another bumper question..88 burb bumper on 74 truck

[ivorton74]

I got my sport bumper on yesterday but it don't look right. im only using the outer brackets since the inners don't work. the bumper looks turned down a bit...how can I get the bumper up straight ? is the burb outer brackets different from the trucks?

[dieseldawg142]

some trucks even new had bumpers that pointed down a bit. on one truck i just unbolted the bumper brackets & went at the holes with a dremel. opened them up enough so i could twist the bumper up level.

[Sabaka454]

You need the right brackets and the filler panel. Personally I think those stick out way too far so I would just modify/build your own.

[GM72K10]

Here's how the bumper looks with the right bracketes

[ivorton74]

I have little to no fab skills or tools so makin new brackets is out. Do I just get 81-87 truck brackets?
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[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Ask a muffler shop or a welding shop. They'll will probably do it cheap enough to forget scrounging one up.

[ivorton74]

maybe I might just drill new holes or do what dieseldawg did and widen the existing holes with a dremel

[ivorton74]

heres the brackets...they look like they're on right...let me know if its not...these are the best pics I can get right now..i know there crappy...its freezing out

[dieseldawg142]

it is a little hard to tell, but your bumper does seem to point down. i have a sport bumper on my crew, here's what the brackets look like mounted. in one of your pic's it looks like the bolts are in line, they should use the holes so the bolts are off-set, the top bolt more to the front of truck, that should pull your brackets up some

[ivorton74]

Originally Posted by dieseldawg142

it is a little hard to tell, but your bumper does seem to point down. i have a sport bumper on my crew, here's what the brackets look like mounted. in one of your pic's it looks like the bolts are in line, they should use the holes so the bolts are off-set, the top bolt more to the front of truck, that should pull your brackets up some

the bolts are offset...I took the pic at a bad angle so I looks straight lol sorry...from what I see in your pic i'll probably have to drill another top hole to bring the bumper up. how hard is it to drill a hole in the frame? I just have a regular cordless drill

[dieseldawg142]

Originally Posted by ivorton74

the bolts are offset...I took the pic at a bad angle so I looks straight lol sorry...from what I see in your pic i'll probably have to drill another top hole to bring the bumper up. how hard is it to drill a hole in the frame? I just have a regular cordless drill

are you sure there's no more holes in the frame? just seems weird, i went from a step bumper to the sport & all the holes were there, it tucks up nicely like GM72K10's dually. if you do have to drill holes, your probably going to want a corded drill, unless you got lots of battery's. take the top bolt out, slightly loosen the bottom ones & line 'er up where it clears all & looks good, then drill your top holes out. i also dont think you have the wrong brackets, they look just like mine

[ivorton74]

those are the only holes...I took it to my mechanic's shop and we had on a lift...I checked to see where the holes were and those were the only ones I seen. I checked again when I was takin these pics. seems like we think alike...that's exactly what I'm gonna do...i'll see If I could borrow someones cord drill if my cordless don't work on it.

[dieseldawg142]

bummer! guess your drillin'. was'nt going to say anything, but about 25 yrs ago all i had was a 9.6 makita cordless (the big one back then!), and i really needed some tow hooks on the back of my jimmy. between cool-downs & recharges i think i spent 2 or 3 hours. at least you only need 2 holes

[KrazyRay]

The 81-87 bumpers and brackets are different from the 73-80. That's why you are having the problems. I'm curious how it ends up looking after you drill holes to level it out.

[ivorton74]

i'll be sure to post pics when I get it done...the weather in south Dakota sucks a**!!..hopefully I get it done soon..its buggin the heck outta me.

[ivorton74]

got it done...just widened the top holes and that was that..easier than I thought...glad I didn't have to drill more holes on my frame.

[KrazyRay]

That looks great! The 73-80 bumpers are harder to come by and I can get 80's suburban bumpers much easier. Thanks for the pics!

[dieseldawg142]

nice job ivorton, looks good

[ivorton74]

Thanks fellas!
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