1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 15
From: Toronto, Canada
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
Anyone have advice or preferences on a rear step bumper for my '78?
Don't throw me out of here guys, but I have a 96 che*y bumper on there now. (It was cheap) My dad has kindly backed into a immovable object and creased it.
What should I replace it with? (I am looking for chrome or stainless) The che*y bumper was about 2 inches too short anyway.
What would a new Ford (F150 or Superduty) bumper look like on there?
Most importantly, I want the edges of the bumper flush with the sides of the box, as well as not hang any lower than the che*y so it won't interfere with a spring loaded hitch.
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
Don't throw me out of here guys, but I have a 96 che*y bumper on there now. (It was cheap) My dad has kindly backed into a immovable object and creased it.
What should I replace it with? (I am looking for chrome or stainless) The che*y bumper was about 2 inches too short anyway.
What would a new Ford (F150 or Superduty) bumper look like on there?
Most importantly, I want the edges of the bumper flush with the sides of the box, as well as not hang any lower than the che*y so it won't interfere with a spring loaded hitch.
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 15
From: Toronto, Canada
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 02-Apr-01 AT 10:44 PM (EST)[/font][p]This is what I have now! Mounting is not a problem, I can have it custom mounted.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/User_files/3aa58dff2f266f93.jpg
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/User_files/3aa58dff2f266f93.jpg
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
>Nobody wants to help me replace
>my inferior bumper?
>Help!
>
>1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
>
I think all of us would help if we could -- I am just hanging out, waiting for the answer.
Has anyone tried the step bumpers from AutoKrafters? What is the quality and fit? I've already got a receiver hitch, so I won't use the ball mount on the bumper.
I like the idea of using matching front and rear bumpers from a later model Ford, but I haven't done the research to see how they would match up.
>my inferior bumper?
>Help!
>
>1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
>
I think all of us would help if we could -- I am just hanging out, waiting for the answer.
Has anyone tried the step bumpers from AutoKrafters? What is the quality and fit? I've already got a receiver hitch, so I won't use the ball mount on the bumper.
I like the idea of using matching front and rear bumpers from a later model Ford, but I haven't done the research to see how they would match up.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,960
Likes: 5
From: All over Texas
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
You can use the rear bumper from any '67 to '96 full sized fleetside Ford Truck with proper fit. With that said, it's your choice what you put on your truck. You can search the junk yards, call new and used bumper dealers in your town, have you existing bumper straightened, use internet search engines to find bumper dealers, look in Whitney, AutoKrafter catalogues, etc.
Your options are endless.
Your options are endless.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 15
From: Toronto, Canada
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-Apr-01 AT 10:21 AM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-Apr-01 AT 10:19 AM (EST)[/font]
Why not a 1997 or newer ld/1999 sd? Is frame width different? This is not a big deal, as I can have any bumper mount custom fabricated. (probably for some steaks or something)
The only question is whether or not the length(from side to side)/drop of the newer bumpers is proper/similar to my current one!
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
Why not a 1997 or newer ld/1999 sd? Is frame width different? This is not a big deal, as I can have any bumper mount custom fabricated. (probably for some steaks or something)
The only question is whether or not the length(from side to side)/drop of the newer bumpers is proper/similar to my current one!
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 5,130
Likes: 8
From: Brea CA
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
Hmmm… when I was searching for a used step bumper for my ’68, I know I couldn’t go any higher than a ’72 model because the ’73 and above rear frame rails are wider apart for the 2WD. I thought the 4X4 rear frame rails also got wider in ’77. What’s a Fleetside?
Barry
Barry
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Aurora Illinois
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
I have a 79 f150 ranger lariat 4x4. Last year I put on a
fey chrome bumper on it. It looks great and if you order the
bracket kit with it installation is a snap. You can order it
from summit racing, pep boys or lmc truck.
Hope that helps.
Glenn
fey chrome bumper on it. It looks great and if you order the
bracket kit with it installation is a snap. You can order it
from summit racing, pep boys or lmc truck.
Hope that helps.
Glenn
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,628
Likes: 345
From: Albuquerque
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
I am using one I got from Pep Boys. It had to be ordered from thier special order catalog. I believe it is made by a company called Western Bumper. It looks like the one you have but is chrome fits good and comes with multiple mounting bracers for different brands of trucks. It also cost about the same as rechroming an existing one. Still looks like a Cheyv though.
1977 Ford F-100
400m/c6
280,000 miles
Stock on the outside
modified/rebuilt everything
1977 Ford F-100
400m/c6
280,000 miles
Stock on the outside
modified/rebuilt everything
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,960
Likes: 5
From: All over Texas
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
Weldman, I don't know what changed in '97, but the info I've seen shows that post '96 won't work for older applications. That leads me to Barry's comment. I always thought the same, but recently been researching a new bumper for my '68. My findings have surprised me. Whitney has a very recent Ford specific catalogue and has several different bumpers in it showing a single part number for all applications between '67 and '96 with no addtional brackets or hardware needed. I went even further and entered "truck bumpers" in a search engine and found many dealers on the internet. The ones that have particular application capabilities on their websites have similar information. Hence, I've deduced with some degree of certainty, that '67 to '96 interchangeable years.
I guess fleetside is similar to styleside...anything but stepside.
I guess fleetside is similar to styleside...anything but stepside.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 15
From: Toronto, Canada
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
Fleetside,styleside, all I'm trying to say is straight sheetmetal.
As I've said before, I don't care about frame width, with a welder anything can be mounted to anything.
At this point, I am trying to determine if the Superduty bumper would look right on the truck.
Does anyone know the width/height/depth of the Superduty bumper?
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
As I've said before, I don't care about frame width, with a welder anything can be mounted to anything.
At this point, I am trying to determine if the Superduty bumper would look right on the truck.
Does anyone know the width/height/depth of the Superduty bumper?
Matt
1978 F250 Ranger 4x4 - 351M
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 5,130
Likes: 8
From: Brea CA
1978 Fleetside Rear Bumper
Buzzard, I’m trying to understand how one bumper can fit all those applications. Maybe it’s like rebuild kits where they give you extra parts to fit more than one application so they don’t have to stock so many different variations. I know the original step bumpers on the ’73 and up don’t fit the 34” frame width of the earlier trucks. The guys at the yard would confirm this when I told them what I was looking for. Before I believed them, I yanked one off a ’74 and it’s still sitting on the garage floor. Eventually found a super clean original one from a ’72 but it was welded on so I had to cut the frame to get it off. What did you end up putting on your ’68?
Barry
Barry