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Hi folks, I bought a rear bumper for my 1977 ford F250 from LMC and I also bought the bumper brackets from there; for the life of me I cannot see how these will bolt up on my truck; to put these on I will have to drill holes, I would appreciate some help.
The brackets are supposed to be universal, but universal doesn't always mean they bolt right on. You should be able to get one set of holes lined up from the brackets to the frame and then may have to drill holes for the others. Do you have any pics?
I do not have any pics right now; what is the best way to drill through the frame? I would like to have at least two bolts through the frame, the bumper is heavy.
I used one of those step drill bits you can buy at almost any hardware store. It chewed through my 77 F250 4x4 frame with no problem. Also, I'd ditch the stock bolts and get some grade 8 bolts. I'd still like to see some pics of the frame and brackets. I bought one of those stepbumpers and bracket kit for my 77 highboy which the brackets weren't made for and I got them to work without drilling any holes and worked fine. I'm not sure why they won't just bolt up to your truck though.
The one end with the rounded corner goes towards the bumper and sits facing the ground. The square end pointing towards the front. I bought a new bumper from LMC and had the same problem. Two out of the three holes lined-up so I had to drill a third hole to bolt it up. I had to pick and choose what holes to use and also how far I wanted / needed the rear bumper to extend out. Good times...
...now I read this... And nobody at LMC has any idea, nor will they identify the manufacturer so I could talk to them; not that I'd necessarily know how to speak the language. You'd think there'd be a diagram at least.
...now I read this... And nobody at LMC has any idea, nor will they identify the manufacturer so I could talk to them; not that I'd necessarily know how to speak the language. You'd think there'd be a diagram at least.
Why people buy from LMC I dunno, it must be because they sell cheap parts.
Their catalogs are full of errors, the people that work there (they also sell Chevy parts) haven't a single clue.
1973/79 F100/350 genuine Ford and aftermarket: TWO different step bumpers, TWO different types of bumper brackets.
The difference has to do with distance between the inner frame rails behind the cab.
33 1/2" frame rails: 1973/77 F250 4WD (High Boys) & 1973/79 F350's on the 140" wheelbase.
37 1/2" frame rails: 1973/79 F100/350's except as noted above.
Your truck has 37 1/2" frame rails. Which type of aftermarket bumper and brackets did LMC sell you? For 37 1/2" frame rails or 33 1/2" frame rails?
And btw, this same jazz also applies to 1973/79 Styleside non step bumpers.
Mine's a 1990, but the same deal applies to my situation as the guy with the '77. I bought from LMC because I didn't have any previous experience with them. While I can certainly understand that not everyone who answers their phone has first-hand knowledge/experience with everything they sell, they could at least help someone who has already bought something from them by identifying the manufacturer; which they explicitly refused to do. Never again...
I had to deal with this over the past week. My body shop was doing some insurance body work and I ordered a bumper and mounting kit from lmc. Chrome step bumper with plastic tread and back up lights. Repair shop specializes in classic cars and trucks. They could not figure how to get the brackets to work. Said it must be wrong part sent. I called lmc and had to order another kit, thinking they sent the wrong kit. When I got the truck back the kit arrived same day, so I went to install. Sure enough, the bracket kit was identical. I could not get it to line Jo to any two existing holes, but was able to drill one hole in frame(with step bit) and it worked fine. Now I had the square end at bumper flared to the outside, and rounded side on frame. Not sure why the shop couldn't figure it out, but it boosted my ego. Would have been nice if the holes lined up properly though. Good luck!