, radiator, intercooler (had to get out of mexico, apparently no one had one in U. S. ), fan, front axle. frame restraightened, new windsheild, new doors, and small list of parts that we crunched for the motor i'd have to dig out the ENTIRE list of things done to rebuild it. i might do that and post it on the album

 

[kscheffler]

You guys bring up some good points; bottom line is that when you smack into something bad things are going to happen. Might as well deal with the low speed impacts as best as you can and deal with the major accidents as necessary.



Onestack it would be interesting to post your repair items. How big of job was it to realign your frame and did it work; i. e. no excessive tire wear??

 

[onestackdram]

well i will try to dig up the invoice (my grandfather is body man) so the prices he gave me vary from the prices that we billed the insur. but to give you an idea the $10,500 was MY cost :--) , but as far as straitening up the frame we used a bulldozer to get it close and then set it on the machine to dial it in as close as possible. There isnt much tire wear mainly because i got the 'alignment' compensated enough to make up for the VERY slight imperfection in the frame.