62 C20 Rear Bumper Question

[Soupsdad]

Help, brothers and sisters! I've got a 62 C20 longbed stepside. I've got a new repro rear bumper I want to install, but I'm having a hell of a time with the brackets. I don't have the originals. First round, ordered the wrong set (63-66) from LMC. Ordered another set from CI (because LMC didn't have a set for 60-62), but there's a label on the box that says they're for a half-ton. Phone support for Classic says they won't fit a 3/4 ton, frames aren't the same. What say you? I'd hate to return a second set! Thanks in advance for your help!

[Captainfab]

I'm not as familiar with the '60-'62 frames as I am with the '63-'66's but I don't know what difference there could be between a C10 and a C20 frame that would affect mounting a rear bumper.

[Soupsdad]

That was kinda my thought, they wouldn't have changed the frame between the two. We're going to try and install it this weekend and see how everything lines up. Thanks for the response!

[LVPhotos]

My 2 cents
The "kit" for 60-62 is not stamped like 63-66. Its just cheap flat bar. Save $ and build your own. I repurposed mine after "no return" policy and put 72 bumper on

[Soupsdad]

LVPhotos - Were the original brackets like the flat bars? Our truck didn't have anything back there when we bought it. If they're similar to stock, I'm OK with them. What part of Vegas are you in? I lived there all my life until we moved north a couple of years ago.

[LVPhotos]

Mine was a step bumper. All my 60-66 trucks were dock bumpers. But have delt with the bracket bingo and the bs they come out with. I think only the step sides had regular bumpers. So you could let gate down.
I am on the Eastside.

[Soupsdad]

I'm going to try the set I got from CI tomorrow, see how it goes. I just want to get that new bumper on! I grew up mostly on the west side of the valley. My wife grew up in the DI/Boulder Highway area. Moved to Utah 3 years ago. As much as I hate to say it, I don't miss it. I miss my friends, but not the town. It's not what it used to be. BTW, I like the sidepipes!

[Soupsdad]

Eureka! Got the bumper on. A great man once said, "Improvise. Adapt. Overcome." or something like that. So we did, and it's done. On to the next project! Thanks for the input from you all.

[Captainfab]

Inquiring minds would like to know what was needed to be done differently to make the brackets work?

Originally Posted by Soupsdad

Eureka! Got the bumper on. A great man once said, "Improvise. Adapt. Overcome." or something like that. So we did, and it's done. On to the next project! Thanks for the input from you all.

[Soupsdad]

Well, not knowing how the original brackets came off, we assumed (and you know what that means) that the brackets mounted with one inside the frame rail, one outside. The problem was the inboard bracket wouldn't line up correctly with the hole in the frame. There was too much material below the hole in the bracket to clear the lower horizontal part of the frame. So we just mounted both brackets outboard of the frame.
Again, not knowing how they were originally, that might be the way they're supposed to be. But that's the way they are now, bumper is on, and I think we're good to go.

[Captainfab]

Both bumper brackets are supposed to be on the outside of the frame just as you have them now. So the supposed C10 only rear bumper brackets do work just fine on a C20 frame.

[Soupsdad]

Yeah, looks like we screwed up and did it right!
But then that's half the fun, right? Lots of little mysteries as you go along.