does anyone know the difference between 66-77 front bumpers and the 78-79 front bumpers-
I have a 76 highboy(f-250) and and chance to get either bumper-the front clip i have on the truck is 79-
so.. just wondering if it is a mount thing out how it lines up the with the rest of the clip?
either way it looks like i am gonna have to fab some mounts due to the fact the the guy that had the truck before thought it would be cool to weld and cut the front frame section to weld on a big ugly bush bar..which i removed..

 

There is a slight appearance difference from the front when viewed side by side, which would naturally cause a cross-sectional contour difference as well. I have not looked closely at the rear of the '78-79, so can't comment, but do know that the earlier one bolts directly to the frame horns, which have the same contour. I'm sure someone with the later style will chime in about it's details. If you need to do the frame horn repair, and you've already got the later clip and like it, I would put the later bumper on to match if it were me.

 

The bumpers are a slightly different shape, but the frame widths are the same. Since the brackets bolt up differently, you will need the brackets for the proper year of the truck, but they bolt up to any year front bumper.
Here is a pick of my 74 with a 79 grille and bumper. http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=HPIM0833.jpg
If you cruise around a little, you will see some pics of the early bumper and grille.
Easy to swap, and does not require the entire clip. The grilles all bolt up the same.

 

thanks guys!!
solved my question painlessly!!

 

Yep--maybe the brackets are different, but the frame width and the width between the bolt holes should be the same (I think).

As far as appearnce, the 78-79 bumpers have an oval shaped whole cut out in the middle where a license plate goes, and the earlier bumpers don't. You might be able to see that in my pics.

 

Do you have pictures of these brackets for the early style? Every bumper I've pulled off (mostly mid-70's) have not had any brackets - bumper was just bolted directly to the frame horn.

 

The chrome front bumper (C4TZ-17757-D) is the same 1964/77 with one exception.

The Ranger XLT's from 1973 thru 1977 used a similar looking bumper, but it came with horizontal vinyl bumper pads (D3TZ-17757-A).

Some 1978's also used C4TZ-17757-D & D3TZ-17757-A bumpers. Then there are three more used in 1978. These are the same as used in 1979.

One used horizontal pads: D8TZ-17757-B, one did not: D8TZ-17757-A. Then there's a third bumper which was painted low gloss black: D8TZ-17757-C.

As original, 1973/79 F250's and F350's use bumper brackets, F100/150's do not use them.

D3TZ-17752-A .. Right Bumper Bracket / D3TZ-17753-A .. Left Bumper Bracket / Fit: 1973/79 F250's & 1973/77 F350's.

D8TZ-17752-A .. Right Bumper Bracket / D8TZ-17753-A .. Left Bumper Bracket / Fit: 1978/79 F350's.

Confused? Join the club...figuring out what year takes which bumper has been a PITA since 1973!!

 

I can have some today. Interesting enough, I have to replace my front bumper today. Unfortunately I had an incedent with some large boulders last week, and I crushed the bumper, smashed my new shiney grille, broke my turn signals, and wrinkled my fenders bad enough to have broken both side marker lights.
Luckily the rest of the truck managed to get through alright, although I did rub the paint on both doors, and scraped a mirror on the same set of rocks.
Trying to rescue a group of guys in jeeps and little FJ40's is not easy in a fullsize, and trails that are about as wide as the truck.
I now know what lemon feels like when it is being squeezed for lemonade, lol.
Anyway, I do have a couple of sets of brackets. The original set, and I might be able to dig up a set that I made. These are pretty easy to make BTW.
I will try to get pics of both, and some dimensions in the event that you wanna attempt your own fabrication of these.
I will be headed to the shop in about an hour, so I probably will not post until this evening, but I will get them.

 

I believe that you might have been working on trucks that were 1/2 ton.
I believe that all F250's used bumper brackets, and the 100's and 150's did not.
I cant be 100% though, I only have 250's.
At any rate, I forgot that I have one of my trucks right here at home, so I snapped a couple of shots of those brackets for you. These are with the bumper still on, but should give you a rough idea.
I will still remove them, and get some good pics with them off of the truck, and provide some dimensions.
Image of 73-77 Pass side Front bumper bracket - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

All the bumper brackets are obsolete, but a search of the Ford dealer parts locator turned up the following:

D3TZ-17752-A = Don Sanderson Ford in Glendale AZ has 21. That's right 21!

D3TZ-17753-A = Don Sanderson Ford in Glendale AZ has 27. This figure should come as no surprise considering he has 21 right sides.

D8TZ-17752-A = Don Sanderson Ford has 31. Two other dealers have one each.

D8TZ-17753-A = Don Sanderson Ford has 14 / Matlock Ford-Mercury in Franklin IN has 2.

Why does Don Sanderson Ford have so many brackets? Prolly because at one time, he sold these parts to jobbers, who sold them in Mexico and the rest of Central America.

I did the same thing for years with fan shrouds, tailgates and dash bezels...but kept a tight rein on the inventory!

See my post #7 for what these brackets were used on.

 

Thanks everyone - that clarifies it well. I have only been dealing with the 100-150's, so explains why I haven't seen the brackets. I had also read somewhere here a while back that the later bumper installed without the brackets would end up with a "smilie" droop and the photo shows why that would be!

 

I know 76 F250 4X4s (I have one) did not use a seprate bracket. The bumper bolted to the frame rails just like the half tons did. Maybe all 4X4s dident use the brackets, Im not sure about that one. Leadmic

 

The 1973/79 Ford Light Truck Parts Catalog Text / Section 176 / Page 9 inre to front bumper brackets sez F250...it doesn't specify 2WD or 4WD.

Illustration Section 176 / Page 1 clearly shows both F250/350 2WD's with front bumper brackets, and on page 2, there's another illustration showing brackets on F250 4WD's.

I'd post the whole tamale (text & illustrations) if I could, but I'm using this Ford parts catalog on microfiche slides.

From the illustrations in the parts catalog, I'd like to know how you could mount the bumpers on without using bumper brackets.

Someone coulda drilled the frame horns to mount the bumper directly, but the bumper wouldn't fit right, and look kinda funny.

 

Mr. NumbersDummy, I saw in a earlier post you stated that the half tons dident have front bumper brackets! Well guess what my 76 F250 4X4 front frame rails looks like? If you cant guess it looks just like the ones on my 74 F100 4x4 front frame rails do. In case someone dosent know what Im talking about the half tons (and at least my 76 F250 4x4) have the front frame rails shaped so that the bumper bolts stright to the front of the frame rails.
Leadmic

 

The info I typed in posts #7, 10 & 13 is straight from the parts catalog, so argue with FoMoCo, not me...I'm just the messenger, I type what the parts catalog sez.

It takes a lotta time and effort on my part to do this scheiss. I'm not paid a cent by anyone to do this, either.

I look the numbers up, post them, then search the web for the parts, most of which are OBSOLETE.

If found, then y'all can buy them. Where else can you get all this info? You think some partsguy in a dealership will take this much time to help y'all?

No friggen way. Most dealerships don't have parts catalogs prior to 1980, and most of the partsguys today won't give you the time of day.

Post #7 took an hour to research & type, Post #10 took over 30 minutes to research and type.

A CD version of the 1973/79 Ford Light Truck Parts Catalog is available from hipoparts.com for around $25.00 / also sold on ebay.

With a parts catalog..you can research all this scheiss. I'm tired of spending hours researching and posting, only to have someone argue with me over what Ford did and didn't do.

If the F250's didn't use front bumper brackets, why are they listed in the parts catalog?