Rear Bumper

norsemanberg · February 4, 2009

Damn they are cheap! I bumped my friends planter and it bent the bumper in! Is there a company that makes a goog replacement bumper that is stronger?

solarjustin · February 4, 2009

Sure.

http://www.ranchhand.com/FrontBumperReplacements.aspx

P'cola Denali · February 4, 2009

Sure.

http://www.ranchhand.com/FrontBumperReplacements.aspx

That shit looks like something I would build in my garage on a weekend for my woods truck. I can't stand how cheesy some companys so called bull bumpers are.

Everyday I see a GMT800 Tahoe running around beat to hell and muddy but he has a thing on his rear bumper that looks like a brush guard and attachs to the frame. I want one myself. It has two big bumper pads on it like from the 70's.

norsemanberg · February 4, 2009

Where the hell are the prices? I would think about getting one if i could find a price. I really would like a bumper that wont fold with a bump to a flower planter

VMax2007 · February 4, 2009

Where the hell are the prices? I would think about getting one if i could find a price. I really would like a bumper that wont fold with a bump to a flower planter

Was the flower planter in the road? If not, I suggest not driving into flower planters.

satori · February 4, 2009

Where the hell are the prices? I would think about getting one if i could find a price. I really would like a bumper that wont fold with a bump to a flower planter

Was the flower planter in the road? If not, I suggest not driving into flower planters.

norsemanberg · February 4, 2009

Where the hell are the prices? I would think about getting one if i could find a price. I really would like a bumper that wont fold with a bump to a flower planter

Was the flower planter in the road? If not, I suggest not driving into flower planters.

It was in his drive way and i was backing up and i just barely bumped it

ryan_hermanutz · February 4, 2009

Erik, I'm in the same boat with the bumpers. I'm probably going to go with these guys, http://www.boondockbumpers.com/id117.html they seem to have good bumpers and fairly good customer service so far. They answered all my stupid questions in a timely manner. The guy told me that both front and rear bumpers are just at around 100 pounds each.

lvlagnum · February 4, 2009

Hello norsemanberg and everyone else.

I work in the factory where the GMT-400, GMT-800 and GMT-800 MCE Chevy Silverado front bumpers were made and where the GMT-900 Chevy Silverado front bumpers are still currently made. For a while, we were also stamping and electroplating the Canyon / Colorado rear bumpers as well. The Canyon / Colorado rear bumpers are so flimsy that we had to be VERY careful not to bend or twist them as we were handling them. In fact, we used to fold, that's right, FOLD the defective reject bumpers in half so they would fit in the scrap bins better. If the GMT-900 rear bumpers are anything like the ones on the Canyons and Colorados, that's not a good thing.

I usually keep the area behind where I park clear of ice and snow but just the other day I was backing my three week old 2009 GMC Sierra into my parking spot and heard that sickening crunch of hitting something and I nearly crapped my pants. Fortunately there was no damage except to my pride. I'm so used to the armour plated front and rear bumpers on my old 2003 Chevy Silverado and being able to push down trees, smash through the windrows that the snowplough leaves and leap over F-150s and Rams in a single bound, in both forward and reverse, that I wasn't even thinking. I'm deffinately going to have to be much more careful in the future. Thank you for being both nonest enough and man enough to share your story with us. I'm sure that you telling us your of your experience will help others.

Cheers, lvlagnum,

Zembonez · February 4, 2009

The front and rear bumpers on these new trucks are pure garbage. I guarantee that I could destroy either one with my bare hands. People can crow about "better economy" or "lighter weight" all they want but I say BULLSHIT. GM went cheap on them pure and simple. Bumpers that bend if slapped by a kitten make for big parts sales at the dealership level. Anybody wanna guess what the real reason is for them being junk?

I don't care how any other manufacturer does it. I believe a truck should have a decent bumper (at least on the rear) that could handle the stuff a truck is used for. I don't think that is asking too much on a $25,000.00 and up vehicle.

LAGA · February 4, 2009

This past summer I had a guy run into the rear of my 2000 GMC work truck. The impact bent the frame and tow hitch but did not even scratch the bumper

DofD · February 4, 2009

I would not even call what are on the new trucks bumpers. They are just aerodynamic facia to cover collision safety reinforcement devices. Especially true on my Tahoe. The slightest bump is going to shred that cover. Whereas on my 97 I had someone clip the rear bumper trying to squeeze by. Had to have the plastic bumper pads replaced, bumper was totally fine, but the van had the front fender all pushed in.

97SierraGMC · February 4, 2009

HA... i had a civic ran into my bumper doing about 3-4 MPH yesterday and left a little paint i wiped off with my finger...

VMax2007 · February 5, 2009

The bumper on my 89 GMC Sierra (GMT400) peeled off the side of my mom's 87 Olds Calais like a Sardine can and only left some minor scuffs which were virtually undetectable. I side swiped her car while backing out of the driveway, couldn't see that little POS (not that I even looked ). She pulled in while I was sitting there signing some checks. I was backing up and felt my truck start to rock and then heard her horn (she was in the car). I stopped, got out and walked around and looked and her entire front fender was peeled back, mirror was ripped off and the door was wrinkled. My truck was only about a year old at the time and the damage to my truck was so minor, I never even fixed it, and nobody ever noticed.

I do believe the new trucks use lighter materials to save weight, not money. I can almost guarantee you the cost of building these 3 piece tinfoil/plastic bumpers on these trucks is at least as much, if not more than stamping out a piece of heavier gauge sheetmetal. Steel is cheap.

Weight reduction is a HUGE initiative when designing new vehicles. It is the number one advantage for Hydroforming most of the frame. More strength/pound and fewer intermediate brackets for mounting components to the frame.

So, Jim, stick with what you know, and leave the engineering to me....K-thx.

norsemanberg · February 5, 2009

The bumper on my 89 GMC Sierra (GMT400) peeled off the side of my mom's 87 Olds Calais like a Sardine can and only left some minor scuffs which were virtually undetectable. I side swiped her car while backing out of the driveway, couldn't see that little POS (not that I even looked ). She pulled in while I was sitting there signing some checks. I was backing up and felt my truck start to rock and then heard her horn (she was in the car). I stopped, got out and walked around and looked and her entire front fender was peeled back, mirror was ripped off and the door was wrinkled. My truck was only about a year old at the time and the damage to my truck was so minor, I never even fixed it, and nobody ever noticed.

I do believe the new trucks use lighter materials to save weight, not money. I can almost guarantee you the cost of building these 3 piece tinfoil/plastic bumpers on these trucks is at least as much, if not more than stamping out a piece of heavier gauge sheetmetal. Steel is cheap.

Weight reduction is a HUGE initiative when designing new vehicles. It is the number one advantage for Hydroforming most of the frame. More strength/pound and fewer intermediate brackets for mounting components to the frame.

So, Jim, stick with what you know, and leave the engineering to me....K-thx.

Oh so thats what you do. I thought you just sat at home in front of the computer.